cake smash photography
Menifee Cake Smash Photographer
One of my most requested options is a first birthday cake smash, which can be included with any Classic Baby Session or of course my Mini Cake Smash Session. As a cake smash photographer, I specialize in capturing fun, messy, and memorable birthday moments. Just bring the cake and I'll take care of the rest!
I have a variety of cake stands, cake toppers, banners, and outfit and accessory options, including lots of baby girl dresses, outfits, bows, headbands, crowns, and flower crowns, as well as some baby boy outfits and hats.
Many babies love ending the session with a splash, with optional baby-in-the-tub shots to clean up after the cake smash.
STUDIO CATALOG: To view the options available in my studio, including outfits, props, and cake smash decor, take a look at my Baby Studio Catalog.
What to wear: Family, parent, and/or sibling photos can be included in a Classic Baby Session (Mini sessions are for baby only). Soft fabrics, knits, and relaxed styles tend to photograph beautifully while keeping everyone comfortable throughout the session. Dresses, blouses, sweaters, or button-down shirts paired with khakis or jeans are all great options. A monochromatic palette or a mix of soft, muted colors works especially well. Think pastels, white, cream, beige, light gray, and other soft neutrals or earth tones. My home studio is shoe-free (remove shoes at the door), but if you'd like footwear included in photos, I recommend simple dress shoes, sandals, or matching converse.
Cake Recommendations:
- Cake color: I recommend naked cakes or white cake with white frosting for cake smashes. Otherwise pale or light frosting/cake is recommended (avoid dark colors, red, or neon).
- Frosting: Whipped cream frosting tends to be easier for babies to swallow and is also easier to clean off, but regular buttercream is ok too. Remember to bring something for your baby to drink at the session as frosting usually makes babies thirsty! Also, feel free to bring little puffs, cheerios, or yogurt drops if your baby likes them. Some babies are hesitant to touch the cake, so putting a couple of those little treats on top usually helps to encourage them.
- Fondant: For safety reasons, I recommend avoiding fondant, as it can be a choking hazard for babies.
- Cake Size: This is completely up to personal preference, but I recommend a 2-3 layer 6 inch cake.
- Cake Stands: I have several cake stands to choose from if you need one for your session (gold, silver, white, wood, wood slice, etc).
- Grocery store bakeries usually offer affordable cakes for baby’s first birthday. Many will even give you a free little smash cake if you let them know it’s your baby’s first birthday.
- Alternate options: Want to do something a little different? Cupcakes, donuts, cookies, pancakes, waffles, watermelon or other fruits are some cute options!
- Specialty cake bakers: I can provide a list of some possible bakers to order a cake from if you need. Most require at least a couple of weeks in advance to reserve a cake, and their prices and policies vary.
1st Birthday Cake Smash Examples
I have photographed hundreds of babies and lots of cake smashes over the years. My style is clean and timeless so I like to keep the background simple to draw the focus to the baby, but when you book your session, you’ll fill out a questionnaire to customize your session however you’d like. Here are some examples of first birthday cake smash sessions I’ve done:
