If you didn’t know this about me, I’m passionate about capturing birthday cake smash sessions in a real, candid, and beautiful way. When I photograph families and children, I like connection, laughter, real life moments, and being in spaces and situations that feel natural and true to them, like at home!

This year I’ve decided to say no to any more themed birthday sessions and SO MUCH YES to In Home First Birthday cake smashes!! Cake smashes are so easily incorporated into the end of a lifestyle family session. Since the cake smash itself takes just minutes, we have a whole hour to do other fun activities around your home.Let me tell you how AMAZING this change has been both for me and my creative heart and for the families I work with! My ultimate goal is to give families freeze frames of their actual lives. Though a photo session is anything but the everyday, I hope to capture moments that can easily have happened while I was not there.

Fun activities to do at your in home family session

• Snuggles in the family bed
• tickle fights
• kitchen dance parties
• sink baths
• story time with mom and dad
• siblings being siblings
• including the family pets
• and eating cake all together in celebration of a first birthday!

I got to do just this with Gino and his family, who are absolutely incredible and have literally trusted me with every idea I have ever had for them since their daughter was a baby!

We had done Gino’s lifestyle newborn session at the family home. So, naturally Gino’s first birthday session would happen there too! Mom, Michelle, and I decided to have a fun family session and then give him his cake right in their brand new kitchen!

We planned out their wardrobe using Style & Select, which is included complimentary with every session. Their wardrobe went so well in every part of their home! Michelle really did an amazing job, especially little Gino’s Janie and Jack set. As soon as I walked in the door I knew it was going to be a good one! We spent our time together playing in the Master bedroom, and in Gino’s room for lifestyle family photos. We then we moved into the kitchen to eat some cake! The whole family got involved and IT.WAS.MAGIC!

If your little one is turning one and you’re planning their cake smash in New Jersey, I highly recommend considering using your home instead of a studio! Think of the memories you will have of everyone together in your own home, celebrating every birthday and big event for the rest of your and their lives!

Thanks so much for trusting me time and time again Michelle & Matt!! You guys are freaking AWESOME!!

xx, Ashley

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