Another week down, and it’s almost EASTER. Anyone else finding it hard to believe that it’s almost April?! I’m loving seeing everyone’s Easter prep pics on Instagram of course, but my current obsession is this pink and gold first birthday party featuring cuteheads’ ‘Livie’ tulle party dress. There’s nothing sweeter than a pink and gold theme for a first birthday party; I myself did a pink and gold Twinkle Twinkle Little Star party when Naomi turned one. So I’m excited to feature this gorgeous pink & gold first birthday photoshoot to inspire your next photo sesh.

Outdoor Photography

First of all… That light! It’s incredible. I love the sun flares shining through the balloons. Erin Rene Photography managed to find and capture the perfect light for this little beauty’s big day. Shooting indoors can pose a lot of challenges; artificial light from lightbulbs makes pictures a weird color sometimes and lights from different angles can cast weird shadows. Try finding a spot you like outdoors for your next shoot.

I also love that they shot with the sun setting in the background. It’s not always possible to find the perfect time to schedule your shoot, with your and your photographer’s busy schedules in play, but shooting at a time where there’s still light but no direct, bright sunlight overhead will give you this gorgeous effect. If you can’t make that work, find a shadowed location that gives you plenty of indirect light.

Cake Smash

To smash or not to smash? That’s the big question when it comes to first birthday photoshoots. Some people love to do a full-on cake smash in their pictures. Some prefer no cake at all. Giving your child a cupcake instead of an entire cake to smash is a great in-between way to make your photos look celebratory without giving them enough cake and frosting to totally ruin his or her outfit. You may also choose to do your photos AFTER the party and stage a second cake smash in your photos so that your little one’s first time eating cake is at the actual party in front of family and friends.

The Perfect Outfit

And of course, the outfit… What would a first birthday photoshoot be without the perfect outfit? We’ve made many of these ‘Livie’ Dresses for special birthday girls, and it never gets old seeing how moms and their birthday girls love it. It’s one of my all-time favorites. In fact, my daughter wore it as a flower girl in my brother’s wedding. It really is the perfect occasion dress for a mom who loves to #shopsmall. And speaking of shopping small, how cute is it paired with Little Blue Olive‘s birthday hat? Because this dress is a custom piece, email info@cuteheads.com for pricing and to order.

Have any tips for creating the perfect first birthday photoshoot? What did you do for your little one’s birthday pics?