Some of my favorite images aren’t from client sessions at all. They’re from the days I get to be family first, camera second. This post picks up where Part 1 left off: after the baptism wrapped, everyone carried the celebration home for a bug themed first birthday party, and I couldn’t put the camera down. My family and these babies mean everything to me.
A Bug Themed First Birthday, Down to the Detail
The theme ran through everything. My sister in law is an artist and handmade so many of the special things in the party. There was a hand-painted “Our Little June Bug” banner. My favorite were the baby photos tucked into party hats, plus amber resin bugs scattered across the tablescape. A plush worm with googly eyes stood in as décor, and the little cousins wore butterfly wings. This is exactly the kind of specificity I look for as a Chicago first birthday photographer. It’s the small choices a family makes that turn a party into something that feels like them, no matter what city it’s in.
Family Moments Behind This Bug Themed First Birthday
Every bug themed first birthday needs its centerpiece moment. The hand-sewn “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” banner and sage-and-mustard balloon garland did a lot of the visual heavy lifting. This party was so full of laughter and chaos. Kids playing in the bouncy water rental and the aguas frescas made by Abu. There was no shortage of delicious food. and the Piñata was my favorite moment to capture, with beautiful light and lots of emotional moments.
A backyard full of folding chairs, coolers, and running kids tells just as much of the story as the cake smash. So if you’re planning your own bug or nature-themed party, details like these amber specimens and plush toys go a long way toward tying a space together without feeling overdone.
Honesty over poses isn’t just my tagline for weddings and newborns. It’s exactly what made this bug themed first birthday worth documenting the way I did unposed, a little chaotic, and completely real.
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