I love a good cake smash photo session!

They are my most requested sessions here at Brightography and I think for good reason; what could be cuter than your baby, just reaching that first birthday milestone, digging into his first birthday cake with his chubby little hands and watching the range of expressions on his face as he feels the texture of the buttercream and sponge and tastes how sweet the icing is on his tongue! The best part is, by choosing to create your baby’s first birthday experience with a photographer you will be able to watch the fun unfold with your own eyes whilst someone else captures the memories for you – that little face of uncertainty, curiosity and then delight – that you can look back on time and time again.

Cake smash sessions require a little planning ahead to ensure the best experience for you and your little one, but even the planning is part of the fun! If you’re considering booking a session, here are my “3 C’s of Cake Smash” to ensure it’s all smiles and laughter on the day.

Colours:

This is more for your benefit than your baby of course, but think of the colours you’d like the set up, decorations and all-important cake to be. Perhaps think what might go well in your home when putting up the photos in particular rooms. Let your photographer know well in advance so everything can be set up ready for your baby, and so that the cake is ordered to your liking in plenty of time. When booking a cake smash with me, I offer a range of coloured backdrops with bunting, star chains, balloons, pom poms and paper fans to suit most tastes.

Cake: 

A couple of heplful pointers here as the cake can make or break a session! Firstly I recommend a vanilla sponge as it’s a much plainer taste and often more appealing to a one year old than the stronger flavours us adults may choose. I would also encourage opting for lighter coloured icing as this looks much nicer when smooshed on your baby’s face than say deep red (think blood!). Icing should always be buttercream frosting rather than fondant as it is easier to dig into and poses less of a choking hazard than chunky fondant icing.

The biggest piece of advice I have to offer regarding cake though, is to let your little one play with a cake in advance of the cake smash session, especially if you know your baby is particularly funny about new tastes and textures – I have had a few meltdowns in my time as a cake smash photographer where baby has put her hands in a cake and freaked out at the feel of it! By allowing baby to play with a frosted cake before the session it can help them feel more comfortable on the day and encourage them to eat more of it rather than just poking at it. It will also help in revealing any unknown allergies beforehand too so you can advise your photographer or baker of any dietary requirements. 

Style-wise, I prefer to keep it simple yet classy; if you request a professionally made cake through my baker then it will be either a round ombre cake or giant cupcake in your chosen colours. If you choose to buy one yourself then it’s worth making sure your baby remains the star of the show and not a beautiful and elaborate cake.

Clothes:

This covers outfits for the smash session itself and clean clothes for baby…and you!

If you’re booking a session with me, I have a range of cute little outfits to put your baby in for the big smash – think tutus and headbands for girls and nappy covers and bow-ties for boys – in various colours to complement your chosen colour theme, although feel free to provide your own outfit if you have something specific in mind. Do check with your photographer if they also provide outfits as part of the session or if you need to bring your own as not all photographers include this. Usually the clothes your baby is wearing when coming to the studio will be fine for them to change into afterwards, but do think about what you will be wearing as everyone ends up a little messy after these sessions; I would advise wearing something old or that you dont mind getting covered in icing as your baby will likely want a bit of a cuddle or encouragement mid-session, plus getting cleaned up afterwards often means picking up a cake-covered baby and therefore covering yourself in the process! Be prepared to leave the studio with a fair bit of icing smeared on your t-shirt, or bring another set of clothes to change into and a plastic bag to put the messy clothes in.

So now you’re prepared, you can sit back, relax and enjoy all those wonderful little faces that your baby will make whilst eating their very first birthday cake safe in the knowledge you will be taking home beautiful images to remember it all by…and the rest of the cake to eat too! 

J x