As we travel through this first week of May, my thoughts have been straying toward the second half of June. Why, you may ask? Because my baby girl is turning 1! Hard to believe that sweet and joyful girl is already headed toward that first birthday. Didn’t we just bring her home from the hospital? I feel like I was just in labor and delivery being told her numbers had dropped and we needed to do a c-section right away. Yep, my spotlight baby entered this world in the only way a diva could… on HER time and using the alternative route.
As a photographer, I’ve seen my share of 1st birthday celebrations (including my son’s who is now three). So, how do we prepare for the best photographs of that moment when those little fingers start exploring the mountains of icing on that cake?
Top 3 Quicktips for Cake Smash Session
- The Cake – As tempting as it may be to go get that chocolate cake with the bright colored icing, my advice is to steer clear of chocolate and 86 that bright colored icing. Chocolate smashed against a toddler’s face in photographs always ends up looking like… well, there’s only one way to say it… the contents of a dirty diaper. It’s not attractive at all! That colored icing? Well, same rule applies… that bright blue or pink icing ends up taking over the photo and that adorable little toddler all of a sudden is not the focus of the moment. Forego that bright colored icing and go with a white or off-white shade. To add some color to the photos, add colorful sprinkles to the cake. These are a lot less over powering in the photos but still add some of that color contrast needed in the photos.
- Family Photos – Yes, the cake smash usually takes center stage on the first birthday, but let’s now forget to get those very important family photos as well. Be sure to take these photos BEFORE the cake smash begins. Plan the events of your celebration or your photo session to make the cake smash the final event on the agenda. Your toddler is all dressed up and you really won’t want to play clean up just to get a few shots with the family.
- The Aftermath – Be sure to bring a change of clothes for your birthday star. Especially if the cake smash is not happening at home. If all goes as planned, your little one is going to be covered in cake and icing. I don’t know about the other mom’s out there, but I prefer to keep that style of mess out of my car.
Cake Smash Celebration at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, Plano
These are just my top 3 QuickTips. If you schedule your cake smash with Melissa Markle Photography, you will get a lot more helpful tips to prepare for the big celebration.
Want to know my secret to help get those toddler fingers digging into the icing? Don’t forget to sign up for our email list for monthly tips like these, seasonal promotions, discounts, and more!
