How to Book a Family Photo Session in Cancun

Booking a family portrait session with us takes one page and four short steps, from home weeks before the trip or from your hotel room once you land. What turns a booking into a good session is what you tell us with it: the children's ages, when the youngest naps, who needs an easy walk and who takes a while to warm up. Here is each step, and what happens after you press the button.

Step 1: Choose a Collection

The first step on the form is the collection. Our six collections have fixed prices in US dollars, set by length and number of edited photos:

• The Postcard: 35 minutes, 15 edited photos, 1 look, 295 USD. Made for couples.
• The Keepsake: 45 minutes, 25 edited photos, 1 look, 375 USD.
• The Chapter: 60 minutes, 35 edited photos, 1 look, 475 USD. The one we recommend for families.
• The Story: 75 minutes, 50 edited photos, 2 looks, 545 USD.
• The Editorial: 90 minutes, 70 edited photos, 2 looks, 645 USD. Our best value.
• The Heirloom: 90 minutes, the full edited gallery, 2 looks, 895 USD.

The Chapter is already selected when the page opens, and for most families it is the right start: an hour leaves room for a snack, a pause and a child who needs a few minutes to warm up. Choose The Story, The Editorial or The Heirloom for a change of outfit, since those include two looks, or when a big group means many combinations to photograph.

Two things make this choice easy. There is no limit on the number of people and no charge per person, and if you fall in love with more photos than your collection includes, you can move up at any time, paying only the difference. Our Cancun photographer prices page sets out what each collection includes.

Step 2: Pick a Date and a Time

Choose your date, then one of five online start times: 6:30, 7:00 or 7:30 am, or 5:00 or 5:30 pm, all Cancun time. Online booking takes dates from the next day on; for a session today, message us on WhatsApp. The form marks 5:30 pm as the light we recommend and notes that mornings are calm and cooler.

With children, pick the window that fits their day. Early risers are often at their best in a morning slot; if your toddler naps after lunch, a 5:00 or 5:30 start lets the nap come first. Need another time, say around a baby's feeds? Message us on WhatsApp: other times are arranged there.

How far in advance? As soon as your travel dates and hotel are set. With no deposit and free cancellation up to one day before, holding a time early costs nothing and leaves you the most dates to choose from. A day early in your stay leaves spare days if plans change. Our 90-day checklist for planning a family session abroad fits the booking into the rest of the trip; if you are already in Cancun, see how booking at short notice works.

Step 3: Tell Us Where You Are Staying

Type the name of your hotel, then choose where the session happens: "At my resort", "A nearby public beach (we suggest one)" or "Not sure yet, please advise". If you are unsure, pick the last one and we will suggest a place that suits your family.

The hotel matters for another reason: some resorts charge a fee when guests bring an outside photographer. The resort sets that fee and you pay it to the hotel, not to us. We check your resort's current policy and tell you before the session. Our page on having a photographer at your resort in Cancun goes hotel by hotel through the resorts we work in most.

“She handled everything as far as coming to the resort (contacted reception to set up her visit)”

Stacy T., Google review

Last comes the number of people. Count everyone you want in the photos, grandparents and cousins included: there is no limit and no charge per person. If a large group would like to be photographed away from the hotel, say so in your note: for groups of up to 16, we can arrange transportation in a full van to the session location, priced on request (see how pickup works for groups).

Step 4: Your Details and a Note About the Kids

Add your full name, your email (the confirmation letter is sent there) and a WhatsApp or phone number with the country code, so we can reach you while you travel. Then comes the box that matters most for a family: Notes. It is optional and holds up to 300 characters, so stick to the essentials:

• Ages. Each child's age: who will run, who needs carrying, who would rather not be treated like a little kid.
• Naps. When the youngest sleeps, and when each child is at their happiest.
• Mobility. A stroller, a wheelchair, or a grandparent who cannot walk far on soft sand.
• Who is shy. The child, or adult, who needs a few minutes to warm up.
• The occasion. A birthday, an anniversary, a first trip with a new baby.
• One must-have photo. The picture you would be sad to go home without.

Anything that does not fit can follow on WhatsApp. These details shape the plan: where we meet, how far everyone walks, and how we begin with a child who needs time.

“My 3-year-old son is usually quite shy, but they came prepared with a cute rabbit toy just for him and treated him with such warmth.”

Susie H., Google review

Our guide to family photos with shy or uncooperative kids goes further. When everything is in, press Request my session.

After You Press the Button

Within about two minutes, our calendar confirms the time you chose, and a confirmation letter in PDF arrives by email with the date, time, place and collection. If your time is taken, we email you the closest free times instead.

Before the session, we confirm your hotel's rule on outside photographers and where we meet. Have a question, or would you rather talk first? Message us on WhatsApp; we reply in English or Spanish.

If Your Plans Change

Family trips move: a flight changes, a child wakes up with a fever. Cancellation is free up to one day before your session, and since nothing is paid in advance, there is nothing to get back. Just tell us as early as you can on WhatsApp.

Plans can grow, too. For more time, more photos or a second look, move up to a larger collection and pay only the difference: from The Chapter at 475 USD to The Story at 545 USD, you pay 70 USD more. It works after the session as well, if you see your photos and want more of them.

Paying, and What Arrives Afterwards

There is no deposit for family sessions, so you pay nothing to book and nothing before the day. We meet you at the agreed place, photograph your family, and you pay at the end of the session, by card or in cash.

A preview arrives within 24 hours of your session, and the full gallery follows in 1 to 3 business days: a private 4K gallery with unlimited downloads and print rights.

Our team, led by Vianey Díaz, has more than 20 years of photography experience and has photographed thousands of families and couples in that time. Since IVAE Studios opened in 2023, we have delivered more than 500 sessions, and we hold a 5.0 rating across 75 Google reviews. Still comparing before you hire a photographer in Cancun? Look for published prices, recent reviews from families like yours and a delivery time in writing. See how we work on our Cancun family photographer page, and when you are ready, book online.