An At-Home First Birthday Family Session

When most people think of a 1st birthday, they usually picture a cake, maybe some decorations, and a cute baby surrounded by gifts at a big party. How to document a 1st birthday has changed over the years, but the most recent trend of a cake smash has been the most popular way to celebrate the transition into solid foods. But a first birthday photo session doesn’t always have to be an extravagant cake smash. Sometimes, the best way to celebrate your little one is simply surrounding them with all your love and cuddles! The first year is a whirlwind- I think making it through is reason enough to celebrate.

When Dean’s mom first reached out to me, his first birthday was just around the corner, and they wanted to do a family session to commemorate such a big milestone in his life, but didn’t want your typical first birthday cake smash. So instead, we opted for a relaxing at-home family photo session to capture him in his beautiful nursery surrounded by all the things he loves (including his fur sister Maisey).

Maisey is the family’s first baby, and including her within the family session was incredibly important. She is Dean’s best friend, and they spend a lot of their time playing and cuddling together, so capturing their bond was on our high list of priorities. Ever since baby Dean was born, Maisey has been the best big sister, watching over him as he naps, and simply hanging out in his room (even when he’s not there!) Throughout the session, we were able to capture the sweetest candid moments between Dean and Maisey as they played together. 

Relaxing at home for a first birthday photo session was the perfect way to celebrate Dean for a few different reasons. Weather isn’t a driving factor affecting the session, so we don’t have to worry about rain, whether it’s too hot or too cold, and it also gives us a bit more flexibility around the time of day; that way we can truly cater to the baby’s own personal golden hour, rather than the sun’s golden hour. At this specific age, sessions are definitely child-led, and we aim for a big mix of both candid and posed images. Dean was crawling at the time, so we got a lot of photos of him exploring his own room, hanging out with mom and dad, and even just relaxing in his crib. Being in a familiar place can also help everyone de-stress with a little more ease, allowing for more natural documentation.

Opting for an at-home session also gives us the perfect opportunity to show off the baby’s room! Your home, and more specifically the baby’s bedroom, is where you and your family spend a lot of your time together. And before you know it, their room will start rapidly changing as they grow older, so what better way to capture the adorable baby stage than in their room, surrounded by the crib and all of their favorite toys and stuffed animals. Dean’s bedroom has the most adorable (and dare I say, chic) dog pattern wallpaper. And as someone who has dog pattern wallpaper in my bathroom, I was literally ecstatic to be able to photograph Dean in his own dog-themed oasis.

If you are interested in including cake in your baby’s first birthday session, check out our Tips for Planning Your Cake Smash!