An on going trend in baby photography is the one year cake smash session. These sessions are an absolute ball! Each little one has his/her opinion on the cake smash and some like it messy while others certainly do not.
1. Don’t assume they will dive right in
All parents hope that their little one will dive in and make a mess of the cake. That’s what you are paying for! But that doesn’t always happen and that’s okay. 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 freak out 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 turn their cake into a gooey pile of 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 mom 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.
2. Come prepared for one heck of a mess
One thing parents don’t often realize is that they too will likely become covered in cake and icing during the session (picture your little miss or mister running/crawling straight towards you with icing coated hands), so a change of clothes for everyone, not just the birthday boy or girl, is a good idea.
3. Watch out for allergy
Offering your child a cake during their session that has ingredients they have never had before isn’t a great idea. This one may seem obvious, but it isn’t always to everyone. In the past I photographed a dear friends daughter’s first birthday cake smash and afterwards she broke out in a pretty bad rash and I felt horrible. I am 99% sure it was due to the cake icing which contained red food coloring which of course she had never been exposed to before. It’s something to keep in mind. So please make sure that you little one has had cake and icing before the Cake Smash
4. Customize your session
I encourage my clients to make the cake smash session their own. Be adventurous in colour when picking your outfit! I have a TON of decorations to customize your colour scheme. You can contact me any time to discuss what I have on hand.