Santa photo booth checklist: before, on the day and after

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Before

Book the date on your own grounds or hall so nothing else clashes.
Get the landowner’s permission in writing.
Write a one-page safety plan: hazards, who is in charge, first aid, what to do if it rains.
Check your group’s insurance covers this.
Choose a venue with foot traffic or a captive audience: your own school hall, a Christmas market, a garden centre or a local shop.
Recruit a Santa (a grandparent or member who is comfortable with children) and confirm the suit fits.
Approach a local photographer: either they donate their time, or they keep print sales and the group keeps the sitting fee, as NZ pop-up photographers commonly offer (Photography by Kirsten; J&J Canterbury).
Set your price below the malls ($17-21 for one print per search results) and offer one clear package, e.g. one digital file plus one print.

On the day

Brief the helpers: who does what, when, and where the cash box and first aid kit are.
Count the float with two people before you open, and write the total down.
Open online bookings in 5-10 minute slots and take payment at booking.
Prepare a simple consent form: what is photographed, how files are delivered, and that nothing is posted publicly without permission.
Build the set: backdrop, chair, lights, a few props; test lighting the day before.
On the day, run a queue helper, an elf to settle young children, and a cashier for walk-ins.
Deliver files by private link or USB within a week and delete the working files after.

After

Thank the photographer and Santa publicly and rebook for next year.
Count the takings in pairs and bank them within a day or two.
Tell supporters what you raised and what it will pay for.

Watch out for

Paying a professional Santa or photographer at full rate can wipe out the profit; agree the split in writing.
Posting children's photos without consent damages trust and may breach privacy expectations.
Too few slots booked: promote at least three weeks ahead through school newsletters and Facebook.

Get parents' consent for photos of children under the Privacy Commissioner's 2025 guidance. If held in a store or market, the owner's permission is needed.

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Santa photo booth: checklist

Before

On the day

After

Watch out for

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