Milestone photoshoots are some of my favorite to do as a newborn photographer in Akron, OH. Cake smashes in particular are absolutely a BLAST! It’s a chance for you and your toddler to celebrate their first year of life, get a little messy, and laugh a whole lot! I get asked a lot of questions about my cake smash photoshoots; how the process works, what’s included, the timeframe, etc. So, I thought I’d break it all down for you! Let’s get into it!
So, You Want to do a Cake Smash Photoshoot with an Akron, OH Newborn Photographer
Cake smash photoshoots are an absolute joy. They’re so messy and crazy, but also so magical and spirited!
The first step in this whole process is of course, the inquiry. You’ll reach out to me to let me know you’re interested in watching your kiddo make a mess for an afternoon! I’ll answer any questions that you have regarding the shoot and then we’ll find a date that works best for you.
Once we have a date picked, you’ll pay the retainer fee so that I can guarantee your spot on that day! I’ll then get your email from you and send you a brief questionnaire that will cover some basic information I need from you.
After you return the questionnaire to me, we have our first official meeting about your little one’s cake smash!
What We’ll Discuss Regarding Your Cake Smash Photoshoot
We’ll spend some time emailing, video chatting, or talking on the phone about exactly what you want out of this fun day! Every newborn photographer in Akron, OH does this part a little bit differently. I however like to give the bulk of the creative take to my clients. So, we’ll discuss the theme you want, the colors, backdrops, the look of the cake, props, etc.
Don’t get me wrong, if you just aren’t a visionary, you are more than welcome to leave it in my hands! That’s totally fine, I got it!
The Exciting…albeit messy…Day!
When your crazy, fun filled day arrives, your only job is to show up with your little one and a few outfit changes! We do a classic photoshoot with 3 outfit changes,and then the cake smash. I offer one outfit for the big day, so bring two more that you want your little one photographed in. Then bring two more for the sake of having backups, especially after the cake smash itself because believe me…they’ll be covered in cake.
Everything will be set up when you get there. I’ll have the background ready to go, the cake set up, the outfit laid out, snacks and drinks available, you’re all set!
We do the classic photoshoot first (of course) and go through three outfit changes for that. Then we do the cake smash shoot with one of the outfits!
Tips for the Cake Smash Photoshoot
You’ll get a whole list of tips from me before you arrive for your photoshoot, but I wanted to include a few here:
- Bring extra clothes. Not just for your kiddo, but for you! You’re going to get cake all over you when you go and lift them out of it, so come prepared. Bring extra clothes for them as well for the ride home.
- Bring a sippy cup of milk or water, or a bottle. Believe it or not, kids get extremely thirsty during these cake smash photoshoots. This thirst makes them irritable and they will end up not wanting to participate. It’s not because they’re over it, it’s just because they’re a little thirsty!
- If you know your munchkin isn’t a fan of sweets, I have a hack! Bring their favortie snack (pretzels, crackers, gold fish) and I will hide them inside the cake. That way they have an enticing reason to dig their hands into it!
- Bring a bag for soiled outfits.
The End of Your Cake Smash with Your Akron, OH Newborn Photographer
Typically, 1-3 days after your photoshoot, you will get 1-3 fully edited pictures from me as a sneak peak of what’s to come. A week or so later, you’ll get a soft edit of every photo in your gallery. This is where the fun part happens. You get to go through all of those photos and pick which ones you want fully edited.
I offer several collection options (6, 14, 20, and Full – usually 30-35). You get to pick which photos you want. I then do a full edit on them and send them your way! We’ll go over any questions you have and any prints you may want, and then you have the cutest photos of your almost-toddler ever!
I hope this helped you better understand how I run my cake smash photoshoots as an Akron, OH newborn photographer! I cannot wait to hear from you to schedule you fun day and meet your little one!
