Love was definitely in the air this year! To celebrate the season of love, I decided to embrace it in the best way possible—with my Senior Rep team and my Mini Rep team. This was my very first time hosting a Valentine-themed mini session for my reps, and after how much fun it was, I’m excited to make it an annual event!
I rented the beautiful Lumen Room studios and had each girl sign up for their five-minute time slots. To add a little extra fun, we took a break halfway through the session for some team and group photos. Afterward, we got back to our individual time slots to make sure everyone had their moment in the spotlight!
What made this mini session extra special was that, for the first time, I allowed the girls to bring along their bestie or Valentine. The energy in the room was contagious as they laughed, posed, and celebrated the people they care about most. It made for some truly unforgettable moments.
For the backdrop, I initially had this fun idea of using roses and balloons—but then, one evening while mindlessly scrolling through TikTok, I stumbled upon a creative bow trend using plastic tablecloths from Dollar Tree. It was one of those moments when inspiration just clicked. I knew I had to try it! My amazing assistant, Aby, was a huge help in turning each tablecloth into oversized bows that became the focal point of our setup. They turned out even better than I had imagined!
The morning of the session, I arrived a bit early to set up and was feeling super excited. But then, the panic hit—Target’s tape I had ordered for the bows wasn’t the right kind! Thankfully, two wonderful moms were already at the studio and swooped in to save the day. They helped me find some tape, and with their support, we were able to hang the bows up just in time before the girls arrived. Teamwork at its finest!
Once everything was set up, I greeted each of the girls with a big hug and met their bestie/Valentine. It’s such a joy to get to know each girl personally and to watch our bond grow over time. From the moment the sessions started, it was nothing but smiles, laughter, and love. There were spins, dips, kisses, awkward moments, and some adorable couple poses with their besties. Oh, and let’s not forget about the prop glasses! One of the moms brought in the cutest heart-shaped red and pink glasses that the girls had a blast using. When it came to outfits, I gave the girls full creative freedom, but I did encourage them to embrace Valentine’s Day colors—and boy, did they deliver! Each girl’s personality shone through in their unique outfits, and I couldn’t have been happier with how it all came together.
As we wrapped up the day, something hit me: this would be my last group session with my 2024-2025 Mini Rep team. It was a bittersweet moment as I took down each bow and reflected on all the fun we’d shared throughout the year. The connections we made, the laughs, and the memories will stay with me for a lifetime.
And don’t worry about the bows—I couldn’t bear to throw them away. Being a boy mom, I had no use for them, but one of my reps is going to recycle them at her birthday party! It made me feel so much better knowing they’d have another life and still bring some cheer to someone else’s special day.
It was such a joy-filled event, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s Valentine-themed mini sessions. Until then, I’ll cherish these moments and continue building connections with these incredible young women.
