August 16, 2024
10 Creative Cake Smash Alternatives
- cake smash ·
- Milestone ·
- Children
Chattanooga Children's Photographer
Milestone Session Information
Why choose a Children's Photographer for your milestone session?
You want someone who specializes in taking photos of children! It is the same reason we take our children to pediatricians and pediatric dentists and special hair salons for children. You want the environment and experience to be geared toward children so that your child is comfortable and you know they will be well taken care of. As a Chattanooga Children's Photographer and a mom myself, I love children and I love to be around them and make them laugh. Photographing children takes special patience, high energy, and a good-sized collection of cheezy jokes and silly sounds and faces.
You don't have to worry about your kids being perfect or smiling on command because I use games, jokes, and fun questions to get your child laughing and show their true personalities. We keep things light and flexible so that if something isn't working, we can pivot and keep things moving so that little ones don't get bored.
Chattanooga Children's Photographer Portfolio
A small collection of some of my favorite children's milestone images.
What is a milestone session?
Some of the typical and more traditional milestone sessions are the ones that happen in your baby’s first year. Babies change so quickly that you could do a milestone session every month of that first year to document each and every new skill and change. Cell phone photos on the milestone blanket are cute and fun to share with friends on social media but planning professional photos to document these milestones is important too! Many moms plan to schedule milestone photos at 3mo, 6mo, and 9mo, and yearly on birthdays or other special occasions.
Other milestones outside of the first year include: the first day of school, class graduations, first lost tooth, sports/dance/music related, braces on, braces off, yearly birthday photos, and more! The list of milestones is quite possibly endless!
Christian Michelle PHotography is featured in
Client Testimonials
Katie Cordell
“Wow! That is the best way to describe my experience with Christian! She was so patient and kind during our sessions. It’s always difficult to get my one and two-year-olds to cooperate when taking photos, but she made sure we were able to capture the sweetest photos and memories of our girls. I cannot recommend her enough!!”
How a milestone session works.
At each milestone session, we will highlight everything happening developmentally at that stage (sitting, standing, walking, new teeth, etc.) and of course capture all the cute expressions and wonder of a little human exploring his or her world. I offer milestone sessions both in my home studio as well as outdoors. We will discuss which option works best for you and I will prepare for your session by getting out little chairs, baskets, stools, and crates from my collection that are the perfect size for your little one to accent whichever milestone we are celebrating! These sessions are generally short and sweet but can accommodate an outfit change or include some family photos as well.
Sometimes milestone sessions are themed (typically cake smashes) and other times they are simple on a plain backdrop or with a few props outside. I’m happy to design the perfect milestone session for you and I’m full of ideas! Does your child have a favorite book or stuffed animal? These items can be great to include in a milestone session a fun way to remember what your child was interested in at each stage of life. We can also incorporate colors and themes from the nursery - which is great if you plan to decorate with printed photos from your session.
What does it cost?
The milestone session fee starts at $250 and image collections start at $750. Your image collection is selected after you see your fully edited photos in an online gallery. My clients plan to spend a minimum of $1000+ on their photo session after the final images are selected.
“Christian did such a good job with our photos! She knew exactly what to do so our baby would smile.”
Looking for a cake smash session?
The 1st birthday cake smash is a popular milestone session and I’ve seen cake smashes for the 2nd and 3rd birthdays becoming more popular as well! Honestly, if you ask me, anytime is a great time to smash cake and take photos. That's why I've dedicated a whole section of my website to cake smash sessions!
Keep reading on the blog!
Milestone Session FAQ
When should we schedule milestone photos?
The further ahead the better! Because it’s a milestone, you generally know when to expect it. Also, if you want the photos ready by a certain date, let me know so that we can schedule your session 3-4 weeks beforehand to ensure your photos are ready when you need them!
Do milestone sessions include siblings or family?
Generally, no. However, if you would like to include a family photo or sibling photos as part of the milestone, let me know and we can plan to include whatever you need!
What if my child won't cooperate?
No worries! We all have bad days sometimes. I'm a mom to a 3-year-old and I have tricks to get kids’ attention and trust and will do everything I can to make your child comfortable and smile. I’m very patient with kids and we will be able to take the time we need to work through any issues. If you have specific concerns about your child, please feel free to let me know ahead of time and we can discuss all the options.
Do themed milestone sessions cost more?
It depends on the theme! If it is something simple, then no. If you want something more elaborate, I’m more than willing to create a custom scene or purchase a backdrop. We will discuss your style and what you like during the planning call and I will provide a custom quote if necessary.
How many outfits can I bring?
More outfits mean more photos to choose from in your gallery. If you are only planning to purchase a few photos, then you will want to keep it to one outfit but if you know you will want lots of photos, then you’re welcome to bring 2-3 outfits. In my experience, the child gets bored or overstimulated if we try to do more than that. If you have questions about which outfits to choose, I’m happy to help!
I still have questions.
No worries! Message me your question and I’ll get right back to you.
Let's Connect!
Our entire lives are made up of many milestones! The older I get, the more important I believe these milestones are because they give us a moment to look back on afterward and remember more clearly. Would you like a free consultation to discuss a milestone photo session?
Message me now to get started!
