Messy and Marvelous!


Cake smash sessions are truly a wonderful thing creation. There's nothing better then setting your soon to be one year old in front of a cake and letting them go ham on it. They make for some of the absolute cutest pictures, just letting them be messy and silly. Though, I've come to realize some parents aren't exactly sure what this so called cake smash even is... so let me explain why you absolutely need to do one.


1 | It's Babies Time to Shine!

Some babies love the attention. They love all the eyes on them, and some absolutely ham it up! Keyword; some. Some babies don't quite understand what's going on, and may be a little more shy or cautious of the photographer being a stranger. Fear not, as a photographer I have my tricks to get them to warm up to me in their spotlight.


2 | Dig In!

This may sound crazy, but all babies like cake. Whether it is the taste or the feeling, each baby is different, and food is still so new to them. Sometimes babies are ready to dive right into that confectionary goodness, in that case, we let them take the lead. If your baby would rather do anything else then touch the weird food in front of them, that's okay too. We can still do some really adorable shots of baby in front of the cake, and I can work those angles. What we will avoid, is forcing baby to touch the cake. Often times, we don't like to encourage 'it's my party I'll cry if I want to' and in fact we steer pretty clear of causing tears. Forcing baby to do anything is almost always a recipe for disaster.


Pro tip: Introduce your baby to cake at home in a sort of artificial cake smash way. Let them explore the texture with their hands, try the cake, etc. It helps them get used to the sweetness and decide beforehand if they actually like it or not. If they don't? This way we can think of something else.


3 | Cake Selections

I have my clients bring the cake, as well as the same for most photographers. One, it's for health and safety reasons in case baby has an allergy I'm unware of, and two it allows for parents to get the ideal cake for the session. It also allows for clients to chose how much they want to spend on their cake smash cake, or even make their own cake. Speaking of specifically the cake, there are some rules that I desperately suggest you follow;



  • Avoid chocolate and red frosting -> This tends to look a little... scary with these specific colors if you know what I mean.
  • Pastels/no dyes in the frosting is ideal -> Dyes can stain babies skin, and can be distracting
  • Avoid fondant/decorations on the cake -> They look pretty messy amongst the cake smash... and fondant tastes weird
  • Avoid from overly sweet frosting -> Again, can be too much for baby sensory wise
  • Make sure to let your cake sit out of the fridge before your session -> Baby will not want cold hands, and the frosting will be softer this way


4 | Outfits and Props

I provide all props and outfits for the newborn and milestone sessions, and a cake smash is a milestone session! I have a small wardrobe available that fits babies 6-18 month in size for milestone sessions. If you want to bring your own outfits, bring a few options and let me know beforehand. Try them on prior to the shoot to make sure they fit properly, and be sire they're either washable or you're fine with them being ruined. For boys, I love putting them in a pair of adorable suspenders! For girls, I love the look of sweet little rompers.


As far as props, I have a great selection available! If there are any special requests, I do require this information to be given well in advance of the session in order to prepare for the general aesthetic wanted. I do allow small outside keepsakes if you want something special incorporated into the session but it needs to be limited in size, and safe to use!


5 | Now it's Time for the Tub!

Here's a big bonus of my cake smash sessions in particular; it comes with a bath! You also will receive five bubble bath time pictures of the after cake cleanup. I know, name a better deal!


Keep in mind, I do my best to just go with the flow during these sessions. I don't want to make baby frustrated or angry, it's all about having fun and celebrating their first birthday! I have so many cool toys and silly methods to make sure they have a smashing good time.


Click here to see the breakdown of my milestone photography packages to learn more. As always, please reach out if you have any questions!