One whole year
of wonderful you.
Little hands. Big personality. A very special birthday.
One whole year of firsts. First smiles, first giggles, perhaps those wobbly first steps — and now it's time to celebrate the little person your baby is becoming.
Think beautiful birthday portraits, the people they love most, a delicious cake and the happiest little bubble bath afterwards. A little luxury, a lot of love, and all the gorgeous chaos in between.
A first birthday.
A whole lot of love.
How has an entire year gone by already? One minute you're bringing them home, and the next they're finding their feet, showing off their own little personality and stealing everyone's cake.
Your baby's first birthday is a milestone for you, too. You've loved them through every first, every sleepy night and every new little discovery. I want you in these memories as well — not always standing behind the camera.
And one day, when these photographs are passed down to their children and even their great-grandchildren, they'll see how much joy was wrapped up in this beautiful little chapter.
One whole year of firsts.
And this is only the beginning.
A little birthday story,
beautifully told.
I love creating a whole variety of photographs, from the cuddles before the cake to the bubbly toes afterwards. We'll plan what matters to you and follow your child's lead on the day.
Family portraits
If you would love a photograph of everyone together, we can begin with an optional family portrait while everything is lovely and clean.
Mum & Me
A few gorgeous cuddles with Mum, because you deserve to be in the photographs too.
Dad & Me
Those proud Dad cuddles, little hands and real smiles that mean so much.
Clean portraits
Beautiful, timeless birthday portraits of your little one before the cake makes its grand entrance.
The cake smash
The big event! From tentative first tastes to full cake-covered giggles, we follow their lead.
Bubble bath
A warm, bubbly finish with a few more lovely photographs of those splashes and happy little toes.
No pressure to do everything perfectly. The best photographs are the ones that feel like your little one.
Bring on
the lovely mess.
We'll plan a gorgeous setup together, with your chosen colour palette, a cake from a local cake artist and a balloon garland. It's thoughtful, personal and ready for those lovely little birthday faces.
Some babies go straight in with both hands. Others prefer one tiny fingerful at a time. I'll be there making silly noises, cheering them on and capturing every expression — even if the cake doesn't quite get the reaction we expected!
Then comes the warm bubble bath, a few more photographs, and the very best bit for you: You don't have to clean up the cake.
The sweetest little moments.
A few of my favourite little birthday stories. Swipe or scroll to see more — and imagine your own little one here.
A little cake on their cheeks.
A lifetime of memories.
For the photographs you'll still be smiling at years from now.
Not feeling the cake?
That's lovely too.
Not every first birthday needs a cake smash. Some families simply want timeless portraits of their little one, just as they are at this wonderful age.
Whether they're just learning to stand, crawling at full speed or showing off the biggest little grin, birthday portraits can be every bit as special. Tell me what you're imagining, and we'll create something beautiful around them.
Birthday collections.
Beautiful memories at every level, with a bespoke cake and decorations for cake smash sessions. If you aren't sure which collection is right, I'm always happy to help.
The Beginning
of You
A beautiful little snapshot of their first birthday.
- Up to 1 hour of studio time
- 5 photographs
- Locally made birthday cake
- Balloon garland
- Carefully planned birthday setup
The Beginning
of Magic
More time for cuddles, cake and their lovely expressions.
- Up to 3 hours of studio time
- 20 photographs
- Locally made birthday cake
- Balloon garland
- More time for your birthday story
The Beginning
of Love
For all the little details and every gorgeous expression.
- Up to 4 hours of studio time
- Full gallery — minimum 40 photographs
- All photographs in colour and black & white
- Locally made birthday cake
- Balloon garland
Cake and a balloon garland are included in the published cake smash collections. An additional take-home balloon is listed at £5. I'll confirm the exact setup, inclusions and timing with you before booking.
“When booking in Shannen worked with me to make sure everything was how I wished and was super responsive, helpful and informative.”
Let's get their birthday in the diary.
I recommend enquiring around six to eight weeks before their birthday, particularly if you have a special date or colour palette in mind. It's always worth messaging me, even if it's closer than that.
If you'd love the photographs ready for invitations or the birthday itself, let's plan your session date and gallery timing together before booking.
Tell me about your little one.
Send me their birthday, the kind of session you love and any dates you have in mind.
We'll plan the lovely details.
Colours, cake, outfits, family portraits and what matters most to you. I'll help you bring it together.
Come as you are.
Bring your little birthday star and leave the cake cleanup to me. We'll have a giggle and capture the story.
All your little
questions, answered.
First birthdays are exciting, and I know there can be a few questions along the way. Here are the ones I hear most often.
Visit my full FAQ page →When should we book our cake smash?
What if my little one doesn't want to smash the cake?
Can we include family, Mum & Me and Dad & Me photographs?
Is the cake and setup included?
What if my child has allergies?
What should we bring?
Could we have birthday portraits without cake?
This little chapter
deserves to be
remembered.
The cake-covered cheeks, those enormous little smiles, and the way they still fit perfectly in your arms. These photographs aren't only for today — they're part of the story you'll share for years to come.
I'd absolutely love to celebrate your little one with you. I'll be your photographer, biggest cheerleader and professional baby cuddler whenever a cuddle is needed!
Love, Shannen x