We had such a blast making this Vietnamese first birthday photography session in Los Angeles happen! A baby turning one is a big deal in the Vietnamese culture and is celebrated with an event called Thoi Noi. We had so far only created sets reflecting Korean traditions, but when newly one year old Celine’s parents approached us to create something to reflect their Vietnamese culture, we were honored and thrilled to accommodate!

Mom had their matching traditional gowns, called “ao dai,” custom-made in Vietnam. The beautiful hand-embroidered designs inspired the custom set that we created just for them—using bright pinks and florals in our props and decor. 

This being a custom set, we worked closely with the parents to also incorporate elements that reflected Celine’s personality. We learned from her parents that she is a bona fide fruit lover, so we added in fruit motifs wherever we could! Check out the amazing hand-drawn fruits on her traditional rice cakes, and the fruit-inspired assortment of sweets for her dessert spread.

As if fruit-themed desserts weren’t enough temptation for our little fruit lover, we couldn’t let a first birthday go by without a fun cake smash! She was actually a little apprehensive at first when it came to the cake, but after a bit of cautious exploration, dove right in, foot and all!

Similar to the doljabi tradition at Korean first birthdays, Vietnamese families also have their babies choose from an assortment of objects that hint at their future prospects. Celine picked up the abacus first, which represents an occupation related to math (e.g., finance, accounting, etc.) and then chose the stethoscope, which of course alludes to an occupation in the field of medicine. Needless to say, her parents were thrilled with her choices!

This was such a fun shoot, and we were so proud that, in collaboration with Celine’s parents, we were able to produce a set that truly reflected both their culture and their daughter’s personality. We are so in love with this set that we will be offering it as an option for other shoots, with customizations made to fit your family of course! If you’re looking for Vietnamese first birthday photography in Los Angeles or you have any questions at all about creating a birthday celebration photoshoot for your baby, don’t hesitate to contact us!