Luca is my first graduate of the First Year Collection. I had the privilege of capturing all of his milestones. First, his mom’s maternity session, his newborn session and his sitter session. Finally, we celebrated his first birthday with a rustic, neutral cake smash at my studio in Canton, CT.
Planning a Neutral Cake Smash
To plan his session, Luca’s mom told me she wanted a neutral set with natural tones. Simplicity was key. She sent me a few Pinterest pictures for inspiration and I was off and running. I ordered a rustic cake from a local baker. Then I found the perfect banner from Michael’s Craft Store that was neutral in color and design. My cubes from Hobby Lobby were exactly what I wanted in the backdrop. The evergreen sprigs and trees were leftover from the holiday season and gave a natural vibe. I provide everything you need for your cake smash session, all I need from you is the baby!
First Year Portraits
After Luca arrived at my studio in Canton, CT, his mom and I chose a white romper from the client closet for his first year portraits before he got messy. Luca wasn’t super enthusiastic about this part, but his serious face is just so adorable and I loved being able to capture some of the details.
Cake Smash
Once we got some individual portraits, it was time for cake. After a few quick pictures of the set, it was time for Luca to dive in. The cakes that I order from Home Sweet Home Bakery are sometimes so perfect that little ones don’t realize it’s food. After some prompting, Luca was willing to dip his finger in to taste some sweet frosting.
Mommy and Me Portraits
Once the cake was all wrapped up (literally), we did a few Mommy and Me pictures with Luca and his mom. I was so excited to use the new chair in the studio to give it a bit of a Boho feel. And as a mom myself, I know how hard it can be to get those images of the two of you together!
You never know what reaction you’re going to get during a cake smash session. Sometimes cold indifference, sometimes you’re cleaning cake out of their ears for days. It’s hard to predict! But either way, cake smashes are memorable events and such a fun way to celebrate a first birthday.
Want to learn more about cake smash sessions? Check out my cake smash portfolio if you’re going to be celebrating your little one’s birthday in the next few months. Don’t have a one-year old yet? Check out my sitter sessions, a fun way to highlight your sitter’s personality.
