Preparing for your Cake Smash Session
A bit more info on what you can expect from your session:
I do all my cake smash sessions in my home studio at 6 Ochre Court, Sheidow Park. Ours is the last house on your right, and you are very welcome to park in the driveway. I will have my business sign next to the pilar at the front door.
I start the session with a family photo. Please arrive ready for your family photo – dressed and hair and makeup already done. Please wear something in neutral colours, like white / cream / beige, pastel colours, or autumn colours, like rusts, sage, olive greens or burnt orange. Try to select outfits for the family that goes well together. Avoid any overly bright colours or big / bold patterns. Where possible, please stay away from blacks too. You are very welcome to use any of my outfits for the family photo, or you can dress your little one in an outfit that works with the rest of the family's outfits.
The best way to capture a one-year-old is to entertain them. This we do by giving them something to eat or play with. Therefore, a cake smash session is the easiest way to take photos of your little one. It does not necessarily have to be a cake though – baby can eat cake, donuts or even bits of fruit – strawberries and watermelon look great in photos too. After the cake smash part of the session, I wrap up the session by giving baby a little playtime in a cute baby size bath.
Please bring along a recording of their favourite songs/videos to play during their cake smash session – this helps create familiarity and relaxes them, hopefully getting a smile or two during the session. Also bring a favourite toy / anything else that prompts your little one to smile / laugh. And of course, if they have any favourite snacks, it is also good to bring it along - should they not like the cake, we can hide some of their snack behind the cake. And of course a drink, and nappies.
Theme of the session
Each cake smash session has a distinct theme. I set up a backdrop and props to match the theme. If you decide to use a theme I already have, costs would be slightly less than when we plan a completely new theme for your little one.
You can see what existing themes I currently offer by looking at:
Cake Smash Session Backdrops and Themes for Boys
Cake Smash Session Backdrops and Themes for Girls
What is included:
To see what the costs for the session are, please have a look at Cake Smash / Milk bath Pakcages
All props, an outfit for baby and the cake is included in the cost of the session. I also include 20 edited high resolution digital photos delivered online. Additional digital photos can be bought for $20 a photo. For the family photo outfits are the responsibility of the client.
Should you prefer bringing your own cake, we can adjust the cost of your session accordingly.
Time of the session
I do cake smash sessions in the morning, preferably between your baby’s nap times. Babies are usually happier in the morning, and we have a bigger chance of successfully get some super cute photos. It is very important to arrive on time for your scheduled session to make sure we have enough time to spend on your baby. A session is typically between 60 – 90 minutes long. I schedule the session either directly after a nap, or roughly 1.5 hours before a nap, but always in the morning as babies tend to get a bit grizzly in the afternoon, making it really difficult to get cute photos. For most babies, this would typically mean that we start between 9:30 and 10 in the morning.
What you can do to prepare your baby for the session:
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Get your little one to play a bit with a cupcake / taste it once or twice before the session to get them used to the texture. This is also a good time to test if baby has any allergic reactions to the cake. Just Believe Photography orders the cakes from a professional bakery and does not take responsibility for any allergic reactions baby might have. The same if you decide on having a donut or a fruit smash.
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If you opt for a milk bath, add a few leaves / petals to baby’s bath before the session, otherwise they will be very hesitant to play in the water.
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Should you prefer a bubble bath, give baby a bubble bath once or twice before the session. Please let me know before commencement of the session if baby is allergic to bath bubbles if you opt for a bubble bath. If you prefer bringing along your own bubble bath please remember to do so.
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Download few of baby’s favorite songs / video clips to play for him / her during the session. Sometimes they feel a bit overwhelmed, and it is amazing how much a familiar song / videoclip can help them to relax.
What to bring along
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Songs and video clips for baby
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Wear the outfits you want to wear for the family photo. You are welcome to bring along a change of clothes should you prefer something else for the cake smash, as the session can be messy.
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Baby’s outfit for the family photo
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Drinks and snacks for baby
When can you expect your final set of photos:
It usually takes 2 – 3 days to edit your photos. I will post a short social media preview within a day after the session and send through a download link to your full set within 3 days after the session. If you don’t want your photos to be shared on social media / website, please let me know before commencement of your session. Your final set will not have any watermarks and they will be print ready. Please remember to download your final set within a month – all galleries are taken down after a month and a re-upload fee may apply.