Birthday and Milestone Photoshoot Ideas (That Aren’t a Cake Smash)

I’ll be honest, I adore a good cake smash! But I realize that not every family wants to celebrate baby’s first birthday or other milestones that way. Maybe your little one has allergies or food sensitivities. Maybe they get overwhelmed easily and you feel like a smash and splash would be too much for them to handle. Or maybe a cake smash just isn’t your thing.

Don’t worry! There are plenty of other ways to celebrate. Here are just a few birthday and milestone photoshoot ideas for you that don’t involve dessert.

Birthday Celebrations

Balloons

Nothing says “party” like balloons! This is one of my favorite ways to decorate the studio for a birthday session. And since balloons come in all colors, they’ll go with any theme or color scheme.

Fresh Fruits

If you like the idea of a food smash but want a healthier option than cake, fresh fruits can be super fun! Strawberries or watermelon slices are fun and add a bright pop of color whether baby is interested in eating them or not.

Bubbles

Bubbles can be a great way to engage your little one’s interest and get some adorable shots!

Milestones

One-Year Portraits

If you prefer to save the party for home, consider a one-year portrait session rather than a cake smash. I have some beautiful and classic backdrop options, and am more than happy to include parents in some of our portraits as well, so you can have updated family and one-year baby pictures all in one session!

Sitter Sessions

The first birthday isn’t the only important milestone to capture. Sitter sessions are perfect for documenting baby’s growth between birth and one-year. As a first year baby photographer, I love getting all of those in-between moments that other photographers might miss.

Outdoor Session

If you’re just not sure about a studio session, another fun way to celebrate milestones is to head outside. Most kids love exploring the great outdoors, so if you feel like they would be more comfortable at a park or favorite location, let me know and we can arrange an outdoor meeting place for portraits.

Orange County, New York First Year Baby Photographer

If a cake smash just isn’t going to work for you, I hope it won’t stop you from capturing professional photos of your little one. There are so many other wonderful options for freezing those moments in time. If you have a non-cake-smash birthday or milestone photoshoot idea you’d like to try, please be in touch! I love serving families in and around Orange County, New York, and would be delighted to see if we can create a photoshoot that’s perfect for your needs.

Milestone Photo Session with Teddy Bears | New Jersey Baby and Child Photographer

This little girl’s milestone photo session with teddy bears was just the BEST! Cake smashes are probably my most popular type of session request I get for kiddos around a year old, but they are definitely not the only option I have. I also love just doing more traditional portraits that capture a unique milestone in your child’s life.

This sweetheart was a little over a year old at the time of our session. Mom loves regularly booking professional photos so she can capture all the big milestones as her daughter grows. I LOVE this! As a parent myself, I know just how fast the time flies. And I know it can seem like an investment—but truly, you will never regret having those pictures taken!

One of the fun things about a milestone photo session is that you can really make it your own. We included this little girl’s teddy friends as well as her favorite blanket. Little details like this help make your portraits even more personal, and they are so fun to look back on. It makes me so happy to fast forward in my mind a few years and see this mom and daughter looking at these photos together. I can just hear this little girl, maybe about to head off for college, exclaiming, “I remember that blanket!” or remembering the name of her favorite teddy bear and all the fun adventures she had with her stuffed animal buddies.

The stages of childhood won’t keep forever, which is why a milestone photo session is such a beautiful way to hold on to those times and remember the seasons of our lives, even as they change. Every stage is beautiful, and it deserves to be recorded! So don’t wait for a special occasion—book a milestone photoshoot for your child and capture all those sweet details now, because they will change faster than you ever thought possible.

Different Types of Photo Sessions | Northern New Jersey Photographer

Just wanted to post a quick update on the different types of photo sessions I offer here at Jennifer Parrello Photography. As a New Jersey photographer I specialize in capturing baby’s first year, which means most of my sessions are newborn and cake smash—which works out well since they’re my absolute favorite! I love working with babies! But I also offer lots of other types of photoshoots so we can capture your family’s memories at every stage of life.

Here’s a quick peek into the different types of photo sessions you can book with Jennifer Parrello Photography:

Baby’s First Year NJ Photographer

Maternity Sessions

Before baby even arrives, let’s capture that exciting stage of pregnancy! You can choose from studio or outdoor options depending on what feels comfortable for you and how many people you’re inviting to join in.

Fresh 48 Sessions

We can create beautiful, intimate birth photos right at the hospital. Fresh 48 sessions are perfect for remembering every moment of those precious first hours with your little one.

Newborn Sessions

There’s no better place for newborn photos than in my comfy New Jersey photography studio! With hundreds of props and outfits to choose from (plus a place for Mom and Dad to relax while I do what I do best) you can create forever portraits of your little bundle that will last long after babyhood is over.

Cake Smash Sessions

Celebrate the big one-year mark with a special cake smash session! I go all out and customize every single one of my cake smashes so you can have a theme and style that’s totally unique to you. (I love doing custom cake smashes so much that I also offer cake smash mentoring for other photographers who are wanting to

Milestone and Sitter Sessions

There are so many other moments that you’ll want to hold on to forever. We can book a milestone or sitter session to capture any and all of those wonderful in-between stages as baby grows.

Northern NJ Family and Professional Photographer

Other Types of Photo Sessions

In addition to documenting all the big moments in baby’s first year, I also offer limited family sessions, specialty sport photos, and headshot and branding sessions. Family sessions usually take place outdoors, so I hold these only during months when the weather is nice. (My West Milford studio is the perfect size for intimate photos, but it’s a little too cozy for big groups!) And be sure to keep an eye out for my holiday and Santa mini sessions. I offer these on just a few select dates in October/November and they are always so much fun!

Whatever stage of life you’re in, and whichever of the different types of photo sessions you’re considering, I’d love to capture those memories for you! Please get in touch for more details. Can’t wait to hear from you!