Honolulu Zoo Birthday Party | Turning One

First Birthday Celebration

Is there anything better than a first birthday celebration? I highly recommend a big blowout affair when your baby turns one. Not for the baby so much as for the parents. One-year-olds are terribly easy to please after all and they are renowned for poor memory retention. No, you need to celebrate the fact that you managed to keep this little creature happy and healthy for a full year. No easy feat, especially if it’s your first child. Take a break and prepare for what comes next.

A Honolulu Zoo Birthday Party

The Honolulu Zoo has always been a favorite spot for my kids, especially when they were little. We would stroll along the peaceful paths checking to see what our animal friends were up to.  When we tired of strolling, we visited the playground and picnicked under the flowering monkeypod trees. For the same reasons, the zoo is a great sport for a first birthday party. Guests receive parking, zoo access, a private party room adjacent to the Keiki Zoo, and a docent-led tour.

I was honored that Lisa asked me to photograph this special day for baby Noah. Extra special because her family flew out from California to celebrate with them at the Honolulu Zoo. We were even able to squeeze in a few family portraits before guests arrived. The kids were all 2 and under which made it one of the cutest birthday parties I’ve ever attended.

Our zoo tour included a close encounter with sheep at the Keiki Zoo. One agitated sheep bleated so loudly and incessantly that it caused some of the kids to break out in tears. They would flux between excited and tearful with each new bleat.

Noah taking some first steps at his first birthday party!

Zhuazhou is one of the most important traditional customs on a child’s first birthday anniversary in China. It is a ceremony that parents place an assortment of articles in front of their child, and the child is to choose from the articles. What the child has chosen is said to determine his or her future inclination and capabilities. Noah went for the stethoscope without hesitation. I don’t think he was even in his chair yet before he grabbed it.

There was some “encouragement” from the sidelines.

and there was cake to be smashed … or not. Noah gingerly prodded it with his fingers before feeding it to his cousin.

Do You Have a Special Birthday Coming Up?

I offer birthday collections that include a special birthday video, photos, or a combination. You put all the work into party planning. Now is the time to relax, enjoy yourselves, and let me capture your day together. Contact me today for more details.