What is a Cake Smash Photo Shoot and How Does it Work?

You may have heard some momfluencer talk about their baby’s cake smash, but what actually is it? It’s exactly what it sounds like – a baby smashing a cake. So, why has it been trending over the past decade and should you do one? Let me “bake” it down for you.

What is a cake smash and should I do one?

Puns aside, cake smashes are typically done around your baby’s first birthday. It involves them “smashing” into a cake with their hands and feet as they explore and play with it. The goal is to capture their excitement and curiosity, while they make the cutest mess in the process. Babies usually end up covered with colorful frosting and bits of cake, creating once-in-a-lifetime memories.

Originally, we weren’t going to do a cake smash photo shoot. But our minds changed when we did some research. We figured that Baby Bao only turns one once and didn’t want to regret not doing it. It’s definitely your choice, but I haven’t heard any parent voice that they rather have not done a cake smash.

How does the photo shoot work?

Some parents opt to take their own photos of their babies trying cake for the first time at their birthday celebration. Others, like myself, chose to hire a photographer. With the latter, we were able to be more carefree with an experienced professional handling the majority of the work. All we needed to do was provide our desired theme and be ready with outfits. We also knew that our seasoned photographer would know how to encourage Baby Bao to get messy for the best pictures possible.

How do I prepare for a cake smash photo session?

All these considerations may sound daunting, but I promise that it’s way less work than it sounds! Once you choose your photographer, the rest are just fun details for you to decide on.

1. Choose your photographer

Like any photo shoot, photographers can get booked up months in advance, so it’s important to reach out to ones you like ASAP to understand what their schedule looks like. The criteria that mattered to us was that the photographer would be no more than an hour away (so Baby Bao doesn’t get fussy from a long car ride), had a great portfolio with years of experience, affordable, and flexible. Our photographer even has a connection with a local baker, so all her cakes are included in the price of the shoot. One thing to note is to factor in the time it’ll take for you to review proofs and for the photographer to edit the photos for the finished product. Ours was really fast, but depending when you want the photos and how quick yours takes to edit, you may want to have the photo shoot a week or two prior to your little one’s birthday. If you’re in Central New Jersey, check out our photographer Carrie Lopez of Shuttershock!

2. Pinpoint your theme

Everyone has different tastes for what they want the backdrop to look like. For me, I was keen on having a more decorated set compared to an understated one. We decided on a “winter one-derland” (winter wonderland) theme with pops of pink for color, and the photographer certainly delivered! She utilized a balloon arch, wooden boxes, glitter cones, and small trees to bring it all together. If your photographer has a studio, they’ll likely have all the props for common themes. Some other ones for you to consider if you’re hitting a creative block are: one-der the sea (under the sea/mermaid), wild one (mountains/outdoorsy/woodland), or their favorite song/book.

3. Buy clothing options

We weren’t able to see the full backdrop until we arrived, so I brought 6 different dresses and 15 bows. Sounds like a lot, but I seriously like my options! Our photographer allowed us to have two outfits, one for normal photos while the second was reserved for the cake smash. I prepared early by pairing certain bows with specific dresses and waited until we were on set to see which dresses matched the best without clashing the color scheme. My biggest tip is to bring scissors and not cut any tags off your clothing choices until you’re there – that way you can return anything unused. Our special occasion dresses were from Macy’s and we got these super cute floral headbands from Amazon.

4. Provide any dietary restrictions

Baby Bao has a cows milk protein allergy, so we told our photographer upfront. Her baker was able to accommodate with a beautifully decorated vegan cake with ombre rosettes. It was so on point with the theme. Don’t be afraid to mention any allergies if your photographer is providing the cake to make sure your little one has the best time possible.

5. Make sure your baby is well rested

We scheduled the shoot early in the morning, so we were able to do our usual routine of feeding her a bottle, followed by breakfast before we traveled to the studio. She had a good night’s rest and was all smiles for the photographer once we arrived.

What should I expect from the shoot?

The advice my coworker gave me prior to our cake smash photo shoot really helped level-set my expectations. She said that both her kids acted completely different with the cake and to not be surprised if Baby Bao hardly smashes it. Her older son was really into it and happily devoured the cake. Her younger son on the other hand HATED the entire experience. All he did was cry and not touch the cake at all.

Baby Bao ended up being average, according to the photographer. She was happy for most of the photo session, but started crying for the cake portion. We found out she didn’t like the icing, but was intrigued with the inside of the cake after the photographer cut some of it open for her to try. Most of her cake-eating pictures were with raised eyebrows and confusion. She later started to rub into the cake, which got us some of the playful, messier shots we were hoping for.

Either way, the pictures came out ADORABLE as you can see! We went into the entire experience just wanting some cute pictures that’ll commemorate this major milestone, and we definitely got that and much more.

Hope these tips and our experience helps you in your cake smash photo shoot journey. Remember to set your expectations low, find a photographer who’s flexible, and most importantly – have fun! Happy first birthday to your little one and congrats on surviving the first year of motherhood!

xo Kris