Milestone Session Prep Guide

Birthday & Cake Smash Session Information

 

Please keep in mind my sets are simple with less props to focus on your beautiful child. I take color and theme requests, but the overall décor remains simple.

I follow the “less is more” philosophy for the milestone and cake smash set up which is simpler and uncluttered. Balloons may be used only in the background on the floor behind baby due to the shadows and color casting.

I may also add enhancements to the portraits while editing to add to the image, such as the bubbles in the bath portrait at the end of this guide.

Other backdrops/themes may be requested; however, it can take several weeks to receive a new backdrop so the sooner I know the better. 

What do I bring to my cake smash session?


  1. Two outfits for your child: A Birthday Outfit for before the Cake Smash and an Outfit to wear during the Cake Smash
  2. Extra clothes for baby to go home in
  3. Plastic bag for the dirty clothes to be brought home
  4. 1-2 Towels for baby once we are all finished with bath-time photos and/or cleanup
  5. Sippy Cup with water for baby (Babies get very thirsty once they start eating the cake!)
  6. Baby’s favorite snacks such as Cheerios, Puffs, Crackers, Etc.
  7. A spare outfit for yourself in case you get frosting or water on you
  8. If you are doing a bubble bath, bring your baby’s bath soap to use if they have sensitive skin
  9. Wipes! Lots and lots of wipes to use after the cake smash
  10. Something to take the smashed cake home in. 

What to Expect from your Session:

I will start by taking some pictures of your child in their main 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 this is not always the case.


Your baby will set the pace for this part of the session. Sometimes 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 prepared to get your hands dirty and help your little one push their hands through all the frosting to the cake underneath! Most parents will think they will not be getting messy, but sometimes they may need to pick baby up while they are covered in cake.

 

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 important as some little ones do get scared or unsure 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 is important to know that even if they do not 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 you may have to get involved by smashing up the cake for them. It is also a good idea to bring along a favorite toy and some snacks in case your little one needs some encouragement. Puffs have saved more than one cake smash for me!

Siblings:

Please try to avoid bringing siblings to the cake smash photoshoot if you can.

As much as you may think they will sit still, they almost always want to 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 entire studio.

Even parents with the best intentions have not been able to avoid this happening in my studio.

  

Clothing:

You may bring TWO outfit changes: A cute first birthday outfit, and the cake smash “attire”.

The first few shots we get will be portraits of your baby dressed in a cute outfit for a couple traditional first birthday portraits.

Then take a few minutes to change your baby into their cake smash “attire".

Most babies simply wear a diaper cover (like bloomers), a tutu or cloth diaper for the cake smash.

A diaper or other color or pattern-coordinating cloth or designer diaper is fine.

Some parents prefer to do the cake smash with the baby fully clothed instead of in a diaper. If you choose to do this, please be aware that the icing coloring may ruin the clothes and diaper cover.

Parents are responsible for bringing the outfits and having something to put them in when the cake smash is done.


The Cake:

Parents are responsible for ordering and picking up the cake. I would suggest a cake no larger than 6-8 inches round. Your bakery will know the typical size to order. 

Please avoid ordering chocolate cake and please avoid fondant and fondant decorations, as they can pose a choking hazard and make it difficult to smash the cake.

Choose a whipped or butter cream frosting; it is easier to dig into.

Sprinkles are okay but be aware the larger sized ones can pose a choking risk.

Bright colors are fine, but please keep them minimal. The colors can stain my backdrops.

If you prefer to provide a home-baked cake instead of one from the bakery, please make sure that no toothpicks or other structural items are placed inside the cake. Also, for home-baked cakes, please avoid lining the base plate with tin foil.

I do provide a simple "ONE" cake topper, but you are more than welcome to bring your own.

 

I can provide a simple smash cake upon request for a $25.00 fee if you cannot provide one.

Most of the cakes in these photos were made by me.

 

Allergies:

Please make sure your child has tasted some cake and icing before your photoshoot to make sure they do not have a reaction to the ingredients. If your child does have a mild allergy, you can speak with your bakery about purchasing a dairy-free, egg-free, or soy-free cake.

 

Alternative Smash Sessions:

You may also choose to do an alternative cake smash session with donuts, muffins, cookies, spaghetti, pizza, tacos, hamburgers, mac and cheese, fruit or whatever else you can think of.

If you decide on an alternative, please let me know prior to your session. 

Bath Photos:

 At the end of the cake smash, you have the option of taking photos of your little one in the bath for an additional fee. The bath will have warm water and bubbles, please let me know if your child is not used to having bubbles in their bath so we can just have plain water instead.

** Fruit/Alternative options are available for the bath upon request!


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.