Mini Session Booking Setup

By creavio Team April 10, 2026 1 views

Mini Session Booking Setup

Mini sessions are the highest-revenue-per-hour work most portrait photographers do. Ten 20-minute sessions in a day at $250 each is $2,500 for a single location setup. The challenge is logistics. creavio makes booking and managing mini sessions painless.

Creating Mini Session Slots

Go to Bookings > Session Types and create a new session type called "Mini Session" (or whatever you brand it: "Fall Minis," "Holiday Minis," "Spring Bloom Sessions").

Configure the session type:

  • Duration: 15-30 minutes (20 is most common)
  • Buffer time: 5-10 minutes between sessions for client changeover
  • Price: Your mini session rate
  • Deposit required: Full payment upfront is standard for minis. Set the deposit to 100%.
  • Available dates: Select only the specific dates you are offering minis
  • Available times: Set the time window (e.g., 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
  • Max bookings: Set the total number of slots available

Automatic Slot Generation

When you set the duration, buffer, and time window, creavio generates individual slots automatically. For a 9 AM to 1 PM window with 20-minute sessions and 10-minute buffers:

  • 9:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 12:30 PM

That is 8 slots. As clients book, slots disappear from the public booking page in real time.

The Booking Page

Share the booking page link on social media, in emails, and on your website. Clients see available dates and times, select a slot, and pay instantly through Stripe. No back-and-forth messaging. No "Is 10:30 available?" emails.

The booking confirmation email fires automatically with:

  • Date, time, and location details
  • What to wear and what to expect
  • Cancellation policy
  • A link to a styling questionnaire (optional)

Questionnaires for Mini Sessions

Keep mini session questionnaires short. Three to five questions max:

  1. Who will be in the session? (names and ages)
  2. Any color palette or outfit preferences?
  3. Is there a specific look or pose you want?
  4. Anything I should know? (mobility, nervousness, pet behavior)

Attach the questionnaire to the session type so it sends automatically after booking.

Waitlist Management

When all slots are booked, the booking page shows a Join Waitlist button instead of available times. If a cancellation opens a slot, the first person on the waitlist receives an automated email with a link to book.

You can also manually notify waitlist members if you add an extra date.

Day-Of Management

On mini session day, open the calendar view on your phone. You see every slot in order with client names and their questionnaire responses. Between sessions, glance at the next client's details so you are prepared.

Post-Session Delivery

Mini session galleries are smaller (15-30 images typically). Create individual collections for each client. Use automation to send the gallery link a set number of days after the session.

For efficiency, create all galleries at once using bulk operations.

Upselling from Minis

Mini sessions are a gateway to full sessions. Include an upsell offer in the gallery delivery email: "Loved your mini session? Book a full portrait session within 30 days and receive $100 off." Track conversion with tags in your CRM.