What is a Cake Smash Session?
If you have been wondering what a cake smash session is, you have come to the right place! I am a one year old baby photographer in Nashville, and cake smashes are some of my most popular sessions. Cake smashes are my favorite way to finish your baby’s one year old photo shoot. Your baby is turning one, and it is time to celebrate! Scheduling a memorable photo shoot is a great way to celebrate this exciting milestone. Your baby has reached many exciting moments during his first year. As a baby photographer, I love capturing each milestone including sitting, pushing up, crawling, and possibly walking. But our babies only turn once, so digging into a cake is a an adorable way to celebrate.
Finding the Right Photographer
It is important to find a professional photographer who is experienced in capturing cake smash sessions. When you are looking for a photographer, make sure they have a great response time and that you love their work. You will want to look at their style of photography to make sure it fits your style. I like to keep the focus on your baby during a cake smash, so my cake smashes are kept very simple. We make them unique by including a custom cake and coordinating outfits. When you book a cake smash session with me, your session includes a custom cake and access to a large variety of outfits in my Client Closet. I recommend scheduling your baby’s first year birthday photos when they are 8-9 months old. This will give you more options with scheduling and will guarantee a cake with my partner bakery. Some parents like to schedule their photos the week that their baby turns one. If you choose this option, you will not have photos in order to share online or for their birthday party. If you’d like to share your photos on your baby’s birthday and at their birthday party, I recommend scheduling 3 weeks before you need them. Make sure you schedule a time during your baby’s happiest time of day. Usually this is in the morning, but we don’t want to schedule during nap time!
One of the best parts of scheduling your baby’s cake smash with Shannon Payne Photography is that I do all of the prep work for you. I secure the bakery and help you come up with a design for the cake. I also coordinate all of the outfits. Your baby’s birthday session can include milestone photos, family photos, and cake smash photos. We will customize your session to fit your wishes. All cake smashes take place at my Hendersonville studio just outside of Nashville. This gives you full access to my Client Closet including outfits and accessories as well as my collection of cake stands. Your cake will be ready and waiting when you arrive.
Tips for a Successful Cake Smash Session
I recommend offering your baby finger foods in order to prepare for your cake smash session. Make sure you allow your baby to touch their food with their hands. Many babies don’t like the texture of frosting or how it feels on their hands. So practicing with finger foods ahead of time gets them used to this new feeling. Some foods that you can try are applesauce, mashed potatoes, spaghetti, mashed bananas, or mashed avocado. You can also bring along familiar foods to your session. Items such as Puffs or yogurt bites work well because we can stick them on the back of the cake. Some babies just need a little extra encouragement to dig in!
What to Expect During Your Session
When you arrive at the studio, you will be greeted with your baby’s custom cake! We will then go to the Client Closet to look through outfits and create a plan for your session. If you are including family photos in your baby’s first birthday session, we will start with family photos. Then we will finish with milestone photos and the cake smash. The cake smash is always last because it is so messy! I recommend coming to the studio 10 to 15 minutes early to allow your baby to warm up to a new place and to give you time to look through outfits. You are welcome to bring favorite toys or lovies to make your baby feel more comfortable. Don’t panic if your baby doesn’t smile right away. Of course we always love a good smile, but there are so many other moments in between that we can capture. If you are stressed, your baby will feel it. So relax and enjoy the moment. This will help your baby’s personality shine. Don’t forget, cake smashes are all about candid moments. Genuine reactions – whether it’s pure delight, surprise, or even a few tears – are what will make your photo session so very special.
From the giggles to the adorable mess, cake smashes are truly special and create photos that you can treasure for a lifetime. You’ll be able to look back at these memories down the road because you captured this tiny moment in time. Don’t let this special occasion pass you by, make sure you reach out to book your cake smash session today!
