A Dusty Rose Cake Smash for Baby’s First Birthday

Happy birthday, Amelia Rose! This darling little girl just turned one and to celebrate, we planned an elegant rose garden cake smash. It was beautiful and so fun to put together. I love any chance I get to use my classic ONE letters - especially filled with flowers! 

As with all of my cake smashes, we started the session off with new portraits of Amelia Rose. Her mother and grandmother were also there to celebrate. There’s not much I love more than generational portraits, particularly when it’s easy to see how much of a special bond these three ladies have. I adored the light purple that Amelia’s mother chose as the base for their outfits. It looked perfect on each of these ladies and their own unique outfits worked well together in the light setup of my Saratoga Springs studio. 

After her studio portraits, Amelia got to change into a super sweet dress. I loved the layers of tulle and the gold accents paired with her floral crown. She was a little princess!  Amelia was one of the most excited babies I have ever had in the studio, and she truly smashed that cake! We were all laughing when she picked up the entire cake in her hands and brought it up to her mouth to bite. So sweet and I loved watching her personality fill up the room. 

Happy birthday again, beautiful girl! I hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you!

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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 light and airy cake smash with blue and white balloons

Baby Alex is one! Alex is an extra special little guy to me because he lives in our neighborhood and is one of the 7+ babies born in the last year. It’s been such an honor to watch him grow up and to watch his dads become parents. Although I can’t believe it’s been a year since his newborn session, I was excited when it came time to plan his light and airy cake smash to celebrate his first birthday! 

His dads wanted a classic session that was light & airy with blue and white balloons. They found this adorable romper at Lex & Cleo, the cutest little baby boutique in downtown Saratoga Springs. It matched Alex’s eyes perfectly, and complemented the setup beautifully. Plus, you know I’m a huge fan of supporting other local businesses - so I was thrilled to hear where this outfit was from! 

Alex loved the family photo portion of his session, but wasn’t a huge fan of the cake. That’s okay! We went with the flow, tried a few tricks, and moved on to the next part of the session to keep him comfortable. Not all babies love their cake, and that is 100% normal and okay! WE still captured so many adorable portraits of the birthday boy and I know his family is going to treasure them forever. His personality shone through as he played in front of my big ONE display in the studio and I couldn’t stop smiling at Alex! 

I can’t wait to hear stories of Alex admiring their new portraits on the wall of their home and I love that they're planning on sharing their mini accordion albums with the grandparents. Portraits are always a great gift for your loved ones!!

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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 sugarplum fairy winter wonderland cake smash with Saratoga Springs baby photographer

Happy 1st birthday, Ella Kate! We’ve been documenting all of her milestones during her first year as part of the Collective Membership and yet, I can’t believe she’s already one! To celebrate the end of her first year, we created a beautiful Sugar Plum fairy winter wonderland cake smash inspired by her mother’s ballet memories! 

Ella Kate’s Mom was a ballerina as a child, and she brought her old ballet slippers and pointe shoes to incorporate into the setup. I loved that sweet personal touch to the winter setup - and it was fun to sneak in something that means so much to her mom, too! Winter wonderland is always a popular theme for babies, so I love that we learned more into the Sugar Plum fairy inspiration for Ella Kate’s portraits! The setup really came together with soft whites, peachy pink, and the sweetest ballet dancers lined up across the backdrop.

As always, I incorporated some portraits of milestone portraits of Ella Kate before we even got to the cake. I’ve fallen in love with using my white wooden high chair with my babies in the studio! It’s always been one of my favorite props because it’s so classic, but it’s fun to be using it regularly again. Paired with the wooden cake (a popular prop for the babies, too!), it’s a great touch to any cake smash. After Ella Kate got to play with her cake, we also wrapped up with my favorite bubble bath setup. I’m all about sending you home with a clean baby! Plus, who doesn’t love a little one playing in bubbles?! Parents always love these portraits! 

Happy birthday again, Ella Kate! Thank you for allowing me to capture another beautiful milestone for you!

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A Neutral Beige & White Balloon Garland Cake Smash

Happy first birthday, Westin! To celebrate this sweet boy’s first birthday, we planned a neutral beige and white cake smash in my Saratoga Springs studio. This session was a blast - and so gorgeous, too. I loved bringing Mom’s vision to life to celebrate her little boy!

Before we got into the cake smash, I captured updated mommy and me portraits of Westin and his mom, Chanel. Chanel wore a beautiful gray dress and Westin had a cream hand-knit outfit. He looked absolutely precious! I loved the texture on his sweater - little details like that always look perfect on camera and bring some depth to your portraits. 

Afterwards, it was time for Westin’s cake smash! Mom wanted a boho feel for the setup with all neutral colors and a classic balloon garland. I loved designing this set with beige, white, and cream balloons. I also pulled out some of my classic white lit ONE lights and with his cream colored cake, we were ready to go! Westin wore the cutest little crown with a cream outfit and he looked absolutely adorable while he figured out what to do with his cake. During the session, he also took his FIRST steps! I was able to capture that special moment on film for his family and I am so grateful I could. 

I hope this sweet little boy has the best birthday! I loved having him in the studio for this adorable boho inspired cake smash. 

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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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A tugboat themed cake smash for Baby Walter

Happy first birthday, Walter! We celebrated Walter turning one with a sweet tugboat themed cake smash in the studio. When we began discussing possible setups for his birthday portraits, Walter’s mom told me that his dad works on tugboats and she had a sweet tugboat romper that she wanted to pick up for him. Originally, we were just going to do a nautical theme for the smash – but once I saw that romper, I knew that we had to focus on the tugboats! Everything came together perfectly after that and I’m so happy with how these portraits turned out. 

During the smash, Walter was seriously one of the happiest cake smashers I’ve ever had in the studio. He was all smiles and very interested in his cake. At one point, his big brother Caleb jumped in for a few bites. It was hilarious seeing how quickly he was able to demolish the cake after his baby brother had been delicately picking at it for awhile before that.

Before the smash, we also captured updated family portraits in Congress Park! This is one of my favorite spots for portraits in Saratoga Springs. It’s important to me to always document the entire family – and a few non-cake smash portraits of the birthday boy or girl – at the start of each cake smash. Cake smashes are so much fun, but it’s nice to have a sweet and simple portrait of your little one, too! 

Enjoy a look into Walter’s tugboat cake smash today! 

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A cake smash with muted blues

Happy first birthday, Baby John! I loved photographing John’s classic first birthday cake smash here in the studio. It was a simple setup featuring a balloon garland of muted blues… and it was perfect for this little guy. When I began chatting with his parents about the theme and setup for his portraits, we knew that classic was the way we wanted to go. With a simple and muted color scheme, it was easy to achieve that look!

His parents decided on two sweet outfits for his portraits. John looked so grown up in his button down during his milestone portraits! And the little romper he wore for his smash reminded me of what we wore as kids. Definitely classic! With a taller and simple white cake from Kelly’s Kitchen, the setup was complete!

After John’s session, his family had their ordering session! They decided to order a gorgeous, hardcover linen album from his cake smash. It complements his newborn album perfectly! I love that they’re going to have both albums to enjoy for many years to come.

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Grayson's Fourth Trip Around the Sun - An Outer Space Cake Smash

I say it every year, but I can't even believe that our sweet boy is another year older! Grayson is FOUR. I don't know where the time goes, but it really does move at warp speed once you become a parent. It feels like we were just doing his other cake smash sessions not that long ago (check out his first birthday, second birthday, and third birthday portraits here!)

Every year I plan birthday portraits around a theme that is special to Grayson. When he was a baby, his favorite stuffed animal was a llama so we did a llama cake smash -- and it's still his favorite stuffed animal to this day! At age 2, he was obsessed with school buses, so naturally that's what his theme was. Last year at age 3, he was all about the mail truck.

But now this year feels different because he's not just into things with wheels anymore. As he likes to tell everyone, he's "really into space" and "obsessed with the planets."

Our little guy is super interested in learning everything he can about space. This future astronomer first saw pictures of the planets in a little card game a few months ago, and ever since then he can't get enough information about space!

It quickly turned into trips to the library to check out informational books on space and a visit to the planetarium. He asks to read his space books multiple time a day, and his favorite ones are called "Wonderbooks" and they have a read-aloud story built right into the book so he can listen to them on his own. Grayson loves them and plays them over and over. He draws the planets on his chalkboard and rattles off a million and one facts about the planets, their moons, which ones are gassy, which ones are bigger than others, and why some are so cold. He talks about asteroid belts and comets, galaxies and the big bang. It feels like we've been living in a seventh grade science class relearning all of this information alongside him, but he LOVES it and it's amazing to see what he has absorbed and understood.

Grayson asked me to do a cake smash with him, and I told him he would have to help me plan it. Naturally, we chose a space theme for his fourth birthday! He helped pick out the decorations, he chose his outfit, and helped me get it all set up. I make his cakes because of his peanut allergy, and we had fun baking this sweet concoction.

Now that he's getting older he wants to be a lot more involved in the studio, and it's really fun watching that excitement blossom inside of him. He's a pretty cool kid, and I'm excited to watch him come into his own even more this year as a four year old!

Planning your own little one's birthday portraits?

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A Baseball Themed Cake Smash with tips for your next session

Happy birthday, Skyler! Skyler recently came to my Saratoga Springs studio to celebrate his first birthday with a baseball themed cake smash. His dad is a huge baseball fan, so we went with an orange and blue NY Mets theme. It was so much fun to plan a session that I knew meant a lot to Skyler’s family. While I’ve done other sports setups before, this was my first Mets inspired portrait session. To add a little dimension to my overhead shots, I added some cutouts of baseballs and bats to the floor for his session. It really created a super exciting look for Skyler!

After our family portraits and cake smash were complete, Skyler got to play in the tub to clean up and end our time together. Like a lot of babies, he loved the tub more than his cake! Either way, we got some super cute portraits of him to celebrate his first birthday. I can’t wait for you to see them all.

If your little one is turning one and you plan to do a cake smash, here’s a few tips to help get your baby interested in their cake for their portraits:

1. Consider hiding small food in the icing like puffs, cheerios, or yogurt drops. Asking them to get those foods may help get them to taste the icing.

2. Allow them to use a wooden spoon to play and touch the cake!

3. Take a break! There’s no pressure in my studio to get a little one to eat cake right away. Let’s have a snack or some milk and try again.

4. Distraction! Play baby’s favorite song or hold up their favorite toy. They’ll feel more comfortable!

5. Blow bubbles! If your little one won’t go near the cake, try adding some bubbles. As you can see with Skyler’s portraits, they add a touch of fun to the final images!

Above all, trust that your photographer will still capture all of your little one's adorable expressions and their full personality in their portraits, and maybe even a smile or two to surprise you! Cake smashes (especially!) are meant to be fun - so there’s truly no stress or pressure!

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A baseball themed cake smash photographed by Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography

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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A Racetrack Themed Cake Smash in Saratoga Springs

When your family moves to Saratoga Springs from across the country and most of your first year is spent in your new city, of course you want to reflect that in your choice of cake smash theme! Cameron’s family moved to the area during Covid and wanted to honor their new hometown with a racetrack themed cake smash. They dressed him up in his most dapper outfit (I looooove the colors in his shirt!) and brought a beautiful cake from Kelly’s Kitchen.

This little cutie was all smiles and he loved the attention he got while smashing his cake, but what really got him smiling were the bubbles that we blew! Look closely and you might just see a few bubbles in the corners of the pictures! ;o)

We started their session with family portraits in Congress Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. I love this colorful spot in the park, and it was perfect for these cuddly family portraits. Cameron adored the hugs and tickles from his parents, and he was beyond happy for the family portraits!

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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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A Simple Woodland Cake Smash for Baby Boy

I loved this cake smash session so much! Johnathan’s mama reached out and we talked about a simple woodland cake smash for her birthday boy, complete with birch trees, greenery, and tree stumps from their backyard. It all came together so beautifully, and the twinkle lights added a touch of magic!

Johnathan loved his cake, and he really dug into it! Now that he has watched his dad cutting down trees at home, he is obsessed with chainsaws and has a toy chainsaw that just so happens to be his favorite toy. Of course they brought it to his session, and it was so funny to watch him with his chainsaw and his cake!

But the biggest smiles came when he got into the tub! This birthday boy loved his bubble bath!

Every birthday session starts with family portraits, and we captured beautiful fall family portraits with bright and colorful foliage. We found the perfect tree-lined path covered in fallen leaves, and it photographed so beautifully.

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Luci's Pastel Balloon Cake Smash

When it’s your birthday, why not go all in? Luci went face first into the cake, and it was priceless!

We celebrated Luci’s first birthday with a simple pastel themed cake smash. A balloon garland, confetti, and ONE letters came together for a minimalist look to make this sweet birthday girl the star of the show. Plus, her tutu matched the decor perfectly — I love it when it all comes together like that! Doesn’t she look like a real life Cabbage Patch Doll???

We captured family portraits with the birthday girl, just like we do for all of our cake smash sessions. In the warm weather I love heading outdoors to a park just a few miles from the studio. It was the perfect location to let these sisters cuddle, giggle, and just be all-around adorable together!

Those two bottom teeth peeking out just kill me! One of the things I love most about photographing the baby stage is showing the babies in transition — with just a few teeth in a gummy mouth, their first curl, those cute leg rolls that will disappear once they start walking, or the most adorable finger and elbow dimples. All of these details are classically BABY, and they are details you’ll want to remember long after they are gone.

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Floral Cake Smash Inspiration - A few of Our Favorites with this popular theme!

The most requested cake smash theme that we get here at the studio is FLORAL CAKE SMASH. It is perfect for little girls, and it is so simple, timeless, and sweet. I absolutely love designing floral cake smash setups, and it’s always a fun challenge to make each one unique. Here we’re sharing a few of our favorite floral cake smash designs for inspiration for your little one’s upcoming first birthday portrait session!

This hanging floral wall had a nice bohemian vibe, and I loved how clean and elegant it looked with these tiny little rosebuds!

The fresh purple hydrangeas cut from the front yard on my way to this birthday girl’s portrait session were the perfect finishing touch to her tea party cake smash!

More fresh florals! You can never go wrong with fresh blooms!

This sweet girl’s mama made her flower crown, and I designed the balloon garland with greenery to match!

Our paper flower backdrop really sparkled with a little gold bling!

More pretty peonies for an English garden theme.

Some-bunny is one! This perfectly springtime theme wouldn’t have been complete without gorgeous flowers and greenery!

I love how versatile our garlands are for weaving different flowers into them!

Crepe paper flowers were a nice touch for a flower wall filled with fluffy peonies!

Floral hoops for a bit of a boho vibe!

This is the paper flower backdrop that started it all! It is our most re-pinned image on Pinterest, and the DIY tutorial is the most viewed blog post on our website!

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A Bright & Bold Balloon Garland Cake Smash for Oliver

Another Baby Planner has turned one! I met Oliver when he was still in the hospital for a Fresh 48 session, and I’ve loved documenting this sweet boy’s milestones this year through our Baby Plan. And now he is officially a toddler!

We started off his birthday session with some family portraits to celebrate surviving their first year of parenthood. These are always such fun family portraits, and I love seeing Oliver’s playful personality!

Doesn’t he look like such a big kid here?!?!

We planned a colorful cake smash to fit his fun & vibrant personality. Lots of balloons made it extra festive, and the confetti balloons were especially fun! (Fun side note: when prepping the balloon garland in the studio with my 22-month old toddler at home, I had to tell him more than once not to sit on the confetti balloons because they would pop. Of course, guess which ones were his favorite to sit on?!?! BIG MESS!!)

Oliver dug right into his birthday cake, and we thought he was going to sit right on top of it, but somehow he managed to keep it in tact here!

He loved splashing in the clawfoot tub afterwards! So much fun for this sweet birthday boy!

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