A dreamy cake smash at the beach with Cape Cod Baby Photographer Nicole Starr Photography

Back when my son was a baby, I did a cake smash on the beach for him the summer after he turned one. That turned out to be my first ever cake smash at the beach, and since then I’ve done many first birthday celebrations at the beach while visiting Cape Cod every summer. Our daughter celebrated her first birthday in June, which was perfect timing for a cake smash later in the summer during one of our trips to the Cape! I absolutely love creating this special memory with my babies. 

We went to my favorite beach right at sunset, and we set up right in the surf where the water was coming up in gentle waves onto the sand. I love the effect it had in the portraits – completely dreamy! Adelaide looked so precious in her pink dress and enjoyed her cake. She actually dug right into her cake, and her expression when she is leaning into it with both hands and her tongue out just cracks me up! Her big brother helped towards the end and I can’t express how it made my heart swell to see my two babies playing together in the surf and the sand. 

This was definitely the messiest cake smash I’ve ever done between the frosting and the wet sand, but it was so worth it! Happy birthday to my sweet baby girl!

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A Pink, Lavender & Peach Cake Smash with Balloon Garland

You guyssss!!! This is one of my favorite cake smash balloon garlands to date. I love this combination of soft pink, lavender, and peach, and it was so perfect for Lyla’s first birthday portrait session at our Saratoga Springs studio.

She wore the most adorable lace and tulle dress, an Amazon find that we see often on baby girls in the studio, and a recommended dress in our What to Wear/Where to Shop for your Cake Smash post!

Seriously. How cute is this joyful baby?!?! So adorable.

What I love about this dress is that it’s short enough for babies to move around in without getting caught under their legs when they’re trying to crawl or stand up. Lyla was able to move about happily, and once we gave her a spoon she was all smiles! (until the very end, when we captured a really cute sad face!)

Bathtub splashes save the day! Our baby-sized clawfoot tub is the most requested prop in the studio, and for good reason! It’s perfect for little ones who love the water, and it’s 100% cute.

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Best of 2019 Cake Smash Sessions with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

Whew, what a year it’s been! 2019 was filled with so many cake smash portrait sessions and I absolutely loved celebrating so many babies’ first birthdays at the studio. These sessions are always some of my favorites because they are filled with lots of creativity, hand-made backdrops, oh, and I did I mention there’s CAKE?!?!

My own baby boy turned one in 2019 and we did a few different sessions for him, but guess what? The cake smash photographer’s baby doesn’t really like cake! Go figure!

Today we’re sharing a glimpse into our 2019 Cake Smash Sessions with a “Best of 2019” blog post. Enjoy these fun first birthday celebrations!

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Usually our cake smash sessions take place indoors at the studio where we can spend hours setting up the backdrop ahead of time and control the lighting and temperature. However, we headed outdoors for two very special sessions at the beach this year — one for my son, and another for one of our Baby Planners, Holden!

Splish splash! A pool party theme & an under the sea/baby shark theme were so much fun to design!

This extra special cake smash was with FOUR BABIES who are all birthday buddies! These little ones were all born within a few weeks of each other and we shared so many play dates with them this year — my son Grayson is the second from the left!

We enjoyed both a pink and a blue travel theme this year!

Nursery rhymes and children’s books are popular themes! “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and Peter Rabbit were both so cute!

And of course, florals are always a popular request for our birthday babies! I love the challenge of finding new ways to bring this theme to life!

A few extra unique themes this year included llamas, fourth of July firecrackers, camp fires, and panda bears! I love the creativity that my clients bring to planning their sessions and choosing their themes, and it has been such a joy designing each of these sets and watching the babies bring the magic with their cakes!

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All Around the World! A Pink and Gold Travel Theme for a First Birthday Cake Smash

Penelope is ONE! I’ve loved following along with this family’s journey into parenthood and celebrating all of their sweet girl’s milestones this year as part of the Baby Plan.

Check out all of her portrait sessions here, from bump to birthday!

At the end of her first year we did family portraits at our Saratoga Springs studio, followed by the most adorable cake smash! Penelope’s parents love to travel, so we did a travel theme inspired by this session from earlier this year, but with a girly touch of pink & sparkles! I painted the backdrop for her session and covered it in glitter, and then added my signature fluffy clouds & twinkle lights.

Can we talk about how JOYFUL this sweet girl is?!?! I love Penelope’s smile and her adorable laugh!

Penelope loved her cake! There was frosting EVERYWHERE! Such a fun cake smash session at our Saratoga Springs baby photography studio!

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A Snoopy Inspired Cake Smash with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

Now this was definitely a unique theme for a studio cake smash this year — SNOOPY! This family loves Snoopy, and they even did this as a baby shower theme before their son was born! So when it came time to plan his first year cake smash, they knew right away what they wanted to do for his portraits.

First we started with family portraits at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs. It’s only 2 miles from the studio, and it’s one of the most versatile locations for family portraits, especially when we’re going to head back to the studio afterwards for the cake smash!

The birthday boy LOVED the camera, and he had so much fun playing and showing off his blossoming personality! I love all of the smiles that we captured!

And now, it’s time for SNOOPY! We pulled it all together with a beautiful balloon garland in colors to match his nursery.

He dug right into his cake, and he gave us the most adorable expressions throughout his cake smash!

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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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A Panda Bear Cake Smash with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

I love starting our first birthday sessions with family portraits, and I was so excited to welcome this family back to the studio for their son’s cake smash by starting first with some gorgeous family portraits at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs. It’s only 2 miles from our studio, and it’s filled with so many unique and beautiful spots for your family’s photos!

Jackson let his fun-loving personality shine! His favorite color is yellow, so his parents dressed him in all the yellow and even asked to incorporate his favorite hue into the cake smash decor. I love that!!

We celebrated Jackson’s first birthday with a panda bear cake smash! Bamboo backdrop, panda bears & bamboo on his cake, and yellow paper lanterns for a festive touch. I absolutely adore how this set came together, and Jackson LOVED his cake, too!

Most babies get really excited when we hand them a wooden spoon partway through the cake smash, and Jackson loved digging into his cake with the spoon and watching the frosting fly everywhere when he was smashing it!

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About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region.  Nicole also works with families year round at her Attleboro, MA portrait studio, and on location May through October in Boston and on Cape Cod.  Nicole has a clean and classic style, and the studio is filled with neutrals and luxe fabrics.  We use very minimal props to keep the focus on your perfect little baby.  Our sessions are relaxed and fun, and we’ll enjoy an hour together (or up to 3 hours for a newborn session!) laughing, cuddling, and capturing authentic smiles and belly laughs with your little ones.

A Pool Party Cake Smash for Baby Luciano - Clifton Park Cake Smash Photographer

It’s a POOL PARTY!!!!

Summer is always such a fun time, and I love showcasing classic childhood fun in our birthday sessions. Everyone always loves a pool party, and when Luciano’s mama suggested a pool party cake smash to go along with his first birthday theme, I knew exactly what we would do for his set!

Beach balls, a striped beach towel, lots of splishing & splashing, and the cutest little swim trunks and sunglasses for the tiny swimmer.

First we started with family portraits at the Hall of Springs in SPAC, Saratoga Springs. I just love how relaxed and cuddly these portraits are of one-year old Luciano with his mommy & daddy. It seems like just a short while ago that we were celebrating this sweet boy’s arrival in his serene nursery with a lifestyle newborn session, and now he’s full of smiles and giggles and turning ONE!

This adorable rocking horse is from his nursery and was in his newborn portraits, and I was so happy that they brought it to his birthday session for a few portraits, too!

Luciano LOVED the bathtub! He was all smiles once he was in the water, and I love how expressive this little guy became when he was splashing around!

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About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region, and she also works with families at her Attleboro, MA studio and on location in Boston and on Cape Cod. 

The portrait studio is filled with neutrals, luxe fabrics, and very minimal props to keep the focus on your perfect little baby.  Our sessions are relaxed and fun, and we’ll enjoy an hour together (or up to 3 hours for a newborn session!) laughing, cuddling, and capturing authentic smiles and belly laughs with your little ones.  

A pretty peony cake smash for twins with boston cake smash photographer

Anya & Bela turned one, and celebrated with a truly beautiful peony cake smash at our Attleboro baby portrait studio! I absolutely loved celebrating the twins’ first birthday, and they were such a joy with so much personality!

We started with family portraits at Capron Park in Attleboro to capture lots of sweet cuddles and hugs from mom and dad. This is always such a beautiful location, and I love the trees and pavilion in the background!

Next we headed back to the studio for their soft, feminine, and floral cake smash! I created a brand new backdrop for the birthday girls with these gorgeous crepe paper peonies. We even used “one” cake toppers with a cute and subtle pink floral design printed on them!

What I LOVED about this session was how differently the two sisters approached their cakes. Anya (left) was dainty and methodical, while Bela (right) dug right in, knocked it off the stand, and turned into what we fondly called “the cake monster” as she stood up with frosting-filled hands and walked towards the camera!

I love this one with Anya looking to her sister to see how to smash and eat the cake!

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About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region, and she also works with families at her Attleboro, MA studio and on location in Boston and on Cape Cod. 

The portrait studio is filled with neutrals, luxe fabrics, and very minimal props to keep the focus on your perfect little baby.  Our sessions are relaxed and fun, and we’ll enjoy an hour together (or up to 3 hours for a newborn session!) laughing, cuddling, and capturing authentic smiles and belly laughs with your little ones.  

All Around the World - Kaylen's Travel Themed Cake Smash with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

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A Starry Night Cake Smash for Rylah | Saratoga Springs Cake Smash & Baby Photographer

Now this is definitely one of my all time favorite cake smash backdrops! After all, how could I not love a starry night backdrop when my last name is Starr?

I love how the gold and navy blue complement each other here, and then when we add in the adorable little birthday girl, everything truly sparkles!

Rylah came to our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for her first birthday cake smash, and we created a whimsical backdrop to look like she was floating in the night sky with her birthday cake.

Her big brother even joined in on the smashing! He really got into it and LOVED that delicious cake!

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Inspired by this starry night cake smash? Pin this image or any from the post above!

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About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region.  Nicole also works with families year round at her Attleboro, MA portrait studio, and on location May through October in Boston and on Cape Cod.  Nicole has a clean and classic style, and the studio is filled with neutrals and luxe fabrics.  We use very minimal props to keep the focus on your perfect little baby.  Our sessions are relaxed and fun, and we’ll enjoy an hour together (or up to 3 hours for a newborn session!) laughing, cuddling, and capturing authentic smiles and belly laughs with your little ones.  

A Baby Shark Cake Smash by Nicole Starr Photography

Baby Shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo…

Every family that comes to the studio knows this song, and just about every family with a little one under 5 recognizes the tune. The Alexa in the studio basically plays this song on repeat!

I was so excited when Wells’ mama asked for a Baby Shark/under the sea cake smash for his first birthday! This was definitely a fun theme to design, and I loved creating all of the ocean elements by hand and pulling them together for a perfectly cheerful set up with just a hint of “Baby Shark” for the sweet birthday boy.

Even the birthday cake was made to look like ocean waves with graham cracker “sand”!

Wells wasn’t totally into the cake, and we spent a good bit of time following him around the studio because he LOVED showing off his crawling skills during his cake smash session.

His big brothers and sister joined in at the end, which is always so much fun! Hahaha, he may not have been so happy about sharing that delicious cake, though!

Thankfully this baby boy LOVED the bathtub, and the smash & splash was an absolute success with so many smiles and lots and lots of splashing!

Happy Birthday Barratt! A Simple Studio Session

Family portraits during our first birthday sessions are always some of my FAVORITE portraits to take in a baby’s first year. This is when parents have just gotten through their first year of parenthood. There have been so many new and exciting moments, a lot of ups and downs, and plenty of victories as they get to know this tiny human they created.

These sessions are always filled with laughter and awe as they look at their little one’s budding personality, and when Barratt’s parents joined me in the studio for his first birthday session it was no different. They were so in love with their little guy, and these cuddly portraits are some of my favorites this winter!

The cream sofa in the studio is one of my favorite spots for timeless images that really let your family and their personalities shine. I always love placing a one year old on the sofa by himself and letting him sit, laugh, crawl, stand, and explore. These make for the cutest portraits of your baby right on the brink of becoming a toddler!

We did a simple white and rustic cake smash for Barratt, and his mama requested that the only decor be our shiplap backdrop and bottle brush trees on the cake. Done!

Barratt, of course, wanted to make the trees go “timberrrrrr” right away!

Such a fun session with this sweet boy! Click here to see how much he has grown in the past 12 month for a peek into his lifestyle newborn session last winter.

Oh The Places You'll Go First Birthday Cake Smash | Happy Birthday, Mallika!

One of my favorite things about being a cake smash photographer is when I get to work with clients who are just as excited about planning their baby's birthday photo session as I am!  

When Mallika's mom first contacted me about her daughter's cake smash, I instantly knew that we would be a great fit.  She had so many beautiful ideas for her daughter's birthday session, and it was really important to her that we create just the right look & style for her cake smash set up.  After many conversations, we decided that what she really wanted was a simple, classic, and minimalist look with a focus on the baby.  That is just my style!  :o)  Bring on the pure white seamless paper!  She also wanted to incorporate the soft colors and a quote from her favorite book, Dr. Seuss's "Oh the Places You'll Go".  

After I saw a picture of her beautiful little romper from The Stag and the Swan, the whole set came together in my mind and I loved bringing it to life!  I've been dabbling in calligraphy ever since attending a hand-lettering workshop with Sip & Script Boston (check out their page for a fun ladies' night out, and a new alternative to a paint night!).  Creating this calligraphy backdrop was my largest project to date, and I couldn't be more pleased with how it all came together for this charming little girl's birthday.

The little birthday girl, Mals, sure looks like she loved it too, doesn't she?  

One of my tried & true tricks for engaging one year olds during their photo session is to hide puffs in the frosting or on my white flokati rug.  If you are around any babies at all, you know that puffs are everyone's favorite snack and they are always a huge hit with these little ones.  Plus, they blend into the carpet or frosting, are small enough to fit into their tiny hands, and they do not leave a trace of crumbs on their teeth.  They are the perfect photo shoot snack!  

Mallika loved her puffs, and they kept her quite entertained while sitting on my curved bench prop.  I just love that in this photo, she has everything she could ever need -- a helping hand from her mom, and a snack within reaching distance.  Full bellies make for happy babies!  

This is the face of a girl who LOVES her puffs:

In typical one-year old fashion, it's not uncommon for our cake smash sessions to end with a couple of tears.  After all, if someone gave you an entire cake and let you go to town on it, and then took it away from you just when it was starting to get really fun, wouldn't  you want to cry, too?  I think that these moments are just as cute & frame-worthy as the happy clapping, the bubbly laughter, and the sparkling eyes.  I always make sure to keep shooting when the tears start to come out, and it definitely makes for some fun memories!

Finally, a couple of family photos to celebrate surviving (and thriving in!) their first year of parenthood.  Congratulations, P. family!  Your family is absolutely beautiful, and I am so thankful that you invited me into your lives to capture this milestone for you to enjoy.