Cake Smashing is LOTS of fun!

2019 NOTE: SO much has changed over the years! To see what I am up to these days, come check out my current blog Megan Does Adventures — Thank you for stopping by! — Love, Megan

I was SO excited to do Elise’s ONE year cake smash photo session.  The two days before I stayed up making her tutu and hair bow and the pennants in the background.  I do wish I hadn’t used the black ones with the dots, as they photographed darker than I would have liked, but oh well!  I am so in love with these photos.  It is taking every ounce of self control that I have to not wallpaper my house with them!!  Prepare for photo overload!  Also if you make it all the way through my zillion photos, I have a few tips for to have a successful cake smash photo session down at the bottom!

She decided to get her toes involved too!

Her hair bow was so super cute on her.  But she yanked it off after only a couple of shots.  I decided to pick my battles and not fight her over it.  I would much rather have a happy bowless baby instead of a mad, fabulous bow wearing baby in my photos!

I decided to use a rainbow cake because I wanted lots of color and fun.  It was definitely a hit and brings so much life to the photos!  I think it encouraged Elise to rip it apart to, as she liked seeing the colors!

SO FULL!

Daddy then got in on the fun and started throwing cake up in the air over her head.  She thought that was HILARIOUS!

And then she decided that she was over it!

These are by far my favorite photos of her.  I may have on mom goggles, but I have a strong need to print every single one of these (and there are lots more than just posted here) HUGE!

As promised above, tips for a successful cake smash:

• If you are going to do the photos yourself, do not attempt to do these alone.  You will need someone to help keep the baby in the desired area.
• Do not sit the baby down until you are ready to go and camera is ready to start snapping.  You don’t want to miss special moments while you are busy changing settings.
• If you are so attached to the baby’s clothing that it can’t be ruined, then don’t use it.  Same goes for you.
• Bring an extra set of clothes for yourself as well, you will probably get dirty too!
• Don’t be forceful.  If the baby isn’t interested at first, give him/her time.  If you try to force it, you will probably end up with a melt down.
• Once they get going, doing be afraid to encourage a little.  If you want a smash to the extent above, you are probably going to have to help a little.  If not, the baby will be so full of icing and tired before it ever gets this far.  Stick a hand in.  Rip a few spots open for them so that they can see the yummy goodness underneath.
• Have a little one that is completely uninterested?  Try putting a yogurt melt, puff, cheerio, or other favorite snack hidden on the back of the cake to get them to take a taste.
• Do not use chocolate cake.  When it gets smeared, it is going to look like poop.
• Don’t go too crazy with props.  You want the baby and the cake to be the focus and too many props can quickly distract from that.
• Do not plan a session like this (or any session) when your baby is tired or needing a nap.  That is always a recipe for disaster.
• Don’t feed your baby a huge meal beforehand.  Make sure they aren’t hungry, but not stuffed either.  If they are too full, they won’t be interested and will be over it quickly.  If they are too hungry, they will just be a cranky mess.
• Overall, just have fun with it.  If they end up being cranky and have a melt down, still capture those pictures.  That is who they are that point.  Twenty years from now you are going to laugh at the memory of them freaking out over a cake.