First Birthday Sessions: Hampton Roads Cake Smash Photography

As a mama of four growing girls, I know the importance of capturing ALL the milestones along the way and that’s why I love first birthday sessions and Hampton Roads cake smash photography.

Are you thinking about a first birthday or Hampton Roads cake smash photography session for your little one?

Sharing some things to think about below:

Why do a first birthday/Hampton Roads cake smash photography session?

A baby’s first birthday is such a big milestone – both for baby and for you as the parents. You did it! You made it through the first year and whether it’s your first baby or fifth, that is an accomplishment and memory that deserves to be celebrated. At one year old (or the weeks leading up to it!), your baby is full of personality, curiosity, and cuteness! This is the perfect opportunity to capture him/her so you can look back on it forever. Pairing the first birthday photo session with a cake smash makes it even more fun and memorable, plus these photos can make for really cute decor at the birthday party (if applicable!)!

How should I plan for a first birthday/Hampton Roads cake smash photography session?

I provide all my milestone clients with a Session Planning Guide that includes styling tips, information on what to expect, and other details with that will help with the planning process. I love to help, and am available if there for any questions at all – my goal as a photographer is to make the process as easy and seamless as possible! Here are some things to think about when planning:

First, it’s important to choose which kind of session fits your family best. For milestone sessions, I offer a simple milestone session which includes just baby, or a full milestone session, which also includes parents and any other immediate family members (if that applies to you!). I love including the whole family as it’s always a good opportunity for updated family portraits as well!

For outfits, I suggest classic and timeless pieces for all my sessions. This keeps the focus on the subjects rather on anything else, which is exactly what we want! 🙂 Neutral colors photograph best and I always recommend to try to stay away from logos and prints that are very busy and distracting. A diaper cover is always a cute and classic option, especially for the portion of the session that is dedicated to the cake smash!

All milestone sessions booked with me have access to my light and bright studio as the location for your session. I find that this is ideal as it provides a clean, neutral backdrop that is classic for milestone photos and also is comfortable for baby and parents. Additionally, I have done first birthday sessions outdoors at some of my favorite locations in Virginia Beach to photograph at (including the beach and Pleasure House Point!) and the outcome is beautiful.

For the cake, I suggest a small cake with white or neutral icing (so again, the cake is not distracting from baby!). You can keep it simple and order an affordable option like this and pair with a cake topper like this one from Amazon! Beyond the cake, I don’t really suggest props – I keep a white high chair, cake stand and wooden toys at the studio and in most cases, this is all you need! I like to keep props to a minimum to keep the focus on your baby, that’s what matters the most! 🙂

What does a first birthday session/Hampton Roads cake smash photography session look like?

First birthday sessions at the studio start out with simple portraits of baby (and family, depending on the session you chose!). I try to capture baby just as they are, and love to document his or her little toes, chunky thighs, and those curious eyes. As mentioned before, I keep wooden toys at the studio to keep their interest, and also have a classic rocking horse and some other small furniture pieces we can use!

I always save the cake smash for the last part of the session for obvious reasons! 😉 With this portion of the session, we use both the high chair and the floor – and let baby just really have fun! These are usually some of the favorite images from the session.

I hope this was helpful in considering or planning for your own baby’s first birthday session! If you are looking for a Hampton Roads cake smash photographer, you can reach out here or email me at ashleybricknerphoto@gmail.com. I would love to work with you to document this very special milestone in your baby’s life!

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