Yes, I did dog cake smash photos in honor of my puppy’s first birthday. When I told Zach that I wanted to do this, he shook his head at me but wasn’t surprised. Hattie has brought so much joy to our lives this last year that I thought she deserved her own session.
The last year has been crazy, but I’m so glad it included a puppy.
After commuting from Renssealer, Indiana to Lafayette, Indiana for work for a year, I was dying to purchase a home in Lafayette. Knowing that we wanted to make the move, Zach found a job in Lafayette and started commuting the hour as well. We spent months looking at houses, and with the help of Deno Realty Group—whom we highly recommend—we found the perfect home.
Our offer was accepted, but it was going to be a couple months before the house was officially ours. In the meantime, friends who attended Tri-County Bible Church with us told us that their Golden Retriever had just given birth to Goldendoodles.
Zach said, “We’re going to have a house soon. We should probably get a dog.”
If I’m honest, I’ve never been much of a dog person. We set up an appointment to see the puppies, but I didn’t really didn’t foresee giving into Zach’s wish.
That changed.
We walked in to see eight tiny puppies huddled together. There was one hysterical puppy (who I think may have been Mackey) who kept trying to wake his brothers and sisters up by sitting on their heads, but with that exception, they were just sweet and snuggly. Ron and Pam Tillet (our friends with the puppies) graciously let us stay longer than was probably polite.
When we left, I was thinking of puppy names and imagining all of the sweet puppy photos I was going to take, but Zach said, “You know. I’m not sure we’re ready for a dog.”
My heart sank, but after a few days of comments like “You know what would make our new house feel like a home? A dog.” and “All I want for our anniversary is a puppy,” Zach gave in.
We were one of the last families to commit to a puppy, and we really wanted a girl. Luckily, Hattie became ours!
March 2016 was a crazy month for us. We already had a vacation planned with friends, so in two-weeks time, we spent a week in Florida, finished packing our apartment, went to work, bought a house, moved in the middle of the night, and brought our puppy home. Actually, we picked Hattie up super early in the morning because I had a morning session. It was a crazy two weeks!
Dogs make life more fun.
Zach and I have fun together, but Hattie makes life more interesting. She’s always happy to cuddle, go for rides, walk around Columbian Park, watch The Office with us, and be part of group hugs (Zach and I can’t hug without her interfering). She’s great with kids, gives high fives, and is pretty used to having photos taken. Actually, she’s pretty much my model anytime I want to try something new.
To see more photos of Hattie, check out #TheAdventuresOfHattieRayburn on Instagram!
Yes, Hattie had a dog cake smash photos taken for her first birthday.
After photographing a friend’s daughter’s one-year session, I decided Hattie needed her photos taken for her first birthday, which is January 22. I knew this would officially put me at crazy-dog-lady status, but luckily, Kelli—one of my best friends—is a dog mom to Hattie’s brother Mackey.
I texted Kelli about my idea and asked if she would want to have photos of Mackey taken too. She responded with, “YES! I was actually hoping you would mention it!!!” So, Kelli, Zach, Wes (Kelli’s boyfriend), and I celebrated our puppies turning one with a dog cake smash session and pizza. Check out Mackey’s photos here!
Hattie was a great sport for her photos, which we took at Second Level Studios. She was happy to sit for treats and lick her birthday cake that I picked up from Simon and Halle’s.
While I’m normally a family photographer, taking photos of dogs was a lot of fun, and I’d definitely do it again. If you’re looking for a Lafayette, Indiana dog photographer, please contact me!
While I’m writing this blog about our puppy, she’s sitting at my feet, which is her typical spot when I edit photos or blog sessions. I can’t believe our puppy is one, but I’m so glad we celebrated with dog cake smash photos. You can bet that I’ll be ordering canvases, possibly several, for our house (Sorry, Zach). After marrying my husband, I can honestly say adopting Hattie is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Luminant Photography is a Lafayette, Indiana family photographer, newborn photographer, maternity photographer, senior photographer, and engagement photographer. Contact Luminant Photography with questions or to book a session!