Cake Smash sessions are the best! If I have a big mess to clean up after, that's a good thing!! It means the little one went to town on that cake! Most people apologize for the big mess after but I always reply with "that's a good thing! I want a big mess to clean up, that means success!". I'm going to give you alllll the insight into preparing for this session. Once clients arrive and the session starts, the chaos begins. I'll share below what to prepare for so that we can set your session up to end in a BIG frosting mess!
Prepping your little one for the session:
First things first, do NOT let this be the first time your little one has sugar. Introduce them to sugar at least a few days beforehand so they aren't completely shocked by the sweetness when they get here. If it's their first time, it tends to shock them a little and freak them out. You don't have to overload your kiddo with sugar but at least introduce it to them a little in advance so they know what to expect when that frosting hits their tongue. This is really the only thing you have to do to prep your little one. Just make sure that if we booked your session in advance the session time doesn't run into their changing nap times. That never goes well! We will have a fresh bath ready for your little one after the cake smash so that you can bathe or rinse the stickiness off before hopping back in the car. We even have baby soap if a full bath works best for you.
Prepping Mom and Dad for the session:
BRING CLOTHES YOU CAN GET FROSTING ON! If you plan to go out and about after your session, make sure you bring an extra set of clothes for yourself. You will without a doubt get frosting on your clothes. Especially if your little one is a walker or big mover. You will be bringing them back onto the set over and over if this is the case. If they are covered in frosting, it's bound to get all over you! We always feel bad when parents head to Target after the session covered in frosting.
Bring snacks for your little one! Some times babies don't have much interest in the cake (shocking, right?!) so bringing your little ones favorite snacks to stick behind the cake is always a good backup. We keep Goldfish crackers and Puffs on hand just in case. If it's around your baby's meal time, don't hesitate to bring a bottle of milk or water to keep them happy. Sometimes they need a sip of milk to comfort them or help the cake wash down.
Also keep in mind that you might have to stay close. Stranger danger can be real sometimes and sometimes they need a parent to stay close so that they don't panic and cry. You might be stuck sitting next to us on the floor so that you can keep your little one content.
Prepping siblings for the session:
It's common for clients to do family photos at this session. If this is the case for you, just remind your other kiddos during the session or beforehand that the cake is going home with you and they will have their chance to enjoy it too! Sometimes siblings hop in the cake smash at the end to share.
Another thing to remind big siblings is that we have to work fast and there is limited space. Staying behind the flashing lights is all we ask! Babies tend to tap out after 20 mins of shooting so the faster we can get our shots, the better. Keeping your other little ones behind the camera and lights is a HUGE help!
You know your baby best! Will big siblings hanging around be distracting or help with giggles? Some littles get distracted by their big siblings while others give us the biggest smiles and giggles when their older sibling is making funny faces behind Marggie. Keep this in mind as you are planing who tags along for this session. Sometimes the comfort and goofiness of their big brother or sister really helps, other times it might be distracting. Prepping siblings with a little rundown talk about this before the session might help! If you need the big siblings to stay entertained or are having a hard time focusing the cake smash with siblings running around, let me know! I'm happy to help them stay entertained or out of the way.
What to bring:
Change of clothes for mom or dad
Snacks to stick behind cake if need be
A bottle or water to give your little one a cake break
We have you covered on all the little necessities like towels, wipes, diapers, hairbands, headbands, one year outfits, etc. We have all the essentials here so that you don't have to stress over bringing too much. If you forgot something at home, chances are we have it in the studio for you!
I hope this helps you feel more prepared when you are nearing your cake smash session. The important thing to remember is that we have all the essentials here. Focus on prepping you and your baby and we'll make sure to have the essentials here for you just in case something is left behind!
We've got you covered ;)
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