Tips on organising a cake smash

I have organised a cake smash session for each of my kids and I have some tips I would love to share to make your experience and photos a memorable one for you and the family.

1. Plan ahead

I can’t insist enough the need to plan; with time, when organising a cake smash photo shoot. If you are wanting to use a professional photographer (read Tip 6) then you will need to book them ahead of time. Many photographers are booked months in advance and you would hate to miss out on using your ideal photographer for the shoot. You might also need to book someone in to bake the cake and order a customised outfit for your little one for the photo shoot.

2. Choose a theme

I highly recommend choosing a theme for the cake smash, because aesthetically it looks nicer in the photos and it would make your life easier when deciding on what cake, outfit and decorations you need to buy. When I had to decide on a theme for Maxi’s cake smash, I didn’t really know what I wanted so I jumped onto Pinterest and Instagram for some inspiration and ideas. I opted for a blue and gold theme for the decorations, muted colours for his outfit and a colouful cake for him to smash. The combination of colours turned out amazingly and I loved the way the photos turned out as a result.

3. Outdoors vs indoors

I have had a cake smash photo session both indoors and outdoors and to be honest – both sessions turned out beautifully. I initially booked Maxi’s cake smash outdoors but there was some bad weather on the day, so it ended up turning into an indoor session. My advice on doing an outdoor session – have an indoor back up plan. The only other experience I can share with doing an outdoor shoot is that it can be messier than an indoor shoot. Not only do you have to deal with the mess of the cake, but also because of the stickiness you might have dirt, twigs, grass or sand to also try and clean up.

4. Be prepared for the aftermath

Purely and simply – a cake smash session is messy! Take plenty of wipes, a couple of plastic bags for the dirty clothes and smashed up cake and some clean clothes to change bub into. Don’t make any plans after the session. You are going to want to take your child home for a bath to take all that stickiness off them as well as soak the dirty clothes from the cake being all over it.

5. Get in the photo

While you are busy getting bub ready for the photo shoot – don’t forget to get yourself ready as well. While I didn’t plan to get in the photos with my kids, the photographer suggested I get in the photo and I am so glad I did. As a Mum, you are mostly taking photos of the kids, but how many photos do you have WITH your kids? I love the photos I got back of Maxi and me, and even though I wasn’t really prepared for it (I would have chosen a different outfit!) it’s a photo I will cherish forever.

6. Invest in a professional photographer

I take a lot of photos of the kids, but they never turn out as beautifully as when I engage a professional photographer. I could not recommend Andrea Dedik Photography highly enough. She is so lovely, professional and her photos are just stunning. We used Andrea for Maxi’s newborn photo shoot as well and had such a wonderful experience with her that I knew I wanted her for this photo shoot. You will find her packages are reasonably priced and you will walk away with the most beautiful photos of your children – that will capture a special moment in time forever.