Tips & Ideas for your Baby's Cake Smash Photo Session

Babies have eaten cake for their first birthdays for countless years. Some love it from the first bite, and others show their distaste immediately. Capturing their reaction, no matter what it may be, is a big part of the overall moment. A cake smash is a fun, adorable way to celebrate your baby’s first year!

A cake smash is an *optional* part of an overall Milestone Session with CWP. Some parents choose to skip the cake or just include balloons. Babies who hate to get messy or don’t love sweets might not do well with a smash cake. But for those clients that chose to include a cake smash, you are in for a treat!

A One-Year milestone session (typically) includes:

2 traditional/simple setups (check out the Milestone gallery for ideas)
1 birthday setup (cake smash is optional)
Splash portraits (optional)

What to bring to your Cake Smash session

I welcome any ideas you have for your baby’s first birthday session! We can keep things clean and simple or go over-the-top. Booking 1-2 months in advance will give me the time needed to plan out your custom theme. If you’re booking last minute, that’s totally fine as well. Let’s chat and put something memorable together!

What I provide:

Styled background and white floor
Color-coordinated balloons
Small décor pieces such as florals and tissue paper flowers, if needed
A variety of cake stands

What you provide:

The cake
Baby’s smash outfit
Optional themed decor from home (please discuss with me ahead of time)
Snacks for baby (ie. Puffs)
A sippy cup/bottle

Tips for a Successful Cake Smash

Bring snacks: Bring along a small snack that baby likes (puffs are a perfect choice!). Sometimes baby needs a snack break. Puffs are also great to hide in the back of the cake to keep baby’s interest. It’s also smart to have a sippy cup or bottle nearby.
Cake prep: Make sure to take the cake out of the refrigerator a few hours before your session so the icing can soften. Hard, cold icing doesn’t smash well.
Don’t stress. Things don’t always go as planned — and that’s ok. Your little one might not love the cake at first, but I have some tricks to see if we can catch their interest.
Be ready to participate: Many parents have to get their hands dirty to show baby how it’s done.
It’s going to get messy. For real. Make sure to have an extra outfit for baby (and quite possibly for yourself).
Clean up: I have wipes on hand and that’s usually all we need to get baby cleaned up. But you’re also welcome to use my bathroom sink and a towel.

More About the Cake

Due to all of the different food allergies these days, I ask that parents bring their own smash cake. You’re welcome to make it yourself or make a quick stop at the grocery store. However, if you really want that over-the-top look, I suggest getting the cake from a professional bakery.

I recommend a 8-inch or 10-inch cake with 2-3 tiers. Bigger cakes won’t fit on cake stands or between baby’s legs. It’s also important to make sure the cardboard base isn’t too much larger than the cake itself or it also won’t fit on the cake stand.

Colors to avoid: If possible, I’d avoid chocolate cake, as well as brown or red icing. It just doesn’t look great in photos.

Don’t forget to let your cake sit out for a few hours before the session so it softens a bit and is easier to smash.

Here are a few amazing bakers/bakeries I recommend:

Lindsay Gruber (Hudson home baker, just message her thru FB)
White Flower Cake Shoppe
Giant Eagle / Heinens can make a custom cake, but you need to order ahead of time

Fun Options to Consider

Splash after the smash! While not every baby loves cake, almost all of them love a tubby. A splash is a great way to clean baby off and get more adorable photos. A splash does take the place of a traditional setup at your milestone session, so do keep that in mind. I also need to know ahead of time if you would like to do a splash, so I can make sure the props are ready to go.

Not a fan of cake? There’s are lots of other smash options to consider: spaghetti, pancakes, doughnuts, watermelon and more! Let me know if you have an idea and we can discuss.

Take it outside! Are you a nature lover? Does your baby enjoy the outdoors? Then let’s do the Milestone session and cake smash outdoors. Just make sure your little one likes sitting in grass, because many do not.