The T Family Cake Smash | Philadelphia First Birthday Photo Shoot

First Birthday Cake Smash with Heather Thomas Photography

First birthday cake smash – an adorable family tradition that doubles as the perfect photo shoot opportunity! Eating cake, dressing up in a tutu and pearls, dancing around… the perfect recipe for a whole lot of fun with Baby. I love capturing first year personality with being goofy and getting a little messy. It’s a great encapsulation of the past year of life with the tiny new family member and the beautiful ways you’ve changed as a family.

The T Family Cake Smash | Philadelphia First Birthday Photo Shoot

Mom and Dad gave me free rein to style the shoot in the colors, background, and theme I thought would work best. It’s fun being free to take creative liberties and design the look I’ve found to turn out best in my years of experience, and I absolutely love the way it all turned out. This combo of light pink, light green, and white brought fresh air to each photo – which was perfect because we were having the session in an indoor/outdoor studio space.

This farmhouse in Bucks County has indoor space for photos like the cake smash, but it also has open areas outside with beautiful trees and paths for the family shots. The set inside has plenty of room to smash and eat delicious cake without making a mess in your kitchen.

Siblings in the Cake Smash

When Big Sister jumped in front of the camera too, everything got even sweeter and more adorable. I always encourage families to do group photos after the cake smashing to capture the whole family dynamic and keep everyone involved. Those frilly outfits with flower headbands added both class and fun to the sister pictures. You can tell the baby is already looking up to her big sister.

Having a flexible outdoor area can be the perfect solution to photographing toddlers who need to run around. Nothing is more natural than pictures of kids in action, moving, playing, doing what they do every day, and that comes through in the photos.

When mom jumped in with another flower headband, it was a cuteness overload. You could tell the girls were excited by how enthusiastic their parents were to have fun together. Dad swinging the baby up into the air was so precious. This family really did look like a fairytale family, especially with those enchanted woods in the background. The deep green of the trees highlight the light colors of the girls’ outfits and added a whimsical forest charm.

There’s no better way to bring out the birthday girl’s personality and spirit than by surrounding her with the people who have loved and cared for her for the last year. The most giggles and smiles always came from being with Sister, Mom, or Dad, and I would hate to miss out on all of that.