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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Timeless First Birthday Portraits with a Cake Smash

Baby Kennedy isn’t such a baby anymore! This little girl is now a year old! We celebrated with timeless first birthday portraits in my Saratoga Springs studio. Mom wanted a simple and classic session and to keep the focus on her birthday baby, which I totally get. With that in mind, we wanted to create really timeless portraits. I think we did it - and I hope you’ll think so too. Kennedy’s session really reminded me that sometimes less is more when it comes to a cake smash setup! 

We chose to do a simple backdrop of super white seamless paper, and let this baby girl be the star of the show! I’m a huge fan of simplicity, and I loved how timeless these portraits turned out. For some of the session, she got to sit in my favorite white highchair for her cake smash - with my infamous wooden birthday cake. Afterwards, we got her down and in her sparkly blue dress, she dove into the simple white cake we had for her. Kennedy was absolutely adorable and I LOVED watching her figure out how to get into the cake.  

It was also important to capture new portraits of her and her parents in the studio. Honestly, family portraits in the studio at this age are always so much fun! There’s also lots of laughs, big smiles, showing off their personality and new milestones achieved. Look at the big personality in the photo of Kennedy walking! Love it!!

Happy birthday, Kennedy! I loved planning and capturing your stunning timeless birthday photos. Enjoy this next year!

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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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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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A Music-Themed Cake smash for Baby Easton

I can’t believe Baby Easton is already one! It feels like yesterday that he came into the studio for his newborn session and now he’s a year old. I was so happy when his mom reached out to me to plan this cake smash for him. It’s the perfect way to celebrate your baby turning one! Cake smashes are completely personalized to your family and your baby, which makes them a great way to document this big milestone!

Since Easton loves going to weekly mommy & me music classes, his mom knew that they wanted to incorporate this into his cake smash. With a requested color palette of light blue, grey, and white, I was able to work on the setup. I love how all of the pieces came together - and I think Easton agrees. He was SO happy our entire session - and super chatty. We had a great time watching him enjoy his cake and crawl around the studio.

Happy first birthday, Easton!!

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A First Trip Around the Sun Cake Smash

Happy birthday, Brandon! This little astronaut came to my Saratoga Springs NY studio for his first birthday cake smash - complete with an outer space theme. When Brandon’s parents inquired and began planning their portraits with me, I was super excited about the theme they mentioned. As we dove further into possible colors and ideas, we settled on some blues and oranges, with silver accents. Everything felt super space-y and was the perfect fit for their little birthday boy! Brandon was an absolute joy to photograph. He loved the spotlight and was excited to dig into his cake from Kelly Skitchenny! I don’t blame him… it looked delicious!

We rounded out his first birthday portraits with family portraits on the sofa in my studio. I love the classic and simple feel to these portraits - just these three and lots of smiles! What a perfect way to celebrate a 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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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 Lake George and Adirondacks Theme Cake Smash

This was such a fun cake smash theme to put together! When Henry’s mama reached out about planning a cake smash session for his first birthday, she told me how much their family enjoys spending time at Lake George. She wanted to reflect the lake & Adirondack mountains in his cake smash, and she loved the idea of a watercolor mountain backdrop. I found the perfect blue mountain backdrop and added twinkle lights for stars, a little wooden dock, and a tree (from my Christmas props!) for greenery. Mix in a sailboat and an Adirondack chair, and the cutest little striped romper that was reminiscent of an old-fashioned swimsuit, and it was perfect!

Wondering how to come up with the perfect theme for your baby’s first birthday cake smash? I have a whole blog post filled with ideas and recommendations! Click here to read it!

Henry loved his cake! It took him a little while to dig in, but once he did he started massaging it and he smashed it to smithereens. The ombre frosting on the cake went beautifully with the water/mountain theme, too! Click here for some tips for choosing the perfect cake for your baby’s cake smash!

Big sister Emma joined in for a few bites, and she took her cake eating very seriously. Love these sibling shots!!

There he goes destroying his cake! A true cake SMASH!

Every cake smash session starts with family portraits, and in the warmer weather we head outdoors for those. There are so many cute little sidewalks in neighborhoods of Saratoga Springs that I love for these portraits, and we found a colorful area for this family’s summertime portraits.

This walking portrait is always a favorite moment to capture in our first birthday sessions! I love it when everyone is holding the baby’s hands and he is looking right at the camera!

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A Succulent Theme Cake Smash for Baby Elliana

I love it when parents request a unique theme for their baby’s cake smash session. When Elliana’s mom asked for a succulent theme and sent me some floral hoop inspiration, I was all over that! I went to the craft store the very next day to find succulents and gold metal hoops, and I got to work creating gorgeous floral & succulent decor for our Baby Planner.

Doesn’t she look adorable in this little dress with the Peter Pan collar? It was perfect for portraits, and the colors were so soft & beautiful.

Her mama brought a baby-sized bouquet from The Posie Peddler in Saratoga Springs, and it was the cutest little thing. I had never seen such a small bouquet before, and the succulents and lavender (from mama’s baby shower) were the perfect finishing touch.

Some of our cake smash babies are walking by the time of their session, and I always love capturing them standing with their cake! It’s a great way to show their size, and also their new (often wobbly!) skills on their chunky little baby feet!

Elliana loved the tub and she did some major splashing in the studio! Like most babies, she’s happiest in the water and the bathtub brought out all of her very best smiles!

All of our cake smash sessions start with family portraits. In the warmer months we head outdoors for these before the cake. I loved the colors that this family chose for their portraits, and especially the softness of mom’s tulle skirt. Don’t they all look amazing???

So proud of her newfound walking skills!

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An Ice Cream Cone Cake Smash for Ella's First Birthday

The first solid food Ella ever tried was ice cream, so naturally we chose an ice cream cone theme for her cake smash session! This sweet girl’s first birthday portraits were delayed due to covid closures, but we got her in the studio as soon as we could to celebrate the start of the toddler years. This little cutie pie LOVED the camera, and I can’t get over how adorable her little pigtails are!

Ella dug right into her cake, and kept looking at her big brother and sister to see if they were going to sneak in there for a bite! We let them join in at the end, and it was so cute watching the three of them together enjoying the birthday girl’s cake.

Her little dress was from our studio wardrobe. Isn’t it the perfect color on her?

All of our cake smash sessions begin with family portraits, and in the warmer months we’re lucky enough to head outside to nearby parks for family photos! We captured a good mix of portraits of the whole family, letting each child’s personality shine. These are going to look amazing on a new gallery wall above their sofa!

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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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What Does the Baby Plan Really Look Like? Two Different Babies, One Year, Lots of Photos

We introduced the Baby Plan a little more than two years ago, and it has been such a joy to watch so many little babies grow and celebrate all of their milestones with beautiful portrait sessions.

I love seeing our Baby Planners every few months and getting to know their families over the course of 12+ months. From the eager expectant parents that come in with stories about baby showers and building cribs, to the tired mamas rocking their brand new babies and looking for tips on nursing and swaddles during their newborn sessions, to the (slightly more well-rested!) parents who are playing peek-a-boo with their babies and cheering their birthday baby on to taking their first steps and tasting their birthday cake! It’s always such an honor to be invited into a family’s life for all of these events, and I truly enjoy capturing all of these memories for every single family.

So, if you’ve been wondering what the Baby Plan actually looks like, here is a peek at the Baby Plan for two different families. Maternity session, newborn session, milestone session, and a cake smash.

Here you’ll see a baby girl with her lifestyle maternity & newborn sessions at home, followed by studio portraits for her milestone session, and outdoor family portraits for her first birthday with the cake smash in the studio. At the end of the year we have a gorgeous collection of images that go together beautifully. I love that the colors they chose for each of their portrait sessions complement each other so well, and will look amazing paired together on the walls of their home!

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Next up is a year of portraits for one of our coastal families in Massachusetts. I absolutely adored photographing their maternity session AND cake smash session on the same beach. Partway through the year I said to this sweet mama, “Wouldn’t it be amazing to do his cake smash on the same boardwalk where we did your maternity portraits?!” And we immediately fell in love with the idea, and made it happen almost exactly one year later! Depending on the season we can do some of the sessions outdoors between May through October, but the newborn sessions are always indoors.

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Aiden's Campfire Cake Smash with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

Look who’s ONE!

Another NSP Baby celebrated his first birthday, and I can’t believe that Aiden is one already!

We started with family portraits on one of my favorite neighborhood streets in downtown Saratoga Springs. I love the colors and layers that the houses and porches add to our photographs, and I’m always excited when a family is eager for a non-traditional location for their family portraits. Sidewalks are some of my favorite places for portraits, and this family shows us just how beautiful these spots can be for families!

Then we headed back to the studio for the birthday boy’s cake smash! His mama wanted a colorful campfire theme, with a cake made to look like a giant toasted marshmallow. I love how it all came together with the pine trees, starry night backdrop, buffalo plaid tent, and the campfire!

Aiden loved it, too!

Hahaha, we all laughed so hard when he took the most massive bite of cake! This little guy was REALLY into his cake smash, and he was so much fun to watch!

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A Sailboat Cake Smash for Baby Jonas with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

It’s always such an honor to watch babies grow and photograph them throughout their first year, and it amazes me every single time just how quickly a year can pass, and how much these little babies can change in twelve months!

I feel like it was just last month that we were snuggling Jonas during his newborn session, and now he’s ONE!

We celebrated his first birthday with family portraits at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga. The studio is only two miles from here, and it’s one of my favorite spots to meet at before the cake smash because there are so many gorgeous and unique locations within the park for family portraits.

Jonas was in the best mood, super curious and playful. And just so happy & smiley in every single photo!

Then we headed back to the studio for a nautical cake smash. This year we had a few coastal elements and colors in his newborn and milestone sessions, and it was perfect to weave those same colors into his cake smash so that all of his portraits will complement each other up on the walls of their home.

Jonas LOVED eating his cake with a spoon, and we captured so many cute moments of him enjoying all of the frosting!

Time for a bathtub splash, and so many more smiles! Honestly, he had to have been one of the happiest cake smash babies I have ever photographed!

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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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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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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.  

An English Garden Cake Smash with Peonies

Sweet little Ellie came to the studio for her first birthday session, and it was absolutely perfect! We started her beautiful session with family portraits, and this baby girl just lit up everyone in great big smiles and laughs!

I loved planning this session with her mama to bring her dream of an English garden and tea party to life. We used a white backdrop and billowy curtains, loads of fluffy pink peonies, and a few beautiful bird cages, too! We have an itty bitty tea set in the studio, and Ellie played with her favorite stuffed animal and shared a tea party with her elephant. It was the cutest thing ever!

Ahhhhh!!! Don’t you just love how excited she is about her cake?!?! I love when babies show off their clapping skills during their first birthday sessions!

Bathtub splash at the end! Guess who wanted to eat all of the soap bubbles?!

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!