Guide · 5 min read
Your guide to a first birthday cake smash session
A cake smash marks your baby's first birthday with exactly the chaos you would expect, frosting in the hair, a fistful of cake, and a face of pure delight. These sessions are pure fun, and a little planning keeps them joyful instead of overwhelming. Here is how we set them up.
Before you read on
Know exactly what your day costs
Every price is published, no form required. See the full pricing, then tell us your date and venue.
Plan the look before the day
Pick a simple theme and a soft palette so the photos feel cohesive and the focus stays on your little one. A smash cake with light colored frosting photographs best, because bright dyes can stain skin and clothes and end up everywhere in the final frames.
Bring a cute outfit for the start of the session and be ready for it to get destroyed, or plan a simple second look for the smash itself. We often start clean and dressed up, then let the mess begin once we have the sweet portraits.
Time it around naps and meals
A happy baby makes a happy cake smash, so schedule the session for the time of day your child is usually most cheerful, right after a nap and a small meal. A tired or hungry one year old will tell you about it, and frosting will not fix it.
Keep the session short and led by the baby. Some dive straight into the cake, and some study it suspiciously for ten minutes first. Both make wonderful photos, so we follow their pace.
Keep the mess manageable
We set up on a surface that is easy to clean, with the cake as the star and little else to distract. Bring wipes, a towel, and a change of clothes for the ride home, and consider a quick splash in a tub setup to finish, which makes for adorable photos and an easy cleanup.
Parents, relax and let it happen. The best frames come when your child is free to explore the cake however they like, mess and all.
Good to know
Common questions
What is a cake smash session?
A first birthday photo session where your one year old gets their own small cake to dig into. It celebrates the milestone with joyful, messy, candid photos of pure delight.
When should we schedule a cake smash session?
For the time of day your child is usually happiest, right after a nap and a small meal. A well rested, fed baby makes for a cheerful, cooperative cake smash.
How do we keep the cake smash from being too messy?
Choose light colored frosting that will not stain, set up on an easy to clean surface, and bring wipes, a towel, and a change of clothes. A quick tub setup at the end makes cleanup simple and adds adorable photos.
