
Celebrate Their Birthday Milestone With A Custom Cake Smash!
CT Cake Smash Photos
"Birthday (Noun) - Nature's way of telling us to eat cake." ~ Unknown
It probably seems like yesterday that you were holding your newborn baby in your arms, and bringing them to the studio for their photoshoot. You've watched them grow over the last year, from an infant, to a sitter baby, and now maybe standing or walking in time for their first birthday. Feature the growth of these milestones with custom cake smash photography by The Flash Lady Photography. We've even had our cake smash work featured on WTNH!
A cake smash photoshoot is designed to allow for babies/toddlers age 1 and up to have a portrait session that's both fun and exciting for their age! Each session is custom designed for your child with birthday themes created by hand involving my extensive collection of props, florals, backdrops, balloons, and other speciality items. Our full service photography experience takes care of everything you'll need for a great photoshoot. Cake smash photography is about much more than eating cake!


Cake Smash First Birthday Photoshoot - How It Works!



1. Birthday Portraits
We utilize a 3-part series of photos during your cake smash to ensure that babies & toddlers have a chance to warm up to the environment. This may involve play, props, balloons, music, acting silly - and everyone participates! It's a great way to have some "clean" photos of your baby, sometimes you may choose to bring a 2nd outfit for this portion.
2. The Cake Smash
The cake is why we're here, right?! We'll guide baby into exploring their birthday cake, which we provide from one of our local cake baker experts. Eating is of course encouraged, but not necessary if they aren't ready for that! Play, exploration, and capturing their development is what we are really hoping to take photos of. So don't stress if they are timid!
3. Baby Tub Bath
We're not going to send you home with a messy baby! The tub bath is a great way to end the session and capture a few more images, especially if the cake smash photos were very messy! And for those with sensory sensitivities, we can clean them off by hand and play with the ducks/tub dry as well. Bubbles, rubber duckie, splashing, and a clean baby!
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 it is 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!
Ready to Plan A Cake Smash Experience?
Cake Smash Photography FAQs
Although some like to book their session as close to their child's birthday as possible, we actually recommend scheduling closer to 11 months old if it's for the first birthday. We can not only try to see them prior to walking, but you'll may also have the photos back in time for the big celebration!

