Celebrating your baby’s first birthday is such a special milestone, and Elijah’s one year session was the perfect way to mark the occasion. As a Cleveland baby photographer, I love creating sessions that feel personal and meaningful—and this one was full of both joy and color.

To begin, we started with a few family portraits. These moments are always so important because they capture the connection and love you’ve built over that very first year. Elijah was so content in his parents’ arms, and together we created timeless images they’ll cherish for years to come.

After that, we transitioned into Elijah’s cake smash session, which his mom had thoughtfully planned with a fun and playful color palette. To bring her vision to life, I designed a custom balloon garland in coordinating tones, adding a bright and festive touch to the setup. The colors truly made the entire scene pop while still keeping the focus right where it belongs—on Elijah.

Of course, his outfit couldn’t have been more perfect. He wore an adorable romper with his name across the front, which added such a personal detail to the session. Not only did it photograph beautifully, but it also made the session feel uniquely his.

However, the real star of the session was Elijah himself. He has the most beautiful, big blue eyes, and from the very beginning, I knew we wanted to highlight them in his portraits. Because of that, I kept certain elements of the setup simple and clean, allowing his expressions and those stunning eyes to take center stage.

As the session continued, Elijah fully embraced the cake smash experience. Like many one-year-olds, he started a bit curious and cautious. Then, as he warmed up, his personality truly came out—resulting in the sweetest smiles, giggles, and messy little hands. These are the moments that make cake smash sessions so memorable.

In the end, this session was the perfect combination of heartfelt family images and a fun, celebratory cake smash. It beautifully documented such an important milestone in Elijah’s life.

Custom balloon garland for Elijah’s cake smash in the Cleveland studio.

Sweet family moments during Elijah’s first birthday cake smash session in Cleveland.

Highlighting Elijah’s beautiful eyes during his Cleveland baby photography session.

Elijah’s adorable first reaction as he explored his birthday cake.

Elijah in his bath splash clean up after his cake smash.

Are you ready to book your Cake Smash Photography Session?

I am a Cleveland-based photographer specializing in baby and milestone photography, serving Cleveland and surrounding Northeast Ohio communities.

You can view more cake smash sessions in the portfolio here.

I would love to learn more about your family and create a custom cake smash experience just for your little one. It all begins with a little conversation.

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