Cake Smash Photography
Cake smash is the most reliably joyful session we run and the messiest by a wide margin. The structure is simple: clean portraits on a themed set first, while the child is fresh, then the cake, then a tub. The colour palette runs through the backdrop, the outfit and the cake itself, which is what separates a considered set of images from a photograph of a baby covered in icing. We handle the cake, the mess and the cleanup.
Ways to book this
- Standard cake smash — one theme, cake and bath, about 90 minutes
- Cake smash + family — the whole family photographed on the set first
- Twins or siblings — two cakes, one set, considerably more towels
- Smash + milestone bundle — booked alongside the first-birthday shoot
In the session
Everything that comes as standard with a cake smash booking — not a list of optional extras.
After the session
What is delivered, and in what form. Full personal-use rights on every image.
What we would tell you on the first call
Expect somewhere between a third and a half of babies to want nothing to do with the cake, and plan for it to be fine. A one-year-old poking a cake suspiciously and refusing to touch it makes a better and funnier series of photographs than a compliant one. The session is designed to work either way, so please do not spend the week beforehand training your child to like icing.
Cake Smash — Frequently Asked Questions
What actually happens during a cake smash session?+
Three stages, in order. Clean portraits on the themed set while the child is fresh. Then the cake, shot at burst speed, because the genuinely good frames last about four seconds. Then a splash tub or bath to finish, which photographs beautifully and solves the cleanup at the same time.
Do you provide the cake?+
Yes, ordered to match the set palette, with egg-free or vegan options if you need them. Tell us about any allergies on the enquiry form. If you would rather bring your own from a bakery you trust, that is entirely fine — send us a photograph of it so we can build the palette around it.
What if my baby will not touch the cake?+
Somewhere between a third and a half of them will not, and the session is designed to work either way. A one-year-old poking a cake suspiciously and refusing to engage makes a funnier and frankly better series of photographs than a compliant one. Please do not spend the week beforehand training your child to like icing.
What age is a cake smash for?+
Usually right around the first birthday, once a child sits confidently and can be left to explore something in front of them. Some families do a half-year version at six months, which works if the baby sits well.
How messy does it get, and who cleans up?+
Very, and we do. Full cleanup is included, including the child — the bath at the end of the session handles most of it. Bring a spare set of clothes and a towel for the journey home; everything else is our problem.
How long is the session?+
About ninety minutes across all three stages. Forty to sixty edited images delivered within three weeks, including square crops suitable for a first-birthday invitation.
Packages that include this
Sessions bundled the way families actually use them.
All packagesRelated Services
Thinking about a cake smash session?
Tell us the occasion, your child's age and roughly when. You will get availability and a quote the same day — and an honest note if the timing would be better a few weeks either side.
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