What is a Cake Smash Session?

Well, it is a milestone photoshoot that typically occurs when the child turns one year old where they are presented with a cake to eat or smash or both or none in some cases, if we’re being honest. Cake smash sessions are a fun way to celebrate the milestone of your little baby turning one. Babies at the age of one are bursting with curiosity and exploration. Most things they encounter on a daily basis are new to them. New toys to play with, new food to eat, new environments to explore, new people to meet. This session is a great way to capture that curiosity along with the expression that comes along with it. The cake itself is often new to babies at this age which lends itself to the perfect set up to capture that curiosity, exploration and delight (or disgust). 

 All of my sessions are child led. By that I mean that we will go at your kiddos pace. Cake smash sessions are about capturing personality and letting your child do that through play. Now that you have a better understanding of what a cake smash session actually is, let’s take a  look into the details. 

When you book a cake smash session with me the first thing that will do is to discuss your vision for the shoot. Do you have a theme in mind? Do you have inspiration pictures saved on Pinterest? Are there certain shots you absolutely want to try to get? We will discuss all of these questions and more. This will ensure we are both on the same page for the day of the cake smash session.

After we have landed on the theme and I have a full understanding of your vision. I will put together the rest. My studio is stocked with props that I will use to make your vision come to life. If there are specific props that you want to bring, please do! I will have the backdrop set up when you arrive and we can make any adjustments with any additional props or accessories you bring along.  

Trying to decide what your little one will wear for a cake smash session can be challenging. My studio wardrobe is at your complete disposal. Any outfit that I have that will match what you've chosen as a theme, you are welcome to select for your child’s session. You are encouraged to bring your own outfit and use the wardrobe as back up. I will always discuss outfit options with you. Since this is a cake smash session and it often gets messy, some parents opt for the diaper only look or diaper plus accessories. Tutu for girls or suspenders for boys ect.

I will provide the cake for your child cake smash session. 

I have a favorite bakery that I use for all of the gourmet cakes for my sessions. My baker is very busy so sessions need to be booked at least two weeks in advance Ito ensure we can get a cake in time. On the initial consultation that I mentioned before we will also discuss whether your child has any specific allergies. That way we can ensure that your child is safe. Note photographer is not responsible for any allergies. We recommend that you have your child practice with a cupcake before their session to not only prepare them but also to see if they have any allergies to baked goods.    

What if we don't want cake? 

If you decide you really don't want cake there are a few other options. We could do a fruit cake. A cake made completely from fruit. Kids love fruit so this is an amazing option. We could do a pizza or spaghetti smash. What kid doesn't love diving into a giant bowl of spaghetti. Another popular option is donuts with my do-nut grow up smash. As always I am open to any and all requests just reach out and let me know what you thinking. 

 Practice makes perfect 

-If you have not yet introduced your child to sweets or cake, try to do this a couple times before the cake smash. Give them a small messy cupcake and let them "practice"! This works wonders for the photoshoot as they tend to be a little more enthusiastic about getting their hands dirty and covered in icing :)  With these cake smash sessions its not necessary for your little to eat the whole cake. In fact I try to avoid that. We mostly want them to play with the cake, taking bites here and there.  

After the cake smash portion of the session is complete your child will possibly be a mess. To help with cleanup, the next part of the session will include a bath. I have a little tub that we will put your child in to get them cleaned up and grab some more great personality photos while they get their bath. We can make this a simple bubble bath or we can do a milk  bath and add some flowers or fruit to make it a little extra special. Please just let me know what your prefer.

 Naps or bedtime should always be top-of-mind when scheduling a cake smash session. The idea of these sessions is to capture your child's personality so we want to make sure that they are well rested. If your child is on a schedule and naps every day at a certain time of day, Please let me know and I will work around that schedule. If your child is not on a schedule but tends to be the happiest during certain portions of the day, let’s be sure to schedule the session during that time.  Some children do better in the morning after breakfast and some kids do better in the afternoon after nap. You know best so just be sure to keep that in mind when booking.

If you are worried that your child may be shy about digging right into the cake, have your baby’s favorite snack on hand. Puffs, Cheerios, yogurt bites, crackers, etc. whatever is their “always makes them happy” snack, bring those along. We can hide those little snacks in the icing or part of the cake to encourage them to really dig into that cake. Also be sure to bring a sippy cup or bottle with water. The baby will need this. 

We want this to remember this experience as fun and stress free as possible. There are a couple things to keep in mind. 

If your baby is teething consider giving them Tylenol 30 minutes prior to your session. No one wants to participate in eating with a sore mouth. Also please consider not scheduling immunizations three days prior to your session day. Baby could possibly not be happy camper the few days following shots. These are just some things to consider if we want to give the baby the best experience, and in doing so ensure we capture some amazing memories!