5 tips for a successful cake smash photoshoot

Everything you need to know for a fun and stress free cake smash

Joanna reached out to me for a Mother's day photo session with her little girl Zoe. When I realized Zoe was about to turn one I asked if she wanted to include a cake smash in the end. I am so glad Joanna said yes, because it was so much to watch little Zoe dig in and have a time of her life. However, not all kids are super into their cold mushy cakes, so here's what you can do increase the probability of your baby smashing a cake.

1. Get your Cake ready!

The most important step that will make or break your Cake Smash photoshoot! Get your cake ready ahead of time. Here's how to do it:

• Leave the cake outside the refrigerator for at least an hour. No baby will ever touch a cold gooey mess.

• Put baby's favorite fruits on the cake as toppings. The cake is a very foreign object for the baby. A familiar fruit is more likely to entice the baby.

• Refrain from adding toys other choking hazards on the cake.

2. Make sure the baby is well fed and napped

A hungry and tired baby will not be willing to sit in front of a cake with a stranger pointing a camera towards them. Make sure to feel your baby before the photo session and time the session such that baby's nap is not disturbed or cut short.

3. Do not jump in to the cake smash right away

So counterintuitive right? I mean, isn't this' why you are at the photoshoot in the first place? But hear me out. Your baby is in a new environment with a stranger and big weird looking equipment around them. Let them get accustomed to their surrounding. Chat away. Play silly games. Take family photos. In short, help your baby feel comfortable before tasking them with a huge responsibility.

4. Get your hands dirty too!

When you scoot down with your baby and sing Happy Birthday, baby thinks of it as a fun activity. If you gently encourage or yourself pick a strawberry to eat, your baby will do the same. So forget about keeping your outfits clean and get in the groove.

5. Let go of expectations

Every baby is different and hence every cake smash is different. Please do not put this pressure on yourself or your baby to have a pinterest-perfect cake smash. Some babies go all in and others are content with their fruit picking. So enjoy this big milestone with your baby. It was a long year with lots of ups and downs and wins and regressions. And a cake smash or not is a perfect to celebrate with your baby!

Wishing you the messiest Cake Smash ever!

Beautiful Stories Photography

Maternity, Newborn and Family Photography

by Heena Mukhi

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