I had so much fun creating this set, that I thought I would share how it all came together with the help of my eldest daughter! You can see the results at the bottom of the page! Or if you want to book your session click the button below.
Last year, I had a neutral boho setup, but the feedback I received was that it wasn't "Valentine-sy" enough! So this year, I decided to create a minimalist red and white festive set.
I started with this white brick backdrop I had packed away from when I first started collecting items for my photography business! I haven't used it before, but I love how it photographs. Alternatively, you could use a plain white paper backdrop and it would also look great!
I thrifted the "love" sign and a red folding chair from a local thrift store. This is one of my favourite ways to find props to add to my photography session sets! My favourite thrift store right now is in Langley, the Mission Thrift Store. Heads up, it's closed on Sundays, so make sure to plan your thrifting on Monday through Saturday.
The next issue I had was helium! The helium available right now is expensive and/or it is low quality. So if I spent money to fill the balloons they would likely start to deflate or lose their "float" within a couple of hours. I couldn't justify the cost to do it for promo shots and then again when I was going to host my mini sessions, only to have the balloons start to deflate during my sessions. So ... I started looking for a solution. My long search ended when I found the perfect little package of balloon stands! This kit comes with everything you need to create a variety of free-standing balloon displays. To make the base sturdy, you just have to fill the weights with water. They are safe and easy to put together! My 11-year-old daughter did most of it herself - Thank you, Mila! I am using the balloon stands for my photography sessions but they can be used for your children's birthday parties, communion, graduation, or even a retirement party!
You can buy your Balloon Stand Kit from Amazon, HERE! Of course, for my purposes, I have to edit the stand out of the image, but it will save so much money on helium in the long run, and gives me a sense of security that my balloons will look the same during my sessions as they did in the promo session, and it provides a variety of ways that I can display balloons in my cake smash sessions in the future!
The next part was to decide which balloons to use. I read many reviews on Amazon and these heart balloons had the most consistent comments. You can get your heart balloons, HERE! I did purchase some "white" heart balloons from another vendor, but they arrived grey, so I couldn't use them for this session. I also wanted red and white free-floating balloons. The best deal for the best reviews that I found was the Red and White Balloon Garland Kit. This kit comes in a variety of sizes and these balloons keep their colour well. Some balloons I have purchased in the past are too translucent when inflated. I love that I had balloons left over because we can use them on our children's birthdays or even for another photography mini-session. I finished the look with red curling ribbons that you can get, HERE.
Then, I made a heart garland by hot gluing felt hearts on a twine string I had in my art supplies. You could buy something similar to my twine here. I got the hearts from Michaels. They come in a pack with both red and pink. I bought two and got one free! My daughter is using the pink hearts to make her Valentine's cards so there is no wasting! I wasn't sure if I would use the garland or if it would be too much, but in the end decided to add it to the set!
Finally, the vintage patio lights - these are pretty cool. They are hard plastic so they are super safe and have a great look when photographed! If you want to grab some of these lights, they are also a great deal!
If you have any questions or want to see a specific blog post, reach out!
xoxo Hayley
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