Outdoor Smash Cake Session

There are few bigger compliments than when a client who has moved away says “if we are going to do outdoor photos for our son’s first birthday, then I want to wait for Karen to do them.” While I am always honored to hear from former brides and grooms about pictures for their growing families, I was so touched that Erica and Tim wanted me to do photos of their son, Stephen’s first birthday.

I photographed Erica and Tim's wedding in 2014 during fleet week. As they said their vows, the Blue Angels flew past. It was a beautiful wedding. Though they have moved out of the area, Tim’s family still lives in the East Bay. When they decided to do a first birthday party for Stephen here, on a Saturday, Erica contacted me to book a first birthday/cake smash session on Sunday.

Not only was I honored, but I was also so excited to see Erica and Tim and meet their son. I love reconnecting with brides and grooms as they’ve settled into married life, and being able to see their families change and grow. Tim is in the Navy and was called in for service, sadly making him unable to attend our photo session. Tim's sister was able to attend with Erica and Stephen, and helped the session run smoothly. Having an extra set of hands with young children is always a great choice- it can help the parents stay calm and allow us to get photos that feel less stressed or frenzied. 

The day of our session came and the weather was triple digits! Thank goodness Stephen was such a trooper- he had a lot of fun. We were able to capture a range from mommy and me shots of Erica and Stephen along with solos of Stephen both posed and caught in the moment. The locations at Hap Magee Park in Danville provided a beautiful backdrop for the photos.

We ended the session with the smash the cake portion; I always suggest we do this part last! The day prior, at his birthday party, they practiced what he would do during the smash the cake portion of our photo session. At the party, he picked off the fresh berries and couldn’t care less about the cake. Thankfully, during our session, he not only was all the blue berries but also dove into the cake, getting covered in frosting. He got the cake in his hair, ears, tummy, pants, on the grass- the cake was everywhere, but it made for a happy birthday boy and adorable photos!!