A First Birthday Party Only Happens Once: Hire a Photographer
It doesn’t seem like they could really be that big yet, does it? Your baby is turning one!
It’s time to break out the tissues! Your cute little baby has passed through one of the most exciting 12- month periods of their lives. Your little cutie will continue to grow and develop new cute little actions, phrases, and charm but in the meantime we want to celebrate all that is the transition from months to years.
Now that you already know you’re going to be celebrating this milestone in. big way, it’s just a matter of making sure you capture all the happy memories ( and some sad faces too) to look back on forever.
Here are 5 tips to making sure you enjoy your child’s first birthday party while still capturing all the special moments without worry.
In reality, you can’t do everything
The best way to make sure a moment isn’t missed is to hire a photographer that can capture all the special moments while you get to be apart of those moments. Plus in the long run don’t you want to enjoy the party not run around stressing and trying to get all the shots while also maintaining guests? I sure would! Hosting a friend for dinner stresses me out enough without adding all the extended family who want to be at the party into the mix as well. Have your photographer booked in advance and make sure you cover the shot list for key guests, cake smashing, and more before the day of. Then all you have to do is sit back and relax for the party while the photographer guides you through all the magical moments.
Your Photographer Can Double As Your Event Coordinator
Think back to the magic of your wedding day when you had an event planner, coordinator, venue contact, photographer, DJ, and a team of their top tier staff helping guide you through the day. You didn’t have to think about where you needed to be when, they just picked you up on time and told you where to stand. It was easy as pie! (minus the stressed out soon to be mother in law, am I right?) Let your photographer guide you through the 1st birthday party experience by sharing with them your plans for the festivities of the party. They can then use that as a guide to have you where you need to be at the right times and you can stop fretting about the time.
When Possible Book Extra Time
I often get the request to do only 30 minutes of a birthday party coverage and ultimately, 30 minutes is not enough. Someone runs late, your kiddo takes the two hour nap you always dreamed they would and misses the first 15 minutes of the photographer’s time, etc. Something always without fail, causes the photographer to go overtime and most photographers charge a more expensive overtime fee if you run late the day of the session. Don’t short change your time, book the full hour or if you want my recommendation, book a full two hours of time. There will be no rush, no moment forgotten, and your child has plenty of time to warm up to the photographer and give them their best giggles.
Take The Time Before Guests Arrive To Take Family Portraits
Set aside 15-30 minutes before your guests arrive to sneak in a family mini session. This ensures there is no cake, dirt, boogies, messy hair or any other party mishap present in the photos. You all look your best and there is no one to overwhelm or distract you while you knock out a few cuddly shots just the fam.
Have Props
Things like balloons, bubbles, party hats, and some of their favorite things to interact with gives your child the most opportunities to be candidly cute. Playing with friends and family using these toys and props lends to beautiful unstated moments. It also makes them feel comfortable so that you can avoid photographs where they look scared or uneasy.
