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.

Looking Back on 2023...and Forward to 2024 with Jennifer Parrello Photography

I hope everyone is having an amazing holiday season!

This week between Christmas and New Year’s is always one for me to take a second to reflect on the past year and wonder what the future holds. 2023 has been a great year, filled with so many of my favorite things. Like…

Baby snuggles

It is such a beautiful experience to welcome new babies and their families to my New Jersey studio. Those new little lives are so precious, and I’m always honored to capture a few of those very first moments!

Cake

Birthday and cake smash sessions are my all-time favorites! If you know me, you know I’m always up for a party—and I love helping little ones celebrate that first birthday with a fun, customized cake smash all for themselves!

Pictures

As a New Jersey photographer, I can’t help but love photos. And it’s been exciting to be part of creating so many great ones this year!

And a little bit of magic

I tried something a little different for my holiday sessions this year and they all went amazing! I always feel that those magical Christmas sessions are such a good way to start wrapping up the year.

Can’t Wait to See You at the Photo Studio in 2024

And what does 2024 hold? I don’t know, but I have a feeling it’s going to be amazing! I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces in my studio and welcoming many new ones, and I hope this next year will be one of making lots of connections and memories. Most of all, I hope that YOU will be a big part of my 2024! I would love to get to know you better and help you document the best of your family’s moments. Let’s connect now, and start making memories that will last a lifetime!

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!

Jennifer Parrello Photography Session Types

As a New Jersey photographer, I specialize in capturing baby’s first year, which means most of my sessions are either newborn or cake smash (to celebrate that big one-year mark!) I’ll admit, photoshoots with babies are my fave! But that doesn’t mean I don’t offer other options as well. Baby’s first year is only part of the picture, and I’m happy to capture your family’s memories no matter what stage of life you’re in.

Here's a quick peek into the different types of sessions you can book at Jennifer Parrello Photography:

Newborn

There is nothing like capturing those first precious days of infancy. I recommend booking your newborn session a few months in advance to guarantee availability. You can choose from a few different collections based on your needs and personal preferences. My newborn sessions last up to 3 hours, just to give us some wiggle room in case baby is fussy or needs a feed or diaper change at the studio. You’ll get to choose colors, props, etc. from my extensive studio collection!

Cake Smash

Possibly my favorite type of session! Cake smash sessions are also booked a few months in advance, to give me time to fully customize your setup (which can take 6-8 weeks). I create all the sets myself to ensure that you have a unique first birthday photoshoot and the flexibility to choose any theme you’d like! You’ll be able to choose a collection based on your wants and needs—we can even include family photos at your baby’s cake smash session.

Child and Family

Every age and stage is precious! If your family is past the babyhood stage, I would still love to help you create portraits documenting your journey together. I only offer a select number of family sessions each year, so if you’re interested in these, get in touch as soon as possible! While most of my sessions take place in my New Jersey photo studio, family sessions can also be done outdoors. I have many different locations I can recommend. We’ll probably schedule your session for an hour or two before sunset for optimal light. Again, I offer a few different collections. And yes, I do offer extended family sessions, which are very popular right now!

Headshot and Branding

I also offer basic headshot sessions, which are a really quick and easy way to update your business cards or web page. Headshot sessions only take 20 minutes and are super relaxed and fun! The package includes 2 digital images for a set price, and from there you can add on whatever you want.  

Whatever your portrait photography needs this year, I hope you’ll choose Jennifer Parrello Photography to capture those lasting memories. Please feel free to contact me for more details!