Prepare yourself for the most adorably sweet photos EVER!
My “In Focus” this month is a delicious behind the scenes peak at one of my popular cake smash sessions.
Meet the Perks family. Annabelle, Mike, Zachary aged three and Emelia who is now aged one. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing this gorgeous family before so was absolutely thrilled to be asked to capture some first birthday fun for Emelia.
Emelia Rose Perks was born at the end of November 2020 weighing 9lbs 1oz.
She is a happy little soul who is fiercely independent and loves to chase after her older brother. Emelia loves her food, enjoys dancing and her current idol is Upsy Daisy from In the Night Garden!
Emelia’s cake smash session was on the 1st of November 2021, a good few weeks before her first birthday. I’m often asked how far in advance should a cake smash session be booked, and I always encourage families to book well ahead of the big birthday. This is especially important if you’re planning on using the photos for invites or other birthday memorabilia. It allows ample time for photo editing but also gives you extra space for any other products to be printed and returned for the big day. Annabelle and Mike knew they wanted to use the photos for Emelia’s birthday thank you cards so booked ahead with this in mind.
First birthdays really are such fun milestones to capture. The opportunity to do something extra-special is what has made cake smash photography so popular. For many children like Emelia, this is often the first time they’ve tasted and eaten cake. It’s a lot of fun watching their little faces delight in the new tastes and textures. Even if your child has had cake before, the novelty of having a whole beautifully decorated cake in front them to explore (and their delighted faces whilst doing it) will have everyone in a fit of giggles. The
resulting photos are simply priceless.
Emelia was a little unsure about the cake to begin with – which can often be the case at the start of cake smash sessions, but as soon as she tasted the cake she quickly warmed up to the situation and thoroughly enjoyed herself – as you can see!
Annabelle and Mike selected a pink colour scheme for the shoot, with a gorgeous balloon cloud and a simple classic décor. Combined with a custom- made vanilla cake with matching pink icing from the super talented local company Cakey Heaven it looked and tasted wonderful.
Selecting a cake smash outfit is often the part parents worry about the most. Annabelle chose a simple white swimsuit that was perfect to show off Emelia’s adorable chubby arms and legs. Adding a little pink bow in her hair was the perfect finishing touch.
After all the messy fun, we moved on to the clean-up session where we took some fabulous photos in a vintage roll top bath filled with bubbles – bliss!
A cake smash session typically lasts about 2 hours. It’s essential to take time to capture photos before the madness begins, then enjoy the messy cake shots and finish with those lovely bubble filled bath shots.
Annabelle and Mike said that the highlights of the shoot were: “Seeing Emmy eat cake for the first time and then her in the bath with all the bubbles.”
Their top cake smash tip for other parents considering a session is: “Wear something you don’t mind getting icing and cake on!”
Wise words there! Cake smash sessions certainly are marvellous and messy! Whilst your little one gets the luxury of a clean-up bath after the cake smash fun - parents do have to help get them in to the bath and offer a little encouragement along the way!
At the end of the photo shoot, whatever cake isn’t eaten or smashed, you get to take home to enjoy with a cuppa! It’s a fantastic way for the whole family to indulge in some special birthday fun for their little one.
I simply loved taking these perfectly pink shots of Emelia. Annabelle and Mike also had some kind words to share about their session
“I’ve used Jess a number of times since my son was born in 2018. She makes the whole photography process very easy and enjoyable - from being flexible when booking in a date, choosing which photos you want her to edit, to receiving the edited photos. “
Aww so sweet!
If you’d like to book a cake smash session or want to find out more, check out my Cake Smash FAQ’s or drop me an email.
Cake smash photo shoots really are the sweetest birthday treat. Why not get some photos that are guaranteed to make you smile forever?
Love Jess xx
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