Cake Smashes: The Do’s and Don’ts
One of the funnest types of sessions we get to do here at Camera Shy are our 1 year-old portraits. Who doesn’t love capturing them at this adorable milestone?? The toothy smiles, the baby giggles, their little waddles or happy crawls—it’s a cuteness overload! The deal gets even sweeter when our clients bring in a cake for a cake smash! Whether homemade or store-bought, cake smash pictures are bound to turn out cute.
Have you ever thought of booking a cake smash for your little one’s birthday portraits? If you haven’t heard of them before, or are unsure how a cake smash session runs, we’ve got all the do’s and don’ts for you! (We’re kind of experts)
Go All In!
Dive in to your creative side. We love seeing all the props our clients come up with!
The “Do’s”
Get to your appointment on time!
We know it’s hard to get kids, especially babies, out of the house sometimes. This is why we recommend budgeting more time than you think to get any props together, babies dressed, or yourself ready if you are including family portraits within your shoot. The last thing you need is to feel stressed trying to rush out the door!
Pick a theme
While any cake smash photoshoot is going to be cute, our favorite shoots are the ones where our clients have picked a theme. From jungle themed, aviator themed, and lumberjack themed—we’ve seen it all!
Picking a theme helps keep things consistent between their portraits and other events like their birthday party. This way, if you come in before their party, you’ll have photos to hang up at your event; it’s the cutest addition and adds a personal touch to your decor!
Be creative!
Pinterest and Instagram are great resources if you are looking for cake smash inspiration. If you’re stuck on choosing a theme or not sure what direction to take your props, it totally helps to see what others have done.
Don’t be afraid to DIY your props! Some of the cutest props we’ve seen are homemade. It gives them so much charm and captures the imagination of childhood!
Save the cake smash for the end
Here at Camera Shy, we give our sessions up to an hour to get all the photos they need! However, not all families or kids are going to need the full time. Oftentimes when we have portrait sessions of younger toddlers and babies, they get less smiley—and even fussy—about halfway through. This is a great time to switch gears and do the cake smash! This way, you’ll get enough pictures in their outfit while they’re clean, and you’ll get the best smiles while their faces aren’t smeared with frosting.
The “Don’ts”
Don’t Buy an Expensive Cake
While expensive cakes are always beautiful for a cake smash, they may not be your best option. Many people get a blank cake to start with from stores like Walmart or Costco, then they add their personal touches like frosting colors, embellishments, and cake toppers. A lot of the cake goes to waste as it gets smeared and smashed. Plus, your baby isn’t too concerned about the quality of the cake (just the sugary goodness!). If you want to save your cake, bring a way to transport it after it gets smashed!
Don’t Expect Baby to Smash it Right Away
Every baby is so different! Some babies go in for the smash right away, others need to be coaxed into it. It’s pretty common for us to have the parents help us take baby’s hands and get them started with one big smash. It’s important to remember that some babies hate to be dirty and a cake smash might not be something that they enjoy. If this happens, remember that capturing their personality is just as important as getting that perfect smile (but keeping the baby wipes on hand isn’t a bad idea either!).
Don’t think cake smashes are only for One-year portraits
Life happens! Sometimes you can’t get in for all their milestone pictures. Don’t think that milestone pictures stop at one! We’ve taken our fair share of two-year-old cake smashes and have totally seen props like cupcakes and birthday hats featured in childrens birthday portraits. It makes the sessions so fun, so why stop at one? Have a furry friend that’s turning one? We’ve done cake smashes for them too!
If you’re ready to book your cake smash session with us, or know someone with a milestone session coming up, check out our availability at our 5 awesome locations here at camerashy.com. We can’t wait to see you!