New Jersey Cake Smash Photographer

Happy birthday, little one!

Your baby is turning into a toddler right before your eyes, and believe me, you don’t want to miss capturing this adorable stage and all the exciting milestones that come with it. There are so many great ways to celebrate baby’s first birthday, but one of my personal favorites is with a cake smash session. Fully customized, oodles of fun, and absolutely scrumptious! Let’s get this party started!

Cute baby girl in purple seated in front of balloon frame spelling out the word “one”

One-year-old boy in tub with a forest and antlers backdrop

Cute black baby seated in front of a dinosaur friends backdrop for his birthday cake smash

Baby girl in black dress with big white bow seated in front of a Peach Pit sign during her 90210-themed cake smash

Cute kiddo in Simba costume with Disney’s Lion King character silhouetted behind him

Baby girl in blue dress digging into her cake during an Alice in Wonderland custom cake smash session in New Jersey

Smiling boy in blue overalls and red bow tie with a nautical scene behind him

Black baby holding a wooden spoon as he prepares to eat his birthday cake, with a boxing glove banner behind him

Baby in red and blue dress with red, white, and blue balloons and the Wonder Woman logo behind her

Candy corn themed cake smash for baby girl

Baby girl in blue dress eating her cake with a carriage in the background during her Cinderella themed birthday photoshoot

Baby girl in blue dress chews on a wooden spoon that she uses to eat her cake against an Alice in Wonderland backdrop

Baby boy stuffs cake into his mouth during his first birthday photoshoot against a backdrop of tropical Kawaii fruits

Baby girl plays on the floor of a New Jersey studio during her first birthday milestone photoshoot

Toddler girl with icing all over her face smiles as she enjoys her custom cake smash in New Jersey

Toddler boy in astronaut suit dives into his blue cake with a moon and planets backdrop

Baby boy in blue sitting by his birthday cake with blue and gold balloons behind him

Baby girl in pink tulle dress tests her cake during her first birthday photography session in New Jersey

Toddler girl wearing a crown and licking icing off her fist during a rainbow themed cake smash

Baby girl in blue dress gnawing on a wooden spoon during her cake smash, with a Cinderella pumpkin carriage on the wall behind her

African American baby girl prepares to eat her birthday cake during a pink and gold pumpkin themed cake smash

Redhaired baby boy dressed in black and waving a wooden spoon during his King of Rap cake smash

Baby girl laughing excitedly during her custom first birthday smash session

Toddler in red suspenders against a backdrop of hearts during a cake smash shoot near Valentine’s day

Free spirit baby dives into her cake with colorful balloons and a VW van cutout in the background

Smiling baby girl all dressed in yellow clasps her hands in excitement during her bumblebee themed custom birthday photo session in the Tri-State area

Baby with a smashed cake in New Jersey studio during her first birthday session

Baseball themed cake smash with scoreboard

Laughing baby girl dives into her cake with a spoon during a watermelon themed cake smash in North Jersey

Baby girl leans forward to test her birthday cake face-first

Baby girl eating giant cupcake in New Jersey photo studio

Lemonade stand custom cake smash for summertime

Fall baby birthday photoshoot with pumpkins and barn doors

Baby girl enjoying her custom cake smash complete with purple flowers and floral arch

Young child laughing while seated on miniature bench during milestone photo session in studio

Chunky baby sitting on floor with a birthday cake against a customized race car backdrop

Springtime cake smash in New Jersey portrait studio

Wild one cake smash

Boho cake smash pics with plant theme

Young child giggles during milestone photoshoot in photographer’s studio in the Tri-State area

Nascar themed cake smash for baby boy

Swan princess cake smash for baby girl

Little boy seated against rustic wood backdrop with a metal sign spelling out the word “one”

Little boy enjoys his camping themed cake smash, complete with faux fire and a forest backdrop

Young boy in overalls eating his first birthday cake against a backdrop of a red barn and happy farm animals

Baby boy splashing in the tub with a scoreboard and baseball paraphernalia in the background

Asian baby covered in frosting and clutching wooden spoon after a birthday cake smash in New Jersey

Baby laughing and holding wooden spoon while he eats his first birthday cake against a backdrop of mushrooms and gnomes

Smiling baby in miniature bathtub getting cleaned up after eating his birthday cake

Toddler boy gets ready to celebrate his first birthday with balloons and teddy bears

Baby crawls across the floor of a studio in New Jersey, with custom stars and moon cutouts on the wall behind her

Happy baby with a donut cake and donut decor behind him

Baby boy digs into his birthday cake with a big wooden spoon

Baby boy dressed like Christopher Robin grins while seated beside a beehive-shaped cake with a Hundred Acre Wood theme in the background

Pumpkins and fall leaves decorate the studio as baby boy smiles for his one year photoshoot

Toddler on miniature bench with flowers behind her

Redhaired baby grinning from a miniature bathtub after his King of Rap birthday cake smash

Chunky baby in studio for his one year milestone photos, customized with a camper theme

Toddler enjoying his cake with superhero balloons and a cityscape behind him during his superhero cake smash

A Disneyland-themed cake smash featuring a backdrop of the Cinderella Castle from Magic Kingdom and cute baby wearing Mickey Mouse ears

White and gold streamers decorate the studio while baby splashes below in the tub after her cake smash

Airplanes, globes, and suitcases create a travel backdrop for little man’s cake smash session

“5 stars is simply not enough! Jennifer went above and beyond for our cake smash photo session! She made sure my daughter was comfortable in the environment and interacted with her the entire time! The set design was so detailed and specific to what I requested, and it exceeded any expectations that I had. The dress provided by Jennifer was also the most adorable design and a perfect fit for our theme! I highly recommended Jennifer Parrello Photography for any & all of your family photo shoots!! You will not be disappointed!!”

— Amanda C.

All Cake Smash Sessions Include:

Up to a 1 hour session
Custom designed set
End of session splash
Private online gallery to make your selections
Digital files
*Note: Due to allergy concerns, cake is not included. Your baby’s safety always comes first! If you need a bakery recommendation, just ask!

All Non-Cake-Smash Milestone Sessions Include:

Up to a 1 hour session
Use of studio props and accessories
Private online gallery to make your selections
Digital files

I am an all-inclusive cake smash photographer, which means that a certain number of digital images are included in the price of your session. No need to purchase digital files separately! This gives you the greatest flexibility for using these images in whatever way you like, such as birthday announcements or social media. If you’d like prints or other artwork these are available through my store (you’ll receive a link with your finished gallery) or you can send your digital files to your own choice of photo lab for printing.

Cake Smash and First Birthday FAQs

I recommend that you book your session at least 3 months before your child’s first birthday. My cake smash calendar fills up FAST! I also create all of my custom sets from scratch, so this gives me time to create your themed setup and make sure everything is perfect for the big day!
My recommendation is to hold the session 4-6 months before your child’s first birthday. That way you can have your pictures in time to order invites for the party, pictures to display as décor, etc.
All cake smash sessions take place in my kid-friendly portrait studio located in downtown West Milford, New Jersey. I’ll have everything set up when you get there, and trust me, you’re going to love it!
Before your session I’ll send you a guide with tips and tricks to make the celebration a success! If you want a sneak peek in advance, check out this blog post for some ideas.
Due to allergy concerns, I do not provide the cake for smash sessions. However, if you need recommendations for a bakery, just ask! In addition to the cake, I also ask parents to bring some small, non-messy snacks for baby to munch on. That way, even if your kiddo doesn’t take a single bite of cake, we can make it look like they were all over it!
Custom cake smashes are my specialty! We’ll chat about what theme you’d like, and from there I’ll order an outfit for baby and create an amazing setup that’s 100% YOU-nique!
Yes! Milestone and/or family portraits are always available as an add-on, and are even included as part of the package in some of my collections.
Yes! I love to do things with a splash, so all of my cake smash sessions do include tub-time photos at the end.
No problem! We can absolutely do a milestone or birthday session with traditional portraits only or with a fun theme that doesn’t involve cake. Check out this blog post for a few ideas.
I want you to have your finished images as soon as possible, which means that the minute your session ends, I’m at my computer! You’ll receive your proof gallery by the day after your session. Once you’ve chosen your favorites, I’ll dive right into the editing process. While the contract says to allow 2 weeks, this is really just in case of an emergency on my end. Usually, you’ll be oohing and aahing over your finished images within 48 hours of your selection.