Preparing for your cake smash photo shoot
Turning one only happens once, and I want your cake smash photo shoot to be as fun and stress free as possible! Here’s everything you need to know to get ready for the big day.
We’ll Chat Before the Day
Before your session, we’ll hop on a quick pre-shoot phone call. This is where we talk through the theme, the cake, the colours, and what your little one will be wearing.
I’ll also give you guidance on what to wear for your family shoot so that everyone looks cohesive and flattering.
It’s also the perfect chance for you to tell me anything I should know about your bub, more on that below. No need to plan a thing on your own, we’ll sort it all out together on the call.
We Start With Your Family
Before the cake even comes out, we begin with a family portrait session while everyone’s still clean and camera ready. This is such a special part of the day. Your baby has just spent a whole year growing into the little person they are now, and this is the moment to capture your family exactly as it is right now, together.
These are the images you’ll look back on for years, the ones that tell the story of this exact chapter, so we take our time to get them right before the mess begins.
Timing Is Everything
A happy, well rested baby makes for the best photos. Try to book your session around a time when your little one is usually in a good mood, not right before a nap and not when they’re overtired. A well rested bub is a lot more likely to dive into that cake headfirst.
Fussy Eaters Are Totally Fine
If your little one is picky and cake isn’t really their thing, don’t stress. Bring along a favourite snack in a similar colour to the cake and we’ll work with that instead. The goal is a fun, natural reaction, not a perfect bite of cake.
Shy Bub?
If your little one takes a while to warm up to new faces, that’s completely normal. I always take it slow on the day so they have time to feel comfortable with me before we get started.
You’re Going to Get Messy Too
If your little one takes a while to warm up to new faces, that’s completely normal. I always take it slow on the day so they have time to feel comfortable with me before we get started.
Tell Me Everything
Does your baby have a favourite song that gets them smiling? Are they shy or outgoing? Do they respond better to a sibling being in the room? Are they teething, unwell, or going through a sleep regression? Have they just eaten? All of it helps me plan a session that actually works for your baby, so don’t hold back on the details when we chat.
Turning the Day Into Artwork
After your session, we’ll sit down together for a cinematic viewing and design session, where you get to see your gallery on the big screen for the first time. It’s honestly one of my favourite parts of the whole experience.
So many families end up falling in love with more than one image and want to keep them close, whether that’s the family portrait, the cake smash chaos, or that gorgeous calm after the bubble bath. This is your chance to turn those moments into artwork for your home, so your little one’s first birthday isn’t just saved on a phone somewhere, it’s up on your wall where you’ll see it every day.
