A Pink and Gold Cake Smash with Balloon Garland and Confetti

Another cake smash, another balloon garland!

I absolutely love how festive balloon garlands are for birthday portraits, and the variety that can be created with them is amazing. I recently learned about double stuffing balloons, which is when you put one balloon inside of another to create an entirely new hue. I did that for this session and I loved the soft pink, gold, and peach hues for this garland.

baby plays with cake during pink and gold cake smash with confetti and balloon garland photographed by Delmar NY cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography
baby girl eats icing from cake during cake smash with pink balloons photographed by Delmar NY cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography

Brooke’s white & gold cake from Coccadotts was perfect for this session, and it tied in with the gold confetti beautifully. This was a fresh take on a classic cake smash theme - pink and gold!

Her romper was chosen from the studio’s Baby Wardrobe, and it was the perfect fit for this little birthday girl! This particular romper was handmade in Australia, and Brooked happened to be the very first baby to wear it!

baby girl plays with cake topper during pink and gold cake smash with Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography
one year old plays with cake during pink and gold cake smash photographed by Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography
one year old eats cake during cake smash photographed by Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography
parents snuggle with one year old daughter on white couch in Saratoga Springs studio photographed by NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography
father holds daughter on white couch during family portraits with NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography

All of our cake smash sessions also include family portraits, and we started off Brooke’s birthday session with cuddly family portraits in the studio. I love capturing classic baby portraits on our white couch. They are simple and sweet, and really let each baby’s personality shine. And of course, the wooden birthday cake prop captured the birthday girl’s attention, too!

one year old sits on couch with blocks during milestone portraits by Saratoga Springs NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography
one year old plays with wooden cake in studio photographed by Saratoga Springs NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography
toddler plays on chunky blanket with wooden cake toy set photographed by Saratoga Springs NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography
parents snuggle with daughter in studio photographed by Saratoga Springs NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography

We couldn’t resist a few portraits in our springy egg chair, which was all decked out for May’s Celebrating Motherhood sessions. I love the variety it lends to their gallery!

dad sits with one year old in chair covered with floral garland photographed by Saratoga Springs NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography
one year old sits in chair with flower garland around the outside photographed by Saratoga Springs NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography
one year old plays in chair covered with flowers during milestone portraits with Saratoga Springs NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography
mom holds baby girl in lap during milestone portraits by Saratoga Springs NY family photographer Nicole Starr Photography

Save for later!

pink and gold cake smash with balloon garland and confetti photographed by Nicole Starr Photography

An Ice Cream Cone Cake Smash for Ella's First Birthday

The first solid food Ella ever tried was ice cream, so naturally we chose an ice cream cone theme for her cake smash session! This sweet girl’s first birthday portraits were delayed due to covid closures, but we got her in the studio as soon as we could to celebrate the start of the toddler years. This little cutie pie LOVED the camera, and I can’t get over how adorable her little pigtails are!

An ice cream cone cake smash with pastel colors photographed by New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY cake smash photographer, Boston cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer
ice cream cone cake smash with pastel balloon garland and ice cream cones made by Cricut photographed by New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY cake smash photographer, Boston cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake sm…

Ella dug right into her cake, and kept looking at her big brother and sister to see if they were going to sneak in there for a bite! We let them join in at the end, and it was so cute watching the three of them together enjoying the birthday girl’s cake.

Her little dress was from our studio wardrobe. Isn’t it the perfect color on her?

baby in teal gown eats cake during ice cream cone inspired cake smash photographed by New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY cake smash photographer, Boston cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer
little girl in teal dress smashes cake with ice cream cone on top photographed by New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY cake smash photographer, Boston cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer
siblings help one year old with ice cream cone cake smash with pastel decorations photographed by New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY cake smash photographer, Boston cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash pho…
cake smash with ice cream cone decorations photographed in Saratoga Springs by New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY cake smash photographer, Boston cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer
toddler girl plays in bath tub after ice cream cone cake smash photographed by New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY cake smash photographer, Boston cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer
tub time for baby girl after cake smash photographed by New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY cake smash photographer, Boston cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer
baby girl plays with rubber duck in bathrub after cake smash in Saratoga Springs photographed by New York cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY cake smash photographer, Boston cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash phot…

All of our cake smash sessions begin with family portraits, and in the warmer months we’re lucky enough to head outside to nearby parks for family photos! We captured a good mix of portraits of the whole family, letting each child’s personality shine. These are going to look amazing on a new gallery wall above their sofa!

family of five poses in Saratoga Springs photographed by New York family photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY family photographer, Boston family  photographer, Delmar NY family photographer
big sister holds one year old during family photos by New York family photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY family photographer, Boston family photographer, Delmar NY family photographer
dad lifts baby girl in the air photographed by New York family photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY family photographer, Boston family photographer, Delmar NY family photographer
mom holds toddler photographed by New York family photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY family photographer, Boston family photographer, Delmar NY family photographer
family portriats before cake smash with New York family photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY family photographer, Boston family photographer, Delmar NY family photographer
summer family portriats outside under the tree photographed by New York family photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY family photographer, Boston family photographer, Delmar NY family photographer
portrait of a young girl sitting in the grass by New York family photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY family photographer, Boston family photographer, Delmar NY family photographer
family portraits and milestone portriats for toddler boy photographed by New York family photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY family photographer, Boston family photographer, Delmar NY family photographer
milestone portraits of one year old in Saratoga Springs with New York family photographer Nicole Starr Photography | Albany NY family photographer, Boston family photographer, Delmar NY family photographer

Inspired by this pastel ice cream cone cake smash? Pin this image or any from the post above!

Ice cream cake smash photographed by Nicole Starr Photography

A Georgia Peach Cake Smash and Family Portraits on a Porch Swing

Wondering how to choose a theme for your baby’s cake smash photo shoot? While we have a whole blog post filled with tips that you should check out, the first thing I always recommend to families is that you look at your baby and your family and find something meaningful or symbolic to you. That’s what we did with this session!

Meet Baby Georgia. Her cake smash theme was GEORGIA PEACH, and it was perfect for this August baby who was born in peach season!

One year old plays with peach during Georgia Peach Cake smash photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY cake smash photographer

We started talking about a cake smash theme for this sweet girl during her newborn session last summer, and when her first birthday rolled around we knew that we simply had to do a peach theme for their little girl!

We chose to do it in a similar style to the greenery and florals that I so often do in my studio sessions — all white, simple, whimsical, and classic. It came together so beautifully! I added a “Sweet as a Peach” cutout in the background and it tied everything together perfectly. The best part? Georgia LOVED playing with the peaches in the setup, and she looked so sweet in her peach romper!

peach and pink cake smash with Georgia peach theme photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Delmar NY cake smash photographer
baby girl in romper with peaches holds peach during cake smash photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY cake smash photographer
Georgia peach inspired cake smash with baby girl in romper photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY cake smash photographer | Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY cake smash photographer
one year old eats cake during cake smash with peaches photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY cake smash photographer | Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY cake smash photographer
baby girl eats cake with icing on her face during Georgia peach cake smash photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY cake smash photographer | Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY cake smash photographer
Georgia peach cake smash photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY cake smash photographer | Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY cake smash photographer
baby girl plays with rubber duck in tub after cake smash photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY cake smash photographer | Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY cake smash photographer
one year old with peach headband plays in tub after cake smash in New York photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY cake smash photographer | Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY cake smash photographer
tub time after pastel peach cake smash photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY cake smash photographer | Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY cake smash photographer
milestone portraits for one year old on front porch photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home

But truly my FAVORITE part of this entire session was the beginning. We met at the family’s house for family portraits on the front porch. The same front porch where we did their lifestyle newborn portraits. It was incredible to see this family one year later in the exact same spot with their little girl, one year stronger, one year more connected, one year happier.

little girl in blue dress smiles on front porch photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
mom and one year old snuggle on front porch swing in New York photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
family portraits of mom and daughter on front porch swing photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
mom plays with daughter on front porch swing photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
family portraits on front porch swing with mom, dad, and toddler photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
New York family lifestyle portraits photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
parents smile at one year old during portraits on the porch photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
New York family photos on swing photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
dad and daughter sit on front porch swing photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
family portraits with German Shepard on front porch photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
toddler crawls across front porch in New York photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home
mom and daughter pose on front porch swing with dog at their feet photographed by Nicole Starr Photography, Albany NY family photographer | Delmar NY family photographer, Saratoga Springs family photographer, Lifestyle family photos at home

Love this peach cake smash and family photos on the front porch? Pin this image or any from the post to save this post!

Georgia Peach cake smash photographed by NY cake smash photographer Nicole Starr Photography

A red, white, and blue firework cake smash for a 4th of July baby!

Fourth of July babies are one of my favorite themes for the summertime!

Baby Axel was born on July 3, and I loved celebrating this little firecracker’s first birthday with a red, white, and blue cake smash. This gorgeous fabric flag is one of my favorite props that I’ve made (see it in last year’s cake smash with Oscar!) , and I spray painted fireworks on the floor for an extra special touch for the birthday boy.

Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…

Axel LOVED his cake! He was the happiest baby and he was all smiles and giggles once he tasted the frosting. He truly was the most efficient cake smasher that I have ever had the pleasure of photographing. I always like to look back at the timestamp on my camera for quick babies like this one, and he spent 8 minutes from start to finish with his cake, and less than 1.5 minutes in the tub! In the end we got a full gallery of smiles, laughs, and lots of cute little expressions from the birthday boy.

Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…
Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…

Love this patriotic cake smash? Pin this image or any from the post above!

Nicole Starr Photography | Boston MA Cake smash photographer, Saratoga Springs NY cake smash photographer, Delmar NY cake smash photographer, Loudonville NY Cake smash photographer, New York cake smash photographer, cake smash photographer, patrioti…

A Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday: Boston & Saratoga Cake Smash Photographer

Amalia Marie has been looking up at me with those sparkly blue eyes of hers since she was a newborn baby.  I first met Amalia's family last winter when they visited me for her newborn session, and then we got together last summer during a visit to Cape Cod for a family portrait session on the beach.  

When Amalia's mom started planning her birthday portraits months ago, I was so excited to help her bring her first birthday party ideas to life in a colorful portrait session!  

Amalia celebrated her first birthday with a Very Hungry Caterpillar cake smash inspired by Eric Carle's popular children's book.  This was definitely my most colorful cake smash to date, and I love how perfectly her outfit came together with our rainbow cake and banners.  Bringing together all of these creative elements is always my favorite part of preparing for our cake smash sessions, and of course watching our littlest clients taste their sugary treat is always a fun experience, too!

cake smash photographer in saratoga springs clifton park

Just like with all of our birthday sessions in the studio, we made sure to capture some family portraits to celebrate Amalia's parents surviving their first year of parenthood.  Amalia's grandparents taught her how to throw her hands up when they exclaim, "TOUCHDOWN!", so of course we got an action shot of her and her daddy scoring a touchdown together.

I have loved capturing the three of them together this past year.  The walls of their home are now filled with so many beautiful memories from the past 12 months, and I'm certain that they're going to love adding many more memories to their walls as their daughter grows.  

Happy birthday, baby girl!


Did you know that we often start planning a baby's birthday session when they are 7-10 months old to ensure a space on the calendar close to their first birthday?  I'd love to chat with you about your little one's cake smash this year!