CT Cake Smash Photos
"Birthday (Noun) - Nature's way of telling us to eat cake." ~ Unknown
It feels like just yesterday when you cradled your precious gift in your loving arms and brought them to my studio for those unforgettable newborn photographs. Witnessing their growth over the past year, from being a tiny infant to a cute little sitter, and now possibly standing or even taking those first wobbly steps, all in time for their highly anticipated first birthday celebration. Capture and preserve this special milestone with an exceptional cake smash photography session, brought to you by none other than The Flash Lady Photography.
My expertise in capturing these memorable moments has even earned me the honor of being featured on the renowned news channel, WTNH!
A cake smash photoshoot is specially designed to provide babies and toddlers aged 1 and above with a delightful and exhilarating portrait session that perfectly suits their age! Every session is individually tailored for your precious little one, featuring captivating birthday themes meticulously crafted by hand, incorporating an expansive range of vibrant colors, props, backdrops, and other unique items.
Our comprehensive photography service ensures that every aspect of your photoshoot is taken care of, leaving you with nothing to worry about. Cake smash photography encompasses so much more than just indulging in cake!
Cake Smash First Birthday Photoshoot - How It Works!
Capture the joy and excitement of your little one's first birthday with a cake smash first birthday photoshoot. This delightful and exhilarating portrait session is specially designed for babies and toddlers aged 1 and above, ensuring they have a fun-filled experience while creating beautiful memories. With our expertly planned cake smash photography service, every aspect of the photoshoot is taken care of, from unique birthday themes and props to capturing those adorable messy moments with a smash cake and even the clean up! Let us guide you through the process and make this milestone celebration truly unforgettable.
1. Birthday Portraits
During our cake smash sessions, we prioritize creating a comfortable environment for babies and toddlers. We start with a series of birthday portraits that incorporate play, props, balloons, music, and silly antics.
This allows us to capture some "clean" photos of your baby and showcase their unique personality. Feel free to bring a second outfit for this part if you'd like.
2. The Cake Smash
The highlight of the session is the cake smash itself. We provide a specially crafted birthday cake from one of our local cake bakers. Our experienced team guides your baby in exploring the cake, encouraging them to eat if they are ready. However, we understand that not all babies may be comfortable with eating cake yet. Our main goal is to capture their playfulness, curiosity, and growth during this milestone moment. Rest assured, even if your little one is a bit timid, we have the skills to capture their unique personality.
3. Baby Tub Bath
After the messy cake smash, we offer a baby tub bath as the perfect ending to the session. This gives us the opportunity to capture a few more adorable images, especially if the cake smash photos were particularly messy! For babies with sensory sensitivities, we can clean them off by hand and provide a dry tub experience with rubber duckies and bubbles. The bath session adds a fun and refreshing element to the overall photoshoot experience, ensuring that you take home a clean and happy baby.
With our meticulously planned and expertly guided cake smash photography service, we aim to create a memorable and enjoyable experience for your little one's first birthday photoshoot. Let us capture these precious moments that will be cherished for a lifetime. By entrusting us with your baby's cake smash photoshoot, you can relax and enjoy watching your little one have a blast while we capture stunning images that you can cherish for years to come.
Creating Our Cake Smash Themes
Our planning with each family for their child's custom birthday photos starts with a consultation - either in person, over the phone, or via email. Here, we can discuss what ideas you might have based on your child's nursery/bedroom, decor in your home, or favorite colors. I also have a menu of cake smash themes that I can send you that shows you what themes I have done in the past for other clients. Many will choose right from here! Or, because my themes are all based on real props, we are able to mix and match backgrounds and specific items to make something unique for you!
*Due to licensing limitations, you will find that the majority of our themes are based on colors, styles, or events rather than characters. As artists ourselves, we understand and appreciate the value of items created by another entity. You are welcome to bring items you have purchased yourself if you would like a particular character featured in your photoshoot. There are so many unique themes we can create without characters, many times clients are more than OK with creating something we decide together!
Cake Smash photography is truly an art of not only creating the theme and planning for the photoshoot itself but capturing your child as they experience something new for the first time. Often, my favorite part of photographing babies and children is that we never know what's going to happen! Relax, knowing that my many years of experience working with children of all ages and needs will give you beautiful photos you can look back on fondly year after year. And just because they aren't turning 1, doesn't mean we can't plan a custom cake smash for your child, too (ADULT Cake Smashes are quickly becoming a thing for those middle-age birthdays and beyond, too)!
Ready to Plan A Cake Smash Experience?
Cake Smash Studio Session Information From Kristin
When scheduling your cake smash photography session, it's best to plan it around 11 months of age, especially if it's for their first birthday. This allows us to capture their adorable moments before they start walking, and you'll also have the photos in time for the big celebration. To ensure a successful cake smash, we recommend that your child has been exposed to a frosted cupcake and common allergenic foods like wheat, dairy, and eggs beforehand. If there are any allergy concerns, you can bring an allergy-free cake or we can discuss using a different food that is appropriate for their age.
For the session, you only need to bring an adorable outfit for your child to wear. Please limit it to no more than two outfits as babies at the first birthday age are often not keen on changing clothes and we don't want to upset them during the appointment. If you'd like to include a family photo, we can certainly accommodate that, but please keep in mind that babies at this stage have a limited attention span of around 45 minutes to an hour. Generally, we focus this session type on just baby. To focus more time on family photos, we recommend scheduling a separate outdoor family photography session.
Our cake smash photoshoots are divided into three parts precisely because babies have different reactions to the cake. Some dive right in and make a glorious mess, while others may be shy or not accustomed to table foods yet. Regardless of their reaction, we have many tricks up our sleeves to create adorable photos that capture their unique personality. So, rest assured, your little one will have a fantastic session and love every part of it!!
Whether you’re looking for a fully customized experience or a simpler celebration, I offer a variety of session options to meet your needs and preferences.
Crafting the Perfect Celebration: Your Cake Smash Options
At The Flash Lady Photography, every cake smash is a unique celebration, tailored to make your little one’s milestone unforgettable. I understand that every family has different needs and styles, which is why I offer three distinct session types:
1. Custom Designed Theme Cake Smash:
For those who desire a completely personalized experience, the Custom Designed Theme Cake Smash is perfect. We’ll start with a blank slate and craft a celebration that’s crafted just for your child. This includes:
- Personalized Decor: Tailored backdrop and props, meticulously designed to reflect a theme that resonates with your child’s personality or interests.
- Custom Cake: A beautifully crafted cake that complements the theme, ensuring that every detail is cohesive.
- Full Session Experience: From pre-cake portraits to the joyful smash and a playful tub bath (as baby allows), every moment is captured.
- Digital Memories: 10 high-resolution digital files are included to preserve these precious memories.
- Client Closet Access: Choose from a selection of simple outfits to find the perfect look for your child’s big day.
Pricing: Dependent on the level of customization and the cost of materials needed to bring your unique theme to life. But there is a lot of flexibility here!
2. Pre-Designed Cake Smash:
If you prefer a custom setup with a tried and true theme, my Pre-Designed Cake Smash is a fantastic choice. I’ve crafted a variety of beautiful themes that have delighted many families. This option includes:
- Ready-Made Decor: Choose from our extensive collection of pre-designed themes, each complete with all necessary decor, background design, and a custom cake.
- Complete Session: Enjoy pre-cake portraits, the cake smash, and a tub bath session (as baby allows), all designed to create joyful memories.
- Digital Collection: 10 high-resolution digital files are included to keep and cherish forever.
- Client Closet Access: Outfit your little one in something adorable from our client closet for the perfect look.
3. Simple Cake Smash (Weekdays Only):
For those seeking a simpler yet still professional experience, the Simple Cake Smash is an excellent option. This session is streamlined but still captures the essence of a cake smash celebration. It includes:
- Standard Decor: Choose between a themed balloon garland or our large 3-foot "ONE" letters filled with flowers or balloons, set against a tasteful, simple background.
- Focused Session: This package focuses on portraits and the cake smash itself, omitting the bath to keep things simple and sweet.
- Keepsake Photos: 6 high-resolution digital files are included to remember this special day.
- Client Closet Access: Dress your child in a cute outfit from our client closet to enhance their cake smash photos.
Why Choose The Flash Lady Photography?
Choosing The Flash Lady Photography means choosing a service dedicated to creating a warm, engaging, and beautifully captured first birthday for your child. With a range of options from fully custom to simple and sweet, there’s a perfect cake smash session waiting for every family.
Ready to plan your child’s cake smash? Contact me today, and let’s discuss which session will best capture the joy of their first birthday. Let’s make memories together that you’ll look back on with love and laughter for years to come.
Cake Smash Photography FAQs
At The Flash Lady Photography, I'm dedicated to making your child's cake smash session a joyful and memorable experience. Here are some frequently asked questions to help you plan the perfect photoshoot.
For a first birthday celebration, I recommend scheduling the cake smash photoshoot for when your child will be about 11 months old. This timing not only increases the chance of capturing your little one before they start walking (and that independent streak!) but also ensures you have the beautiful photos in hand for their birthday party!
Ready to book your cake smash photoshoot or need more detailed guidance? Contact me today, and let's start planning an unforgettable celebration for your little one's milestone!
Truly a great experience with the Flash Lady! We used her for a cake smash for our little ones first birthday. Kristin created a beautiful and comfortable environment that resulted in amazing pictures! We were able to view our pictures very quickly and she helped us to design a photo album.
We had our daughter's pictures taken as she is approaching her first birthday, I am so glad I have chosen Kristin. She is very professional and also keen on details. I was surprised to see that my daughter had such a great time during the shoot, there really is some charm in her picture taking skills! I will be definitely be using her services for future and would recommend her to anyone who is looking for special occasion photoshoot.
We had such a great experience with Kristin. She did a themed first birthday cake smash shoot for us. The custom set for our theme she came up with was amazing and I was so impressed with the amount of patience she has during the actual shoot when our daughter was being shy and less then cooperative. She also walked us through photo selection which was very helpful. I highly recommend her!