Tips to Make Your Cake Smash Photo Session a Smashing Success

A cake smash photo session is a favorite tradition for babies’ first birthdays. It’s cute and whimsical but it also gives you memorable portraits that will always take you on a stroll down memory lane. For many parents, though, the idea of getting their baby messy for pictures sounds like a logistical challenge. To help your cake smash photo session go smoothly, check out these top tips from your favorite Hickory baby photographer.

1. Book in Advance if You Want Birthday-Ready Portraits

Some families like to use their cake smash photos as decor for their child’s first birthday party, or you might want to reveal the portrait at your baby’s party. If that’s the case, you need to plan ahead. Along with leaving time for me to edit and prepare your baby’s finished portraits, it can take weeks for framed prints or other photo products to be made and delivered. The earlier you call me, the better so we can chat about how to time your baby’s session.

2. Consider an Aesthetic Theme

Any cake smash session can be quaint and adorable, but if you want something more unique, try setting a theme for your baby’s portraits. It could be a TV show or book character, for example, or even just a color scheme. You could also coordinate the theme of your portraits with the theme of your baby’s birthday party. I’ll gladly put my creativity to work to customize your cake and photo session for your theme - just let me know the theme when you book your session.

3. Plan Ahead for the Cake

For most of my cake smash sessions, I supply the cake so I can make sure it aligns with the aesthetic of the session. The exception is if your baby has allergies, then I will ask you to supply the cake. If you’re getting the cake, make sure to allow weeks of lead time. Allergy-friendly cakes can be more difficult to book and may be in especially high demand during the wedding season and graduation season. Contact a baker well in advance to make sure they can fit you in.

4. Do a Trial Run

Every baby reacts to a smash cake differently. Some will dig right in with glee but others don’t like the sensation of the cake on their fingers or don’t know what to do with the cake. It helps to do a practice run. At home, a few days before your session, get a little cupcake and let your baby play around with it. They’ll be more likely to see the cake at their session and think, “Oh I remember this, this is fun!”

Celebrating Your Baby with Cake Smash Portraits

Cake smash photography is such a fun and unique tradition for a baby’s first birthday. While we can never fully predict how a session will go, I can assure you that it will be a memorable experience, and you’ll have beautiful portraits to remember this experience as the years pass. To book your cake smash session, contact Heidi Houser Photography in Hickory, NC.

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