Zhua Zhou Portraits and a Cake Smash for Baby’s First Birthday

This was my first time photographing a Zhua zhou, a traditional Chinese ceremony celebrating a baby’s first birthday. When Kayden’s mom reached out to plan her session, she told me she wanted to do it in two parts: a zhua zhou ceremony to honor their Chinese heritage, followed by a traditional western cake smash. I absolutely loved the idea and couldn’t wait for them to come into the studio! 

Zhua zhou is a ceremony marking the baby’s first birthday. During the ceremony, parents place an assortment of items in front of their child and the child chooses what they want. Tradition said that what the child chooses would determine their future capabilities and interests. Each item symbolizes a career path and helps reveal the child’s potential personality traits, too! Zhua zhou is really about parents sharing their good wishes and hopes for the future of their children. It was so special to be a part of Kayden’s ceremony! 

Kayden loved exploring the different objects, picking them up, and putting many of them into her mouth. Some of the objects were a ball (to represent an athlete), a steamed bun (to represent a little foodie), a gavel (a lawyer), a scepter (diplomat), a book (teacher), etc. She kept coming back to the bun, and her parents laughed at how much she enjoyed food and how she was their little foodie.

Next we did her cake smash, and this little foodie did not disappoint! She was certainly one of the most enthusiastic smashers I have enjoyed having in the studio this year, and I adored her session. We had the most beautiful cake from Indulgence Bakery! I loved the swiss dot pattern on the buttercream, and it may just be my new favorite style of a simple cake. Kayden was definitely a fan, too! 

Thank you to Kayden and her parents for trusting me to capture both parts of their family’s story. I’m so honored and I loved learning about this unique tradition! 

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An Ice Cream Truck Cake Smash for Adelaide’s Second Birthday

Who says cake smashes are just for one year olds?! My son did cake smashes all the way up through his fifth birthday, and I’m sure he’ll want one again as he gets older. So of course with our daughter’s second birthday this month, I knew we had to do a sweet little cake smash to celebrate our birthday girl.

Adelaide has been a fan of ice cream ever since her first taste of it last summer. She had her own little way of pronouncing it for months, calling it “i-ga”, and we all knew what she was talking about. She would run over to the freezer whenever we opened it up, shouting “i-ga! i-ga!,” and pushing aside the top drawer and looking into the bottom where we keep the ice cream.

With our favorite local ice cream shop open again for the season, Adelaide hasn’t missed a beat and she continues to be a big fan of ice cream. When thinking of a theme for her second birthday, I knew immediately that this would be it! I chose to keep the decor simple with just a watercolor ice cream truck and some ice cream cones on the floor as confetti. Her pastel rainbow dress was the perfect match to the beautiful colors, and I couldn’t resist doing our favorite new hairstyle on our little toddler – pigtail buns!

She LOVED IT! She was cute & dainty, dipping one little finger in the frosting at a time. Grayson (6 years old) accompanied us in the studio and took pictures on his own little digital camera the whole time. I loved seeing how excited he was to capture her smiles, and how he kept exclaiming, “Ahhhh, this one is so good!”

While I can’t even believe that we have a two year old already, I’m excited to celebrate our sweet girl. She is most looking forward to blowing out the candles on her birthday cake, and she talks about it every day. Happy birthday, baby girl!

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A Mountains and Moose Cake Smash: Using watercolor cutouts to create a cake smash backdrop

Happy birthday, Maverick! This cute little guy is one of our recent baby graduates of the Collective Membership. For the last year, I’ve had the joy (and honor) of photographing Maverick’s milestones. I’ve gotten to know him and his parents pretty well. I can’t believe it’s already time for his first birthday cake smash! We planned a super fun mountain and moose cake smash, to echo his nursery theme at home. It turned out so perfect! 

I am a huge fan of watercolor art. There’s something about the soft colors and the way the edges bleed into each other, not to mention the delicate details. I like to decorate our home with watercolors, and I enjoy incorporating it into my styled portrait sessions, too! When families come to me with a specific theme idea for their baby’s cake smash, I often look to see how I can include watercolor artwork cutouts in their setup. Maverick’s cake smash theme turned out to be the perfect chance for some watercolor cutouts! 

One of my favorite places to find these designs is from independent artisans on Etsy, and you know I love supporting other artists and small business owners! I purchase the design, and print it as large as possible on a 40” poster. Places like Staples can do this for you, and you want to make sure to use a matte finish paper to avoid any shine being reflected back at the camera in the studio. Then I cut it out and use it to create the backdrop. I have done this for countless themes for my clients (and even for my own children’s portrait sessions and birthday parties!), and I love the variety that it lends to my sessions without cluttering up the studio with even more expensive props. Plus, as a minimalist at heart and a huge fan of reduce/reuse/recycle and avoiding one-time-use props and items, this works for me!

Bringing everything together for Maverick’s theme was especially fun, and I scoured the internet for adorable moose artwork. His nursery has a moose & mountains theme, with a mural that his father hand-painted, and we wanted to incorporate that into his first birthday portraits. I adore how it all came together, and the moose really are the cutest little moose I have ever seen!

Happy birthday again, little guy!! I’ll miss seeing you in the studio every few months - but I’m so proud to have captured your big moments this past year.

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Ready, Set, Smash: Top 10 Tips for a Successful Cake Smash Photo Session!

Let the messy, giggly, and utterly adorable chaos begin! I LOVE cake smash sessions to celebrate your baby’s first birthday! A cake smash session isn't just about capturing cute photos; it's about embracing the sheer joy and whimsy of your little one's special first year. While they’re super fun, I’ve learned a few tricks over the years to ensure that your baby has a great time and so you get the portraits you’re dreaming of to celebrate the end of this first year!! 

Before Your Cake Smash: 

Give your baby a cupcake or a bowl of frosting a week ahead of time and let them play and get messy. 

So often the feeling of frosting stuck between their fingers is a new sensory experience. Many babies need some time to adjust to that, and it’s easier (and happier!) if they get that experience before the camera comes out. Plus, if they know that they’re allowed to play and have fun, you’re going to have even better photos! 

Let your baby eat a snack or a meal while sitting on the floor in the week or two leading up to the session.

If they are used to being in a high chair 100% of the time, they will not know what to do when we seat them on the floor in front of a cake. Practicing this ahead of time lets them know that there are many different places where they may be able to eat, and not just in a high chair.

Bring your cake to room temperature so that it is soft and easy to smash. 

Cold cakes are rock solid, and babies always hate touching them. If your cake is soft, they’re more likely to dive right in and enjoy this special treat. Don’t forget to pack finger foods like puffs, yogurt drops, or cheerios to hide in the frosting if they are hesitant to try the cake.

Try on their outfit ahead of time. 

Not only is it important to make sure it actually fits, but it’s important to make sure that they can sit, stand, and crawl comfortably. We want to capture your little one moving around! 

During Your Cake Smash

Show that you can eat the frosting! 

Give your baby a taste of frosting on your fingertip, and show them that you can eat the frosting/cake, too! This helps them feel safe because they trust you, and it piques their curiosity in the cake. Anything that helps your baby be more comfortable with this new food is key.

Be patient. 

Most babies take a little time to really get comfortable during their cake smash. We will never force a baby to eat the cake, and we will take as many breaks as they need. Some babies dig right in, but others need a little more time. Don’t worry, and just remember that however your baby reacts, IT IS NORMAL and we’ve seen that in dozens of other babies before.

If your baby is a walker (or a super speedy crawler!), be prepared to get messy. 

Your job is going to be baby-duty to bring your baby back over to the backdrop every time they crawl or walk away. Just be sure they are always turned with the front of their body towards the light source when you place them back down on the setup. This will help us capture more photos quickly throughout our time together. 

Follow the photographer’s lead. 

Your photographer has a flexible workflow to introduce baby to the cake and to ensure they capture all of their standard shots, and your photographer will adapt to whatever mood your little one is in and whatever situation arises. Stay calm, and have fun!

Don’t panic if your baby cries. 

I promise you, we’ll help them get comfortable or move on to the next part of the session. And anyways, those always wind up being some of the cutest photos that parents love when they put on their crocodile tears. ;o)

Savor this experience. 

Really pause and take a moment to take it all in and remember this celebration of your baby’s first year. Look at their little smile, watch the way their hands grab at the cake with those tiny finger dimples, and listen to their joyful giggle as they clap and cheer. This is such a huge milestone for your family, so make sure you slow down to enjoy the experience. 

Don’t worry about getting your baby to smile or calling their attention – your photographer will handle that part. For now, just enjoy these moments as a parent and love on your little one who is about to celebrate a whole trip around the sun!

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A Simple Woodland Cake Smash Setup for Baby Boy’s First Birthday

How is Lucas already a one year old?! This was our fifth session together thanks to our Collective Membership, and Lucas absolutely loved the camera! He was so comfortable in the studio, and he had a blast digging into his cake to celebrate turning one. Seeing babies be super comfortable with me is definitely a huge perk of being a part of the membership! 

For Lucas’ first birthday portraits, his mom and dad wanted to keep the setup super simple. We brought in elements of the woods, including the gorgeous pine tree trunks and greenery. With lots of fairy lights intertwined with the leaves on the floor, the setup became more whimsical and fun for this sweet boy. His outfit was also simple, but Lucas looked absolutely adorable in his overalls! 

My favorite portraits from his cake smash are actually where Lucas is smiling up at his mom and dad. His eyes just light up when he sees them, and I hope they always look back at these portraits and see the love that they reflected right back on to him. It was so precious to see those moments happen in real life and to have saved them forever for Lucas and his parents is beyond special to me! 

Happy first birthday, Lucas! I can’t believe you’re already such a big boy!! 

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A horse racing themed cake smash in Saratoga Springs

Happy birthday, Ivy! This darling little girl was born last year during the famous annual Whitney Race and upon her arrival, Heather immediately knew what her first birthday portrait theme would be: horse racing! I always love a chance to break out this uniquely Saratoga Springs backdrop and setup, and to do so in honor of a Whitney Race baby was even more special to me. Ivy’s mom not only used the theme for her portraits, but planned the entire birthday party around this theme too! SO fun. 

Before our cake smash, I met Ivy, Heather, and Lee in a wildflower field that they’ve grown to love over the last year. It’s a field the family frequents to gather their fresh fruit and veggies, so it holds a lot of meaning to the three of them. Ivy had the cutest little blue and white dress for our portraits in the field. She looked absolutely adorable, and everything just had this soft flowing vibe to it. 

After our time in the field, we headed back to the studio for Ivy’s first birthday portraits. Heather loved my vintage high chair and big ONE letters made of metal, so we made sure to incorporate them in our studio time. Heather chose the sweetest blue linen dress for Ivy to wear during her smash. She actually pulled some of the pastel orange and peach out of the backdrop for her cake, too. Such great attention to detail! It really helped everything for the smash come together. 

Ivy was gentle with her cake but had a blast. I loved seeing her little smile come out as she touched the icing and even got to play in our bath after the smash. She was utterly adorable and I had a great time with her and her parents marking this major milestone! Happy first birthday, Ivy! 

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A horse racing themed cake smash in Saratoga Springs NY with New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography

Classic neutral cake smash with balloon letters

Happy birthday, Bennett! This classic neutral cake smash was super special to me because Bennett has the same exact birthday as our little girl Adelaide! I have been photographing this family’s milestones ever since they were pregnant with their first baby, and it’s such a joy welcoming them back into the studio and seeing their family grow and change. Bennett was the happiest little birthday boy and his session was a great time for all of us! 

Katie, Bennett’s mom, asked for a setup that was soft, neutral, and classic. We did a neutral “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” setup when her son Carter turned one, and I wanted to use colors that would complement his portraits. With that in mind, we stuck with whites, creams, and gold. I can already imagine the portraits being displayed together in their home! They’re going to be so pretty hanging together on the wall or in an album the boys will flip through together for years to come. 

For Bennett’s session, I picked up these gorgeous gold ONE letters. They’re my newest prop in the studio for our cake smash sessions, and I don’t think I’ve been this excited about a prop since I bought the tiny clawfoot tub six years ago! These handmade letter sculptures shipped all the way from the Ukraine, and I am already dreaming up all the different things we can “fill” them with for our birthday babies! Balloons, florals… the options truly are endless! I think the neutral ivory and peach balloons that we chose for Bennett’s portraits turned out to be the perfect option! 

Happy birthday, Bennett! I can’t wait to watch you grow! 

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Classic Winnie the Pooh cake smash with Saratoga Springs baby photographer

Happy birthday, Jordan! This sweet guy is already ONE, which I can’t believe! He came by the studio recently for his classic Winnie the Pooh cake smash. We used the most gorgeous watercolor illustrations for his backdrop and had a blast photographing the birthday boy. It was a sweet and absolutely adorable session from start to finish!  

When Jordan’s mom suggested this classic Winnie the Pooh theme, I was so excited. I absolutely love this theme! I’m a sucker for anything painted with watercolors, and these Winnie the Pooh designs were the perfect touch to this backdrop and setup. We used some wooden ONE letters - they were a team effort to collect! When this mom walked into the studio, she immediately recognized them and asked me, “Ohhhh, you got the last letter?” She had seen my post on Facebook searching for the letter E, because I already had the O and N, but our stores around here had no E! I had friends, family, and acquaintances across the country checking out their Michaels stores for this letter. One lucky friend found it and shipped it to me from South Carolina! I’m so glad that we found the E to include in Jordan's portraits! 

We’ve documented all Jordan and his big brothers, Jacob and Jonas, since they were newborns. Each boy has had milestone sessions from newborn sessions to cake smashes, and it’s truly been a joy to capture these memories for them. I can’t believe this sweet family is moving to a new state. I’ll miss seeing them in the studio every couple of months, watching them grow, and catching up on life! Clients really do become like family, especially because we’re together a lot throughout the portrait experience. From planning your session, to capturing your portraits, gallery reveal, and artwork delivery - I LOVE getting to know every family who comes into my Saratoga Springs studio. 

Happy birthday again, Jordan! I can’t believe you’re one and our studio sessions are done!

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Throw the Confetti: A fifth birthday cake smash with friends

My son Grayson and his friends all have birthdays within 2.5 weeks of each other. I met these moms when we were pregnant – one at prenatal yoga, another at the hospital birth class, and another was a maternity client of mine. Our babies were all born at the same time, and we have been so lucky to have a built-in support group going through exactly the same stages at the same time as one another.

When the babies turned 1, we did a cake smash with a Saratoga race track theme. It was cute and chaotic, and so much fun! With their fifth birthdays coming up, we knew this was a big milestone that we wanted to celebrate. For many of them, it was their first really big birthday celebration in years because of the pandemic. We got the original four together to do a (cup)cake smash with a confetti theme, and it was such a blast! All of their personalities came through, and it was amazing to us moms as we watched them in this session and reflected on how their personalities today were so similar to the way they each acted during the one year old session.

I chose a confetti theme because it was bright & colorful, and oh-so-classic. Each child’s cupcake had their favorite color confetti sprinkles on top (and yes, I painstakingly sorted the sprinkles by color one at a time the night before the session!). This setup was so much fun to make, and while adapting my regular cake smash set (baby sitting on the floor) to accommodate four grown 5 year olds was a challenge, we pulled it off with a bench covered in white fabric and confetti dots to match the decor. I love how it all turned out, and I’m so happy that we’ll have these memories to look back on years from now and show our little ones these early friendships.

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A Party Animal Cake Smash for Rocco

Happy birthday, Rocco!! I can’t believe that Rocco is already a year old. He was my first newborn session for the year. Now 2022 is almost over, and this guy is ONE! Time is flying by, seriously. We planned a fun cake smash in the studio to celebrate his milestone birthday. Leah, his mom, asked if we could plan a theme that matched his party invitations, so we designed a “party animal” theme! 

Between Leah and I, we were able to create a gorgeous setup for this little guy. We used lots of fun confetti filled balloons to create a garland backdrop and Leah brought in some stuffed animals she’s planning to use for the birthday party. While everything was colorful and bright - perfect for a one year old - we still managed to keep a pretty clean style, which I absolutely love (and am known for!). This style allows us to really focus on the birthday boy during his portraits!

As with all of my cake smash sessions, we made sure to capture some updated family photos of Rocco and his parents. We also got the most adorable updated photos of him alone in a sweet little plaid shirt. He even had a baseball cap for one photo! I love when we do these milestone photos, because it’s a great time to photograph your baby’s personality and new skills. Once those were done, it was time for cake! Rocco loved digging into the icing and even knocked his cake off the stand at one point. I’m here for it!! We ended their session with a little bath for him, which he loved. He was seriously so happy the whole session and that makes me super excited! 

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A succulent themed cake smash for baby boy

Happy first birthday, Colton! This little guy is a Baby Plan graduate. I’ve had the pleasure of documenting all of his milestones this year… from his newborn portraits, tummy time milestone, sitter milestone, holiday portraits, and even an extended family portrait session. Now, it’s time to celebrate with his very own case smash session. I’ve known this family since Colton’s big sister, Elliana, was little too. It’s been such a joy to watch them both grow.

When we began to plan Colton’s cake smash, we looked to his sister’s cake smash for inspiration. Elliana’s cake smash was also succulent themed. We wanted to change things up and make sure the entire session felt a little more “masculine” for Colton. WIth that in mind, we stuck to natural textures with gold accents. It was just perfect for this little guy!!

As with all my cake smashes, we also took the time for some updated family portraits in the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Spa State Park. I’m so happy I got to see everyone again and I can’t wait until their next family photos!

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First birthday portraits with a sage green and beige balloon garland

Happy first birthday to Kodah! We celebrated his first birthday with a stunning cake smash in the studio this spring. Like many babies, his cake smash decor was inspired by his nursery decor - which I absolutely love! There’s just something wonderful about using the colors and themes you already know and love for your baby! His mama sent me her mood board from when she designed his nursery and we used a similar color palette of soft green, beige, and white. With a few greenery accents, the setup was complete!

During our session, we photographed a few family and milestone portraits without the cake first. I love starting sessions this way because I get to immediately capture how you are as a family - and your little one has time to warm up to me before we try the cake! Kodah looked so cute in his little white button up and his parents looked so proud of him!!

They had even more to be proud of during our session. Kodah had a huge milestone - he fed himself for the first time during our portraits! His mom and dad were so surprised and happy, and it was such a fun way to celebrate him taking his first bite and bringing food to his mouth all by himself. Apparently cake was the magic food he was waiting for all this time! ;o)

Happy birthday again, Kodah!

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A Winter ONEderland Cake Smash with Blue & Silver with Saratoga Springs cake smash photographer

Happy first birthday, Leo! I recently welcomed Leo and his wonderful parents to the studio for his first birthday cake smash. Since he’s a winter baby, we went with the ever popular theme of a Winter ONEderland. This is honestly one of my favorite themes for babies born in the colder months, and I’m always looking for ways to make it unique. For Leo’s session, we decided to use blue and silver as the main palette. And you may even recognize some of the snowflakes from our holiday sessions! They were the perfect final touch to Leo’s setup.

You never know how babies will be during their cake smashes. Some of them absolutely love the cake and others don’t. But, Leo absolutely LOVED it. He went for the cake and totally smashed it. He was definitely one of the most enthusiastic smashers I’ve ever had in the. Not to mention, one of the happiest babies! His little smiles made me giggle. Just wait until you see them!

If your baby is turning one this year, let’s talk about their cake smash portraits! I love helping families decide on the perfect theme for their little one, and making it all their own! In the meantime, enjoy scrolling through Leo’s winter cake smash portraits!

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Your Cake Smash: What to Expect

Celebrating your baby’s first birthday is such an exciting milestone! Not only is your baby ONE, but there’s so much you’ve achieved as a parent, too. It’s honestly one of the reasons I love photographing cake smash portraits so much. These babies are adorable and have some incredible new skills to show off. Plus, they’re just a lot of fun! But, cake smashes are a pretty unique type of session… and since it’s meant to be fun (and not stressful!), I want to make sure you know what to expect when you come into the studio.

Let’s celebrate together.

Today, I want to share a peek into what cake smash sessions are like, how you can prepare yourself and your almost one-year-old, and really enjoy this special time!

Choose a photographer that has plenty of experience with babies & toddlers.

Let’s start with the very first & most important thing. If you haven’t chosen a photographer yet, be sure to keep this in mind because all I want is for your little one to be comfortable and safe during their session, and for you to feel at ease the entire time.

A photographer who has plenty of experience photographing babies will be able to draw out the best smiles and expressions from your little one during your session. They know how to engage the baby and get them interested in their cake, the very best angles to capture your perfect little baby, and all of the must-have shots that will come together for a cake smash session that is more than just a smattering of portraits but that truly tells a story.

Choose a photographer who’s style and creativity you adore!

Cake smashes are one of the most creative types of sessions that baby photographers can do! Most photographers create their backdrops and props by hand, pulling together decor and other elements to bring your vision to life. Study a photographer’s portfolio to see which style you adore, and have specific requests for your cake smash setup. If you’re not sure of a theme or decor style, your photographer should be able to talk you through it to help you discover the perfect theme for your baby’s first birthday portraits.

When you arrive at the studio


When families come to my studio I have them take their shoes off at the door to keep the floors clean for the babies and toddlers that we have in our space. I let parents settle in on the studio sofa and I show them where the snacks and drinks are, and if big brother or sister is there we spend a little time in the toy corner to help them get acclimated to the new space.



Parents can change baby into their outfit for family portraits (this is usually a different outfit than we use for the cake smash). Sometimes baby will need a little more time to acclimate, and we don’t rush things! There is plenty of time for cuddles, a snack, songs, and playing before we begin your portraits.

First up come family portraits!


We start with family portraits to ease the baby into the new situation, and being in mom and dad’s arms helps make that a smooth transition! We capture a mix of family portraits, sibling portraits, and individual portraits of the baby. In the cooler months we do these in the studio in our white room setup and on the loveseat. In the warmer months we often meet at a nearby park for the family portraits before heading back to the studio for the cake smash.

Then it’s time for the cake smash!


After the family portraits we change the baby’s outfit. I usually capture a few portraits of baby on our setup without the cake before we bring out the cake. Parents are on baby duty to bring a moving baby back to the setup when they crawl off the backdrop, and we coax the baby to get comfortable with their cake. Sometimes a parents will sit right by their side if the baby prefers to be close to them, and often a parent will show them how to take a bite of the frosting or put a little on their lips to show them that it is food. Some babies need a little more help to dig into their cake, and we hide puffs or yogurt drops in the frosting to get them to dig in. I also have a wooden spoon that we pull out, and babies LOVE playing with the spoon. This always gets the biggest smiles!

Finish up with a bathtub splash!


The baby will let us know when they’re done with the cake, and we take off their outfit and get them ready for the bathtub. I fill the studio’s tiny clawfoot tub with warm water and bubbles, and then the baby gets in! This is an adorable opportunity for happy baby portraits, and I always love the smiles that we capture at the end of the session!



After we have captured a variety of portraits of your little one, we are all done! You have time to change and dress your baby, and if you need to give them a snack again before getting in the car you can absolutely do that, too!

After the session


If you’re comfortable with a sneak peek on social media, I usually share that 4-5 days after your session.

Then we will get together about 2 weeks later for your ordering appointment! We’ll choose your favorite family and baby portraits to hang on your walls, and select your favorite images for an album or a collection box. This is always my favorite part when families fall in love with the images we created of their birthday baby!

Once I send everything to print you’ll get it back in 2-6 weeks — certain products take closer to the 4-6 week mark, but others are always ready much, much sooner. When everything is ready I will either come drop it off or put it in the mail to you, or you can come pick it up at the studio. Then you’ll start enjoying your images right away at home!

Any questions? I’d be happy to chat with you about your little one’s portrait session. Click on the button below and let’s connect!

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Tiffany & Co Cake Smash for Baby's First Birthday

I cannot believe Giuliana is already one! She’s a Baby Plan graduate so she’s no stranger to the studio! I’ve loved watching her grow up. We started her portraits before she was even born with her mom’s maternity session then once she arrived, we captured her newborn portraits and milestones, too. And most recently, she came into the studio for her Tiffany & Co cake smash!

This session was so much fun to design. I love the colors of Tiffany & Co… I mean, who doesn’t?! Giuliana’s mom brought in boxes and ribbons from her own collection of Tiffany gifts, so it was perfect. Not only did everything look amazing but it was so personalized because this are her mom’s! How special is that? I actually learned how to tie a Tiffany bow using the ribbon and it was so fun! I’ll definitely be using those bows moving forward because they’re actually knotless bows and so easy to untie!

Giuliana definitely brought her fun personality to her portraits. I loved watching her explore and get a taste of that teal icing. She kept making me think of her newborn portraits when she was posing with her hands under her chin. We used a similar pose when she was a baby. What a fun little throwback! Enjoy a peek into this sweet Tiffany & Co cake smash for Giuliana’s first birthday!

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A Beach Theme First Birthday Cake Smash

I cannot believe Oliver is already a year old! He came into the studio for his newborn portraits just yesterday, I swear! :o) Now, he’s a year old and came back to the studio for a beach inspired cake smash. His family recently moved to the beach and he absolutely LOVES it there - so it was definitely a perfect theme for this little guy. His parents brought a beautiful cake from Kelly’s Kitchen to bring this setup to life and it was just stunning!

Despite the delicious looking cake, Oliver wasn’t quite sure about it all when he actually got to the studio. Even though he wasn’t too fond of the cake, we managed to capture some great expressions! I’m all about capturing your little ones as they are - happy, sad, or in between - when it comes to their smashes. Even if your baby isn’t too sure about their cake or the icing, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve for their time in the studio!

Worried your little one won’t be interested in their cake? Try one of these tips:

• Hide snacks in the frosting that they love! They’ll dig for them, trust me.

• Let them play with wooden spoons - they can eat from them or just bang them around!

• Play their favorite songs on Alexa!

• Take a break and grab a snack or their favorite toy.

• Have the parents hang near the edge of the backdrop so they’re nearby.

• Lots of breaks for hugs and kisses!

• Toys and rattles on hand for distractions can be a great option!

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Where the Wild Things Are Cake Smash

Well this was definitely a fun session! We planned a “Where the Wild Things Are” cake smash to go along with the theme of Jacob’s first birthday party. His mama found the most adorable romper at Zara and it went perfectly with the greenery in the decor. The little golden crown with fur (just like Max wears in the book!) was the perfect finishing touch for the birthday boy’s outfit. Find more tips for choosing a cake smash outfit here!

The last time I had this theme request was probably 5 years ago, so it was fun to pull together a brand new backdrop and create something beautiful for this sweet boy’s birthday celebration!

Wondering how to choose a theme for your baby’s cake smash? Check out these tips!

Jacob LOVED this cake, and he especially enjoyed it when his big brother Jonas joined in. I have been photographing this family’s milestones since big brother was a newborn, and it’s always so amazing to see how much they grow and change over the years. Look at how sweet he is feeding his little brother here!

We began the session with family portraits in Congress Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. Summertime colors were in full bloom and it was absolutely gorgeous!

The happiest baby you ever did see!

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A Mickey Mouse Cake Smash with Gray and Cream Accents

This sweet family reached out to plan Baby #2’s cake smash, and they wanted a Mickey Mouse theme to coordinate with his nursery bedding. The mom sent me a photo of his bedding set, which is a cream and gray Mickey theme by Lambs & Ivy. So we skipped the classic red and yellow and went with soft neutrals, which as anyone that has seen my works knows, neutrals are much more my style!

Since I had photographed this birthday boy’s big brother’s cake smash two years ago, we wanted to setups to complement each other so I incorporated the balloons and marquee letters in both, and a similar style with the character cutouts, too!

Click to see big brother’s Snoopy cake smash here!

This little man wasn’t afraid to get messy and he dug right into his cake! Head first! He loved it and we had so much fun watching how happy he was. By the end, he was completely covered in buttercream frosting and he couldn’t stop smiling!

All of our birthday sessions also include family portraits! This is such a fun way to celebrate your whole family’s year together, and a great opportunity to capture beautiful portraits of each of you with the baby. In the warm weather, we do these family portraits outdoors before heading back to the studio for the cake smash. I love the happy expressions we captured on the boys in these ones!

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A Fiesta First Birthday Cake Smash

I always love when families choose a meaningful theme for their baby’s cake smash session. Sometimes it’s a favorite book or song, a favorite toy or a nursery theme, or something that reflects the family’s background. Anaís’s mama chose a colorful fiesta theme for her daughter’s first birthday cake smash to honor her Mexican heritage, and I absolutely loved pulling it all together for the birthday girl.

Psssst…. wondering how to choose a theme for your baby’s cake smash? Check out this blog post!

This adorable birthday girl LOVED her cake and she had us laughing the whole time she was digging in. From great big bites to putting her feet in the cake, and having a major interest in the confetti instead of the cake, Anaís was such a joy and I really loved photographing her first birthday portraits.

Her beautiful outfit was handmade to match the theme, tying together the traditional Mexican styles of a serape skirt and an embroidered tunic, and it was so perfect on this sweet girl! Plus, I love how the papel picado banner coordinated beautifully with the garlands on the cake. Too adorable!

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A Pink and Gold Cake Smash with Balloon Garland and Confetti

Another cake smash, another balloon garland!

I absolutely love how festive balloon garlands are for birthday portraits, and the variety that can be created with them is amazing. I recently learned about double stuffing balloons, which is when you put one balloon inside of another to create an entirely new hue. I did that for this session and I loved the soft pink, gold, and peach hues for this garland.

Brooke’s white & gold cake from Coccadotts was perfect for this session, and it tied in with the gold confetti beautifully. This was a fresh take on a classic cake smash theme - pink and gold!

Her romper was chosen from the studio’s Baby Wardrobe, and it was the perfect fit for this little birthday girl! This particular romper was handmade in Australia, and Brooked happened to be the very first baby to wear it!

All of our cake smash sessions also include family portraits, and we started off Brooke’s birthday session with cuddly family portraits in the studio. I love capturing classic baby portraits on our white couch. They are simple and sweet, and really let each baby’s personality shine. And of course, the wooden birthday cake prop captured the birthday girl’s attention, too!

We couldn’t resist a few portraits in our springy egg chair, which was all decked out for May’s Celebrating Motherhood sessions. I love the variety it lends to their gallery!

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