One of my favorite parts of photographing families over the years is getting to watch younger siblings grow into the milestones I once documented for their older brothers and sisters. This Groton MA family photo session was especially meaningful because I first photographed Big Sister S during her sitter milestone session and followed that with her first year photos. More recently, I photographed Baby Sister S for her newborn session, and then somehow, we were already celebrating her first birthday.

While this session included a colorful mermaid cake smash for Baby Sister S, her parents also made family and sibling portraits a priority. I always encourage families to think of milestone sessions this way. A first birthday session is not only about the cake smash itself. It is also an opportunity to update family photos, capture sibling relationships, and document this season of life while everyone is growing and changing so quickly.

For families coming from Groton, MA and surrounding areas, my Andover studio is designed to make sessions like this feel relaxed, efficient, and easy for parents with young children. I have been a cake smash and family photographer in and around Andover for over 17 years, so I have plenty of experience with all of it.

Family Photos During a First Birthday Session

One of the biggest misconceptions about cake smash sessions is that they only focus on the birthday baby. In reality, milestone sessions often work beautifully as full family portrait sessions too. This family wanted updated portraits together before moving into sibling and individual images, which created a gallery that felt complete and personal. We captured classic family photos, playful sibling moments with all three children together, and individual portraits of Big Sister S and Big Brother D before transitioning into the birthday portion of the session.

The result was a gallery that documented far more than a first birthday. It captured the dynamic of this family exactly as they are right now. For parents planning a milestone session, this is something I always recommend considering. Babies change quickly during the first year, but siblings do too. Including everyone in the session gives families a much more meaningful collection of images to look back on later.

Individual Portraits for Siblings

I loved that this session included time dedicated to each child individually. Big Brother D had a mix of classic portraits and more relaxed close up images that highlighted his personality. Big Sister S, who I have photographed since she was little herself, was absolutely comfortable in front of the camera by this point and gave us such sweet expressions throughout her portraits.

These quieter moments are often some of the images parents end up loving most over time. They freeze the little details that are easy to forget as children grow older.

A Mermaid Cake Smash in Shades of Pink, Purple, and Teal

For Baby Sister S’s cake smash setup, we went with a mermaid-inspired theme using soft ocean colors throughout the set design.

The backdrop featured blended watercolor tones in teal, lavender, blue, and pink, paired with hanging streamers designed to resemble jellyfish drifting underwater. Oversized tissue paper flowers added texture and helped create a coral inspired look without overwhelming the scene. Her mermaid cake tied everything together beautifully in coordinating pastel shades.

I tend to approach themed cake smash sessions with a softer, more timeless style rather than heavily character based setups. The goal is to create something playful for a first birthday while still photographing beautifully within a clean, polished gallery.

Baby Sister S absolutely loved the cake portion of her session, which always makes for some of the best expressions and reactions.

From Newborn Photos to First Birthday Memories

One of the most rewarding parts of this session was seeing how much Baby Sister S had changed since her newborn session. Parents often tell me how quickly that first year feels, and milestone sessions really do help preserve those stages in a tangible way. If you would like to see how much she has grown since those early newborn days, you can view her newborn session as well.

Families who choose milestone photography throughout the first year often end up with a full story of their baby’s growth, from curled up newborn portraits to sitting milestones to first birthday celebrations surrounded by family.

Planning a Family Photo Session in Andover MA

Although this family came from Groton, MA, sessions like this take place in my Andover MA photography studio, which is designed specifically for babies, young children, and families.

Having the entire session in studio makes it easier to transition between family photos, sibling portraits, individual milestone images, and cake smash setups without the stress of weather or travel between locations. It also allows parents to leave with a gallery that feels cohesive from beginning to end.

Whether you are planning a first birthday cake smash, updating annual family photos, or documenting multiple children together, combining everything into one session often creates the most meaningful final gallery.

If you are planning a first birthday session, cake smash, or updated family photo session for your growing family, I would love to help create a gallery that feels natural, timeless, and true to this season of life. Reach out now to book. Follow along on Instagram for all the behind the scenes fun and news. And find all the inspiration on Pinterest.