WHAT IS A CAKE SMASH SESSION?

Well, it's just as it sounds, there's a cake, there's a baby, and inevitably... there's a smash. In my opinion, it's the BEST way for a baby to celebrate their milestone first birthday! The cake smash provides so much fun and entertainment for everyone involved, and there's no better way to capture your baby's true personality on camera!

WHAT TO EXPECT:

We have 3 main photo-op goals during this session: The "clean" portrait, The Cake Smash and The Splash Bath.

The backdrop will be set and styled when you arrive to the session, so we will first start out with clean portraits of baby. This can be in a different, more formal outfit than what you plan to use for the cake smash. Once we get those shots, you can change baby's outfit if you choose and we will bring on the mess!

I'll try my best to get a shot of baby with the cake before they go for it, but this is not guaranteed depending how excited they get! When the cake is first brought out we'll sit back and watch their little mind work to see how they feel about the cake, if they care at all. We may end up having to coax baby a little with puffs or other small treats to get them to go after it. Or, mom and/or dad, this is when it's your turn to get messy and show them what to do! Keep in mind, there's plenty of time to get the shots we need during this 1 hour session, so there's no need to rush baby. We try to make it as fun and relaxing as possible for them, and entertaining for us! :) Don’t get discouraged if we’re not getting the reaction you hoped for… we’re absolutely still going to get beautiful images that capture this huge milestone and show your baby’s personality.

Once I've captured enough messy shots and baby seems to have had enough, we'll bring out the splash bath! I love adding the bath at the end because it's typically very fun for baby to splash around in bubbles, it gets them clean easiest, and it's an adorable photo-op! I will have tear-free & hypoallergenic Johnson's bubble bath to add to the water, but feel free to bring your own soaps if you prefer something different for baby! We can also get fun and creative with a milk bath here, add some seasonal fruit, pumpkins, etc.

THE SET:

We can style the cake smash set to match your baby’s birthday party theme or you can choose any color scheme/theme you’d like. Booking 2-3 months in advance will give me time to plan your theme and order any necessary items for your set. We'll discuss any vision or inspiration you have for the session upon booking.

THE CAKE:

You have the option to bring your own cake to the session, or if you want a professionally designed smash cake I work with an amazing bakery (Sapienza Sweets). The charge is $50 for a 6 inch round, with many flavor and design options. If you choose to go this route I will add the cake price in my invoice and work with them directly, so you can just send me your design ideas and the cake will be ready for you at your session! (Scroll down to get to the cake flavor options)

Note: When choosing design and filling try to avoid any red colors (could end up looking like a bloody mess!), and outside icing should be white or other colors besides red or chocolate (poop mess!). Please let us know if there are any allergens to avoid.

SCHEDULING:

Turnaround time for editing is about 2 weeks for this type of session. If you’d like to use your portraits to display at baby’s birthday party I recommend having your session take place at least 5 weeks before the event. This will give you time after receiving the album to make prints and order any products that you’d like to display.

What I provide:

White paper backdrop (Easiest to cut and throw away the mess!)
Wooden "ONE" sign, custom letter board and/or "One" cake topper
Small decor needed to style to the theme of your choice including cake stand
Splash bath for cleanup: Tub with tear-free & hypoallergenic Johnson's bubble bath
Optional professionally made cake ordered from Sapienza Sweets (I will pick it up and have it ready for you!)

What you provide:

Baby's outfit and headpiece
Puffs or other small treats that your baby likes
Towel to dry off baby after the bath, and your own soap if you prefer a different type
Extra clean outfit for baby and possibly one for yourself
6" round cake if you choose to bring your own