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What’s better than letting your baby discover a delicious cake for their first birthday? There are definitely worst ways to celebrate this milestone! However, « Smash the Cake » photos don’t always go as planned. In order to help you, here are five tips for a successful Cake Smash session.
Try it before the session
Most of the time, children get to taste cake for the first time during the session since it takes place before their actual birthday. With the stress caused by being in a new environment and meeting the photographer, discovering this dessert can be stressful for some little ones! The best is to initiate them to this new food a few days before the session. There is no need to use a large cake, a cupcake is enough. This will allow them to experiment with the texture and taste in a positive context, which should make the Cake Smash more enjoyable as well.
Pick the right cake
A white cake with a light colour icing will give best results. Avoid red velvet and chocolate cakes, as they don’t photograph well. Once destructed and smeared on the ground, the first one will look like blood, while the second one will look like 💩…
Similarly, avoid covering the cake with fondant. It’s way too difficult for tiny hands to manipulate! In addition, several babies don’t enjoy cream cheese icing because of its sour taste. A classic buttercream will yield better results.
If you’re creative, you can bake the cake yourself. Assuming you have most of the ingredients and baking tools already, it should cost you around 15-20$ to do it. You can even follow my easy Smash the Cake recipe!
If you prefer going the easy way, the best solution is to buy your cake from an experienced bakery. The vast majority of them offer cakes created for « Smash the Cake » sessions. They are generally two tiers 4″ or 6″ circular cakes. They usually cost around 40$, but this can vary depending on your requests.
Prepare your own props before the session
Since I supply the setup and will install everything before your arrival, you don’t have to worry about it! However, if you want to bring your own props, make sure everything is ready before you get to the studio. For instance, if you want to add berries to your cake, wash them and cut them at your home. Similarly, if you want a citrus bath to end the session, cut all the fruits in advance and store them in an airtight container with a wet paper towel. This way, we will begin the session at your arrival and all our attention will be focused on the little birthday child.
In the same branch, the cake should be out of the fridge a few hours before the session. This will allow it to reach room temperature, which will be much easier to manipulate for small hands. Otherwise, both the icing and cake will stay hard and cold and your child might not want to touch it.
Have a plan B
Despite everything, some children don’t enjoy sugar as much as others. The Cake Smash might not last long with them. Think about bringing snacks they like, such as crackers or small pieces of fruit. We can hide them in the cake icing to incite them to taste it.
Similarly, a noisy toy that captures their attention will be practical to make them look at the camera and smile. You can also create a playlist with your child’s favourite songs. We will play it during the session to keep them happy. It works almost every time!
Be ready for the mess
Not only will your child get dirty, but so will you! Most little ones end up walking around the studio with their body full of icing. You will need to bring them back in the setup to continue the session, which can soil your clothes at the same time. You might want to wear an old t-shirt and a dark pair of pants because food colouring could potentially stain them forever. Alternatively, you can bring a change of clothes including a top, pants and socks.
Expect all sorts of emotions!
Very often, Smash the Cake sessions make children go through a roller coaster of emotions. They can be serious, roar with laughter, be completely uninterested and cry their eyes out, all during the same hour. We will do our very best to get genuine smiles, but don’t be surprised if your child looks serious or ends up crying. The worst-case scenario, it will be a funny story to tell them once they’re older! 😉
Pandemic note: If your child was born during the pandemic and has limited interactions with strangers, expect the session to be more difficult. I notice that children who don’t go to daycare and are not used to strangers cry a lot more. If it’s your case, it will be even more important to bring varied snacks and different toys your child likes to keep them in a good mood during our appointment.
Last update: February 2024
Would you like to book a session like this? Contact me at lisamarie.savard@yahoo.ca to do so!
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