Lessons Learned | The Dos and Don'ts of a 1st Birthday Cake Smash
- sarahjoycebird
- Apr 3, 2018
- 2 min read
Who doesn't love a little chubby, grinning face full of cake? Answer: no one. Cake smash photo sessions to document your little one's 1st birthday can be sweet and hilarious, but they don't always go as planned. I've had the opportunity to shoot a few cake smash sessions now, and with my little one turning 1 in a few days (time flies!) I thought it might be helpful to share some of the things I've learned along the way.
1. Do: Bring Multiple Outfits!
If you're doing a first birthday cake smash photo session (especially with me) you should take advantage of the session and get a few pre-cake shots. I always like to take about 15 minutes prior to smashing time to have your little one warm up to me, and capture some sweet, albeit clean photos.
2. Do: Think Outside the Box
A lot of 1st birthday photoshoots are taken inside, or in a studio session. This is adorable, of course - but if it's not your style consider trying something a little different! Would you rather have more of a documentary style shoot at your house? How about outside? Your photoshoot should reflect you and your child, so pick a setting that feels right!
3. Don't: Go Too Sweet
It is a common misconception that babies like super sweet cake. If your child hasn't been exposed to a lot or any sugar, they won't have the taste for it. Consider making your own cake and frosting so you can control the sweetness. Banana bread is a great cake substitute and whipped cream works well in the place of regular icing. I have seen several babies completely reject cake because they don't know what to do with the taste, which leads me to my next point...
4. Don't: Stress
In the age of Pinterest and Instagram it is easy to get caught up in capturing that "perfect" photo. But you know what? Life isn't perfect. Of course we would love to capture your baby LOVING their first birthday cake, but that doesn't always happen. Don't stress about how your baby reacts, in the end you're going to love commemorating the day regardless of their reaction.
1st birthdays only happen once and a cake smash is such a fun and cute way to document it. No matter what you do just sit back, and have fun watching your little baby grow up!
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