Our Latest baby plan graduate - a pretty floral cake smash for Ella

We have another Baby Plan graduate! And ohhhhh my goodness, she is just perfectly adorable and the cutest little one year old you ever did see!

If you haven’t heard about our Baby Plan, it’s a way to celebrate all of your little one’s milestones with beautiful portraits throughout the first year. From a newborn session, to a sitter session, all the way through a cake smash with family portraits at the end of the year! We even include maternity portraits, making it FOUR SESSIONS to document all of the special moments in your baby’s first twelve months. I love working with our Baby Plan clients so much, and I only take on a few per month to give them all the attention they deserve!

Ella turned one, and she was very excited about it! We started with family portraits, soaking up the last rays of sunshine of the summer while celebrating her first steady steps with mom and dad.

Then we headed back to the studio for a very special cake smash filled with fluffy pink peonies and twinkle lights — two of my favorite things!

Don’t you just love those cute little rolls on her arms? And the finger dimples make my heart melt! So, so sweet!

We finished her session with a bathtub splash, and she loved getting all sudsy and playing with the rubber duckie!

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Inspired by this gorgeous floral cake smash? Pin this image or any from the post above!

Natalia's Cake Smash with an Amethyst Balloon Garland

Balloon garlands are getting popular for our cake smash sessions, and this gorgeous amethyst purple one might just be my favorite balloon garland yet!

Natalia came to the studio for her newborn session last year, and we incorporated purple because that was a prominent color in the nursery. Naturally, we wanted to use this color for the cake smash, too! But first we captured some incredibly sweet portraits of Natalia and her big sister together .

This sweet birthday girl was a little hesitant about her birthday cake, and spent a good amount of time crawling away from her cake at first… but eventually she really dug in and really rocked her cake smash!

Haha, this little stretch of hers is my favorite!

Big sister joined in at the end!

Blake is ONE! A Sparkly Pink and Gold Cake Smash with Boston Baby Photographer

I love when our newborn clients come back to celebrate their first birthday at the studio!  It's hard to believe that it's been a year already since Blake's newborn session, and I truly enjoyed getting to celebrate this vibrant baby girl's first birthday with a very special cake smash session at our Attleboro baby photography studio.  

Our popular paper flower backdrop is at it again, this time with a little SPARKLE!  This drop is now for sale with our Designer Line at Baby Dream Backdrops.  Check it out here!

Blake LOVED her cake, especially once she was able to dig in with a spoon!  She surprised us all by keeping her birthday crown on the entire time (rare for a one-year old!), and she had the best time giggling away while we did her cake smash.  Isn't she adorable?!?!

Of course, I can never resist clicking the shutter on a good crying photo, and Blake ended the smash with the perfect reaction.

No birthday session with Nicole Starr Photography is complete without some family portraits!  We did some classic portraits for this Boston family, with neutral colors and a simple background to let them shine together.  This sweet little girl is so, so loved!

Go Patriots! A Football Cake Smash Session with Boston Baby Photographer Nicole Starr Photography

This family LOVES the Patriots.  Their son was born in 2017 during the Super Bowl, and of course they wanted to incorporate their favorite sport into his first birthday session.  Ryan is probably the tiniest Pats fan in New England, but you can bet that be brings a lot of spirit to cheer on his family's favorite team!

We planned a football cake smash for Ryan's first birthday session at our Attleboro portrait studio.  I love getting everything ready for these sessions down to the very last detail, including this adorable Pats jersey cake topper that I designed just for his session!

Like a true rough-and-tumble football player, Ryan did not mess around when it came time to dig in.  Look at him shoving fistfuls of cake in his mouth!  We couldn't stop laughing at this cute baby boy's enthusiasm!

What does your family enjoy doing together?  Watching sports, reading books, painting, cooking, dancing, listening to music, playing make believe?  Whatever you love, we can incorporate it into your little one's session to infuse your family's interests and personality into your portraits.  Let's chat and plan your session together!

A Pastel Cake Smash at our Massachusetts Studio - Boston Cake Smash Photographer

Mia's pastel cake smash at our Attleboro studio was the perfect way to celebrate this sweet girl's first birthday!  

We brought in all of the whimsical elements with twinkle lights, a sparkly dress, a handpainted backdrop, and a "unicorn swirl" cake -- what a fun name for those colorful swirls, right?

Mia brought the adorable expressions and so much excitement!  Seriously, how cute is she?!?!

Some babies don't love getting their fingers all messy, and a spoon makes all the difference!  Mia wanted two spoons, and before we knew it she was digging in and making a great big mess with her chocolate cake.

Her big brother Tai wanted to join in, and he did such a great job showing her how to eat her cake instead of just swirling it around.  Tai was a HUGE fan of the cake, and kept coming back for more!

Two miles from the studio is a beautiful park with so many options for family portraits.  I love going here at the beginning of our cake smash sessions to start with family portraits, giving the kids space to run and explore while warming up to the idea of having a photographer take their portraits.

We found a cozy little spot underneath a low-hanging tree, and the dappled sunlight against the leaves was the perfect backdrop for this sweet family.

Before our session Tai's mom told me multiple times that he really doesn't like having his picture taken, and that we'd be lucky if we got one good image of him.  So many parents worry about this, and it is a completely normal concern to have before your session.  BUT, my goal is to make everyone feel comfortable and capture your true selves together.

With room to play, lots of tickles, and some silly games, this sweet boy warmed right up and showed us his playful personality!  We captured so many beautiful laughs and giggles, and I just love how animated he was during the family portraits!

SUPERMAN!

Did you love this playful session?  Check out some more fun family sessions here!
 

Cake Smash Series: 70+ Theme Ideas for your Next Cake Smash Session

Your baby's first birthday is coming up, and it's time to party!  What better way to celebrate than with a portrait session?  Personally, cake smashes are my FAVORITE! 

We've come up with a list of the most popular (and also some of the most unique!) ideas for first birthday sessions and cake smashes.  We hope that you'll be inspired to plan a one-of-a-kind cake smash for your baby's first birthday!

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Classic themes:

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Construction/Trucks
Baseball
Nautical
Tea party
Circus
Flowers
Airplanes
Dr. Seuss
Rubber Duckies
Music/Band/Instruments
Sock Monkeys
Superheroes
Rainbow colors
Bohemian
Circus
Camping
Shabby Chic
Ballet

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Animals:

Unicorns
Teddy bears
Farm animals
Woodland animals
Ocean animals
Zoo animals
Bumble bees
Monkeys
Owls
Whales
Butterflies

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Seasonal:

Winter wonderland
Valentine’s
At the beach
Surf’s up
Cherry blossoms
Spring garden
Falling leaves
Halloween
Christmas
New Years Eve
Snowmen

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Classic Children’s Books:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Guess How Much I Love You
Corduroy
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Oh the Places You’ll Go
The Little Prince
Peter Rabbit/Beatrix Potter books
Where the Wild Things Are
Make Way for Ducklings
Blueberries for Sal
Goodnight Moon
Harry Potter
Winnie the Pooh
Peter Pan
Alice in Wonderland
 

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Food alternatives:

Spaghetti & meatballs
Watermelon
Pumpkin pie
Pancakes
Seasonal fruit (strawberries, blueberries)
Cheerios
Pineapple
Apples/apple pie for fall
Tacos
Waffles
Donuts
Ice cream
Pie
Cookies & milk

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You've got the perfect theme -- now what do you decorate with?  I provide all of the decor for my cake smash sessions at the studio.  Here are some of my favorite items I like to keep on hand to make our sessions a little more whimsical, creative, and fun!

Decor ideas:

Paper bunting in many shapes
Tulle balls
Tissue paper puffs
Twinkle lights
Patio lights
Lanterns
Cotton clouds
Hanging flowers
Ribbon streamers
Flower garlands
Eucalyptus garlands
Fake flowers to hang from the ceiling
Mason jars
Beaded curtains
 

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Don't forget to check out the other posts in our Cake Smash Series!

The One with All of the Tears | A Collection of our Favorite Crying Cake Smash Images

Alright, let's be real...

I talk with families every single week that are so excited to celebrate their baby's first birthday.  Most moms & dads seem to have this vision of how the cake smash will go.  Of course, this is based on all of the happy babies they see on Pinterest that are smiling, enjoying their birthday cake, and having a grand old time. 

But like I mentioned above...  We're going to get real here in today's blog post because sometimes THIS is what might happen during your cake smash. 

And you know what?  It's totally normal.  Actually, I love it when this happens just as much as I love it when we have giggling babies that are fascinated with their cake.    (P.S.  I personally think that this is the cutest image I captured of these twins in their entire first year of portrait sessions!)

Crying babies are absolutely adorable, and these are definitely the moments that you want to capture on camera to look back at one day (along with the smiling ones, of course!).  

10, 20, 30 years from now you can look back at these moments with all of the cuteness and none of the noise, and you'll laugh when you remember how your baby reacted to their first birthday cake!

Think about your baby's first year.  There were probably A LOT of tears.  

Too hot, too cold, too hungry, too messy, too tired, too bored, too overstimulated.  You know that there are so many reasons that might cause your little one to shed a few tears, and you know that this is just their way of communicating with you before they have the words to take the place of crying.  

Sometimes during their cake smash session, babies just want to tell you that something is a little different and unknown for them.  

Maybe they've never touched something the texture of frosting.  

Maybe they don't like getting messy & sticky.  

Maybe they can't figure out why they're sitting on the floor to eat rather than in their high chair.  

Maybe they want more puffs or cheerios, or maybe they just want another hug.

Oftentimes, the tears only last a few short minutes or seconds.  A quick little distraction is all a baby needs to turn their mood around, so we bring in a new snack, a favorite toy, or sing a song.  We start dancing, play peek-a-boo, or take a little walk around the studio to look out the windows.  And we get the happy babies back, and your gallery is filled with smiling images!

No, really!  Go see these same babies smiling during their
cake smash sessions in this other compilation blog post here!

But I embrace the tears, the temper tantrums, and the fits when they happen.  I always make sure to snap a few quick shots of these moments because 30 years from now when you remember your first few years of parenting, you will remember the moment you held your baby in your arms for the first time.  You'll remember their first smile, their first Christmas, the first visit to Grandma's.  You'll remember those squishy cheeks and what it felt like when they wrapped their tiny hand around your fingers.  You'll remember the sleepless nights, the potty-training, the birthday celebrations.  

And you'll remember the tears, mixed in with all of the good things you'll remember what were the moments that really brought on the waterworks.  

Plus, it's not very likely that your grown child will face plant in her birthday cake when she cries 30 years from now, so you really want some proof to show her that this happened once upon a time...

Are you wondering why I'm sharing this post with you today?  I want you to know that all portrait sessions (and all cake smashes!) are unique.  We go with the flow and work around your little one's schedule and mood.  There are many tricks that I use in every session to keep babies happy and bring out their vibrant personalities, and we always capture images of your baby smiling and laughing at every single session.  

But if you're really lucky, we might even capture some teary images that will make you smile every time you remember their first birthday.  

By knowing this ahead of time, you'll be prepared for absolutely anything to happen during your session.  We really do go with the flow.  Trust me to capture all of these beautiful moments for you as they unfold.  In the end, you will create memories that make up part of your family's story, and you'll have heirloom portraits to show your children one day.  

Besides, most of the families wind up framing the crying portraits more than the smiling ones anyways, so at least they have my same sense of humor when it comes to working with the littlest of clients in our studio!

So if your cake smash doesn't quite go like you thought it would, please know that IT IS OKAY.  It is completely normal, and we will love every single image no matter how your baby reacts to their cake.  This session is all about celebrating your little one and showcasing their multifaceted personality, and no matter what happens in your session, we will let their personality shine!

Now that you've enjoyed all of the fussy babies, head on over to this blog post to see these same babies with the biggest smiles during their cake smashes!

Ready to book your cake smash session to celebrate your little one's first birthday?  I'd love to chat with you to plan the perfect session for your baby!  

Please email me at hello@nicolestarrphotography.com and let's celebrate 365 days of your amazing baby together!

A Butterfly Cake Smash with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

With all of the snow outside, I am more than ready for a little bit of spring here in our Saratoga Springs portrait studio.  When Victoria's mom told me that she was thinking of a butterfly cake smash for her daughter, I knew that we had to plan the most magical & whimsical session for this baby girl.  After all, this sweet little girl has spent her entire first year growing up inside of a favorite local toy store, and her hashtag on Instagram is #toystorebaby.  So of course, I was very excited to create some magic for her first birthday portraits!  

Plus, she was my very first cake smash baby to come celebrate with me at the studio on the very same day that she turned one!

I just love how she's lounging here with her purple birthday cake!

Every first birthday session at the studio also includes some classic baby photos on a simple cream backdrop.  These are always some of my favorites!  I have a collection of adorable little outfits and headbands, and here Victoria is using our studio wardrobe.  I love that it just adds to her sparkling personality!

Remember my famous paper flower backdrop?  It's back in action, this time on the floor rather that on the wall!  What do you think of this new angle?  (P.S.  You can purchase this backdrop from Baby Dream Backdrops to use in your own photo sessions, too!)

And of course, our family photos are always some of the most treasured memories that our families enjoy after their sessions.  One day these two will show these portraits to their baby girl and tell her about the day she turned one, and they celebrated with lots of cuddles, tickles, and laughter before bringing out a very special birthday cake for their daughter.

Happy birthday, baby girl!  You light up so many lives.  Keep on shining!

A Valentine's Day First Birthday | Saratoga Springs Albany Cake Smash Baby Photographer

This Valentine's Day cake smash was simple and sweet, and I loved styling this February baby's first birthday backdrop.  Lila's mom was so excited to plan a red & pink Valentine's Day session for her daughter's first birthday, and we kept it simple with just a banner and a few hearts on her cake, allowing the birthday girl to be the star of the show.

As much as moms (and photographers!) dream of babies that love their birthday cakes, who dig right in and leave little bits of frosting on their hands and cheeks.... that is not always the case.  And it's normal and totally alright if your baby is like Lila and really isn't a fan of her cake!

P.S.  My favorite part of this image below is the combination of angel wings & the great big, angry scream!

Though she did make a few adorable kissy faces for us -- Valentine's babies certainly love their smooches, and Lila enjoyed making this little face with her lips again and again!

Below is my favorite angle that I try to capture at every single cake smash session.  Look at those beautiful, big eyes of hers!

The angel wings weren't really Lila's favorite, so they certainly didn't last long.  We managed to snap exactly one photo of this baby girl in her angel wings, but I still think it's pretty adorable!  Find a photographer with a sense of humor who will go with the flow when your baby is fussing, and know that images like this one below will be among your favorite ones to show your daughter when she is 17 years old one day.

Of course, Lila loved cuddling up with her mama on the bed and she was all smiles and giggles when crawling around and giving her mama lots of hugs and kisses.  These were the perfect "mommy & me" portraits, and I'm so happy we were able to capture these for this family!

The One with ALL OF THE CAKES! | Saratoga Springs Cake Smash Photographer

Cake smash sessions are one of my favorite ways to celebrate your baby's first birthday.  I love welcoming families to our Saratoga Springs studio (and our Attleboro studio!) for a very sweet portrait session.  You have survived 365 days of parenthood, so let's celebrate!

One of the things that I love the most about our cake smash sessions is unleashing my creativity on our custom-designed backdrops and sets.  Each session is unique, so I plan a custom backdrop for every baby based on the theme that their parents give me.  

This year we saw everything from superheroes & construction trucks, to Lilly Pulitzer & Cookie Monster.  Some parents use favorite books for inspiration (The Very Hungry Caterpillar cake smash, by Eric Carle), while others come to me with a favorite quote to incorporate into their session ("Love you to the moon and back").  

Just look at how CREATIVE parents were this year in coming up with themes for their little ones' birthdays!  I absolutely adore pulling their theme inspiration into a whimsical cake smash just for your baby.  I can't wait to take our backdrop creation to a whole new level in 2017!  Just wait until you see what we have in store for you this year!

One of the challenges that I enjoy in designing these creative sessions is that every single one is unique.  Even if a family comes to me months later requesting the same theme that another family used, I make sure to plan an entirely new set up for them so that their baby can shine in his or her own way.

This year there were some tears...   (Actually, a lot more tears than just these twins!  But this is my favorite image!)

And some helpers...  I think mom & dad always enjoy the cake as much as the baby, sometimes even more so!  

And there were a whole lot of cute babies (almost toddlers!).  Seriously, I can't believe I get to spend my days with babies, cake, and craft projects.  I must have the best job ever!

Need some inspiration for your baby's first birthday photo shoot?  Here’s a list of all of our favorite cake smash themes this year!

Lilly Pulitzer cake smash

Construction Trucks cake smash

Boho Chic cake smash

Cookie Monster cake smash

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star cake smash

Floral cake smash

Make Way for Ducklings cake smash

Where the Wild Things Are cake smash

Love You to the Moon and Back cake smash

Oh the Places You’ll Go cake smash

The Very Hungry Caterpillar cake smash

Cookies & Milk cake smash

And here are cake smash themes we'd love to do in the studio in 2017 to celebrate your baby's first birthday cake smash photo shoot!  Plus, any other ideas you have for your session!

Rocket Ship cake smash

Day at the Beach cake smash

Hot Air Balloon (Oh the Places You'll Go) cake smash

Rustic Woods cake smash

Winter Wonderland cake smash

Pirate cake smash

Unicorn cake smash

Jungle cake smash

Baseball cake smash

Glitter & Gold cake smash

Boho Chic cake smash

Airplane/Aviation cake smash

Under the Sea cake smash

Floral crowns with a "naked cake" (minimal frosting) cake smash

Nautical cake smash

And a few alternate foods/items we'd love to do for your session, because remember that not every baby is all about the cake!

Spaghetti smash

Watermelon smash

Pumpkin Pie smash

Finger painting smash

Muffin smash

One thing we added as an option to our sessions this year was a little SPLASH!  Our "smash & splash" sessions are becoming increasingly popular, and who doesn't love a little tub bath at the end of their portrait session?  

A Family Session & a Cake Smash in Downtown Boston

Even though we've moved to Saratoga Springs, I find myself going back to Boston more than just a little bit to visit with clients and capture some beautiful memories for them.  Boston has always had my heart, and I can't even begin to count how many hours I have spent wandering the streets of that city with my camera in hand.  It is such a BEAUTIFUL city that I truly can never get enough of.  Because of that, I still love every chance I get to head downtown for a portrait session, and this one was no exception!  

This family session in Downtown Boston was one of my favorite sessions lately.  We stepped out the family's front door and we were in the heart of Newbury Street, and only one block away from the tree-lined Parkway on Commonwealth Avenue.  This was the perfect backdrop for their family photos, capturing the hustle & bustle as well as the beauty of their neighborhood, and I love the images that we were able to capture together.  These ones here in the park are some of my favorites, especially with their little dog, Bojangles!

After their sun-dappled family photos outside, we went indoors for Brodie's cake smash to celebrate his first birthday.  His parents wanted to tie in their love for Boston with Brodie's dad's Scottish background, so we found the perfect balance of the two: a Make Way for Ducklings cake smash with a plaid Scottish kilt, and a cake from Jennifer Lee's Bakery on Hanover Street in Boston.  

Brodie wasn't quite sure what to think of his cake, which happens sometimes during our cake smashes!  Some babies dig right in, loving the mess and the sweetness, while others are a bit more hesitant and would rather keep their fingers clean.  ;o)  Brodie was a little trooper, and he kept going back for another taste time and time again.  Now that he's had his first few bites of cake, I bet he will love his cake at his party now after sampling frosting for the first time during his smash!! 

JUST A REMINDER TO MARK YOUR CALENDARS!  

We're planning stunning holiday sessions this year, and I can't wait to share all of the details with you.  Sign ups for our Limited Edition Holiday Sessions will be released on October 3, and if you subscribe to our newsletter you will have priority access to scheduling your family's session.  Trust me, these are going to be SO GORGEOUS and you don't want to miss this!  Join our newsletter list today!

SESSION DATES:
OCTOBER 29 & 30, ATTLEBORO, MA
NOVEMBER 5 & 6, SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY