New Jersey Cake Smash Photographer

Happy birthday, little one!

Your baby is turning into a toddler right before your eyes, and believe me, you don’t want to miss capturing this adorable stage and all the exciting milestones that come with it. There are so many great ways to celebrate baby’s first birthday, but one of my personal favorites is with a cake smash session. Fully customized, oodles of fun, and absolutely scrumptious! Let’s get this party started!

“5 stars is simply not enough! Jennifer went above and beyond for our cake smash photo session! She made sure my daughter was comfortable in the environment and interacted with her the entire time! The set design was so detailed and specific to what I requested, and it exceeded any expectations that I had. The dress provided by Jennifer was also the most adorable design and a perfect fit for our theme! I highly recommended Jennifer Parrello Photography for any & all of your family photo shoots!! You will not be disappointed!!”
— Amanda C.

All Cake Smash Sessions Include:

Up to a 1 hour session

Custom designed set

Outfit from my client closet

End of session splash

Private online gallery to make your selections

Digital files

*Note: Due to allergy concerns, cake is not included. Your baby’s safety always comes first! If you need a bakery recommendation, just ask!

All Non-Cake-Smash Milestone Sessions Include:

Up to a 1 hour session

Use of studio props and accessories

Private online gallery to make your selections

Digital files

I am an all-inclusive cake smash photographer, which means that a certain number of digital images are included in the price of your session. No need to purchase digital files separately! This gives you the greatest flexibility for using these images in whatever way you like, such as birthday announcements or social media. If you’d like prints or other artwork these are available through my store (you’ll receive a link with your finished gallery) or you can send your digital files to your own choice of photo lab for printing.

Cake Smash and First Birthday FAQs

  • I recommend that you book your session 4-5 months before your child’s first birthday. My cake smash calendar fills up FAST! I also create all of my custom sets from scratch, so this gives me time to create your themed setup and make sure everything is perfect for the big day!

  • My recommendation is to hold the session 4-6 months before your child’s first birthday. That way you can have your pictures in time to order invites for the party, pictures to display as décor, etc.

  • All cake smash sessions take place in my kid-friendly portrait studio located in downtown West Milford, New Jersey. I’ll have everything set up when you get there, and trust me, you’re going to love it!

  • Before your session I’ll send you a guide with tips and tricks to make the celebration a success! If you want a sneak peek in advance, check out this blog post for some ideas.

  • Due to allergy concerns, I do not provide the cake for smash sessions. However, if you need recommendations for a bakery, just ask! In addition to the cake, I also ask parents to bring some small, non-messy snacks for baby to munch on. That way, even if your kiddo doesn’t take a single bite of cake, we can make it look like they were all over it!

  • Custom cake smashes are my specialty! We’ll chat about what theme you’d like, and from there I’ll order an outfit for baby and create an amazing setup that’s 100% YOU-nique!

  • Yes! Milestone and/or family portraits are always available as an add-on, and are even included as part of the package in some of my collections.

  • Yes! I love to do things with a splash, so all of my cake smash sessions do include tub-time photos at the end.

  • No problem! We can absolutely do a milestone or birthday session with traditional portraits only or with a fun theme that doesn’t involve cake. Check out this blog post for a few ideas.

  • I want you to have your finished images as soon as possible, which means that the minute your session ends, I’m at my computer! You’ll receive your proof gallery by the day after your session. Once you’ve chosen your favorites, I’ll dive right into the editing process. While the contract says to allow 2 weeks, this is really just in case of an emergency on my end. Usually, you’ll be oohing and aahing over your finished images within 48 hours of your selection.