You’ve done the research, found our Studio, and booked your Cake Smash Session. Congratulations!
Now we can get to the fun part: Preparing for Your Session! One thing we love offering our clients, is we provide everything needed for a beautiful and memorable first birthday photoshoot. You have full access to the props, decorations, and outfits that we offer! Our First Birthday sessions also include a custom designed set and coordinating smash cake! With all of those details taken care of, here are a few things that you can do to prepare yourself and your little one for their Cake Smash Session.
We curate a selection of props that are aesthetically pleasing but safe for baby. We use crates, boxes, bowls, chairs and stools for most of our baby and milestone sessions. This creates interest and gives baby something "to do".
We also enjoy creating with the best teams possible to make your experience seamless. We do have a couple of bakers we use and have used to make sure we always have a cake when we need it! Our bakers include: Love Language Bakery, LB's Cakes, and Flour and Sugar.
Let's Talk Themes!
Sometimes it is a color or sometimes it is a favorite cartoon, animal, or toy and sometimes it is a theme you have dreamt of since you were pregnant! Either way it is perfect and we cannot wait to make those inspirations come to light for your cake smash theme.
When you are ready to start planning, send over your inspo board! I love seeing how you imagine the theme and that means I can take inspiration from you and yet still create a piece that is my own!
We have countless themes all, ready to be assembled for you but if we do not have your theme, we can work together to create that perfect accompaniment to your idea!
Speaking of themes, one of my very very favorite is "Year In Review"!! These sessions are the most custom, the most personalized theme we can do, and it is all with your baby in mind. We create a backdrop from your baby's photos.
Must Haves/What to Bring:
A towel and washcloth, wipes, or even pre wet washcloths work well
A spare change of clothes for yourself (just in case you need to pick your little one up while covered in cake!)
A bag to put wet and or dirty clothes into!
The outfit your child will be wearing for the cake smash if you haven’t chosen one of mine.
A couple favorite toys, not a ton as that can be overwhelming also!
Small snacks for your little one to eat incase he/she isn’t into the cake. Preferably ones that are similar colors to the cake so they blend in.
A sippy cup/drink for your baby to wash down the sweet cake and icing.
What to Expect from your session:
I will start by taking some pictures of your child in their outfit before bringing the cake in so that we can capture some gorgeous smiles. Once we introduce the cake in, most parents will assume their child will just get straight into it, however most of the time, this is not the case. We let your baby set the pace, some littles ones will dig right in and destroy the cake, and others need a little bit of encouragement and sometimes even help to get into their cake. Be ready to get your hands dirty and help your little one get past all that frosting to the cake underneath!
I suggest to all my clients to practice with their little one at home with smashing up a cake and making a mess. It is really important as some little ones do not "perform" if they have never done this sort of thing before. Not every child wants to dive right in and make a mess no matter what tricks we try. It’s important to know that even if they don’t completely smash their cake into crumbs, I am still able to catch fun images of them poking at it or carefully picking bits of icing or decorations. Sometimes we may need to strategically place a little icing to help things along, or other times mum or dad may have to get involved by smashing up the cake for them. It’s also a good idea to bring along a favorite toy and some snacks in case your little one needs some encouragement.
It is always a good idea to be prepared to get messy. Most parents will think they won't be getting messy, but sometimes they may need to pick baby up while they are covered in cake.
Plan for 45-90 minutes with me setting up, shooting and breaking down. Some babies are super efficient and act like they have done this their whole lives....and some don't!
So, do you have a Client Wardrobe?
I do!!
I supply many different types, styles, colors and themed outfits.
For this age group I usually have 9-18 month size range.
Be sure to ask what I have that might fit your baby's theme!
Siblings:
Please try and avoid bringing siblings to the cake smash photoshoot if you can, UNLESS you do the family portrait add on! As much as you may think they will sit still, they almost always want to come and participate in the cake smash too. This means they will be getting in the way of the images I am trying to capture and I like to try and avoid cake and icing being spread around the whole studio!
However, being a Mom I do understand. Sometimes this can be necessary AND I do understand that!! Plus, sometimes, siblings are helpful in getting the babies warmed up and smiling. So, judge accordingly and let me know if I can help in any way!
Allergies:
Please let me know before your session if your child has any allergies. If your child does have a mild allergy, we can order Dairy free, Egg free, and Soy free cakes. You are also welcome to order and bring your own cake, we know some families have worked with bakers for years OR it may be a perk to the birthday package with certain bakers that offer a birthday package. Just let us know!
Bath Photos:
At the end of the cake smash we can add photos of your little one in the bath. The bath will have warm water, it helps wash off the sticky and is SO cute! Once I have taken my photos you can wash your little one off, and they will almost always need another bath when they get home as they will still be a bit greasy from the cake icing. Let us know ahead of time that you would like to add this option, so we can prepare!
Your session will take place in my cozy home studio unless we have discussed a venue!
7343 Dew Sharpe Road, Gibsonville NC 27249
** Your GPS may say you have arrived at the new construction, however continue down to the dead end and turn left onto the private gravel drive. Come down to the last house on the right. You will walk into the first door, where my sign is also!
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