1-whole-year is always worth documenting...the greatest amount of physical growth for your child happens within their first year of life! Mind blowing...I know! One minute you were bringing them home from the hospital and trying to figure out how to change diapers and take care of this tiny person the next they are throwing back snacks like there's no tomorrow. They are movin and groovin and maybe already walking! Now is the time to document their adorable personality and how much they have grown since you brought them home.
What's the best recipe?
Notice I said “best” and not “perfect”...There is no “perfect” way to do a cake smash session.
Why?
...Because...
1. No one is perfect (not even that adorable baby or yours).
2. We both have no idea how your child is going to respond to having full access to their own cake. Especially if you have been waiting for this special moment to really introduce sweets/treats! And that’s ok!!! I was the parent that didn’t let my kids have almost any processed sugars/treats UNTIL they turned 1-years-old. By the time my 3rd kiddo came along I wasn’t quite as strict about it…
All that to say, we all parent a little differently because each kid is their own unique soul. YOU know them best. I’m just here to help you remember what YOU want to remember.
As one of the sayings goes, “The best recipes are more about love than measurement.”
How to have a smashing good time!
Start with little to no expectations! The more laid back you are the more fun everyone is going to have. Trust me! Remember that this is simply an opportunity to let your little one just enjoy their 1st birthday treat. Maybe they are going to L O V E it. Maybe they are NOT going to love it. Either way, if you’re smiling and happily cheering them on, then they are going to feel comfortable and safe to explore this yummy dessert.
Their curiosity with the texture and adorable facial expressions of joy, excitement, and sometimes disgust are what make these photos the most epic! Only YOUR child will make that very specific scrunchy nose face or slimy sweet grin. Because it’s their own and unique to them.
Steps to expect during your cake smash session for Sweet Success.
1. Photos of Mom + Dad with Birthday Babe
You guys raised this cutie little human. You have every right to hop in a few frames! I don’t have to be the one to tell you how much they have changed from the day you brought them into the world. Holding that beautiful child for the first time compared to now is very different, yet, somehow it will always be the same. I know you have a crazy amount of photos from the first week of your baby’s life. But how many have you taken recently to compare to that first week?
So don’t hesitate when I tell you we will likely start by getting some photos of just you, dad, and the birthday babe!
2. Cake Before.
You either slaved over this immaculate work of bakery art. OR you invested some serious doughh in order to provide it for this session. I am for sure going to document it’s details in allll their glory before we let your little one go ham on it. Yes, even the cake details matter to me. Because although you may not openly admit it, I know they matter to you too. 😉
3. Progression + Details
It’s time to let the birthday babe do whatever they want. Seriously! Sit them down front and center and just let them do their thang. I’m going to follow their lead and take photos of it all. From the first little pointer finger in the frosting, to the first unsure bite, to the realization of what they actually have full access to.
4. Fold in Siblings for Fun.
A cake smash doesn’t have to just be for the birthday babe. Big brothers/sisters want to help celebrate too! I know you’ve been keeping them on the sidelines the best you possibly can for the beginning of your session. It’s time to put ‘em in coach! This is the moment they’ve been waiting for! Photos of their friendship and authentic interactions with each other now are always worth the extra stickies.
5. Embrace the beauty of the mess.
Messes can always be cleaned up! Kids are washable. Clothes are washable. Canvas tarps are washable. Don’t let the mess deter you from letting them be little and having fun! Oftentimes the details of the mess are some of Mom & Dad’s favorite photos! The frosting that somehow ends up in their hair, in the rolls of their legs, and squished between their toes. The cake crumbs strewn across the tarp they are sitting on. It’s all part of what truly makes a cake smash session so stinkin' cute!
6. Cake After.
I’m forever here for a quality before and after photo. You worked so hard to make or purchase that beautiful cake and get your child all dolled up for this session. And now you let your almost/already 1-year-old go completely feral on it. It likely looks like it’s been blown to smithereens. Or like you…ya know…you let a 1-year-old sit and eat as much as they wanted, however they wanted to.
Schedule your cake smash photo session.
If you want to receive your fully edited gallery BEFORE your babe actually turns one, schedule their cake smash photo session to take place 3-4 weeks PRIOR to their 1st birthday! That means reaching out to your favorite photographer anywhere from when your baby is 8-months-old to 10-months-old. That way you can ensure a session date before they are booked for the season. This also gives your photographer the editing and turnaround time they need to give you the adorable gallery you’re dreaming about.
To schedule your baby’s cake smash photo session with me, tap on that “schedule a session” button below. All you need to do is fill out your contact info and prompted questions. Then keep an eye on your email for my response!
