It's Never Really About the Cake... Why Cake Smash Sessions Are About So Much More Than Cake

When people hear the words cake smash, they often picture a baby covered in icing, making a wonderful mess and giggling their way through a birthday cake.

And whilst that's certainly part of the fun, a cake smash session is about so much more than the cake itself.

For me, it's about celebrating one of the biggest milestones of your baby's life their very first birthday.

A whole year of memories

Your baby's first year is full of incredible moments.

Those sleepless newborn nights.

The first smile.

Rolling over.

Sitting up.

The first giggle.

Tiny hands reaching for yours.

And before you know it, you're planning their first birthday.

A cake smash is a celebration of everything you've experienced together over those twelve months.

It's not all about the mess!

One of the biggest misconceptions is that the entire session revolves around smashing the cake.

In reality, every session begins with a beautiful portrait setup.

This gives us the chance to capture timeless photographs of your little one before the cake even appears.

These are often the images that parents frame around their home for years to come.

Then comes the fun...

Some babies dive straight into the cake.

Others carefully poke it with one finger.

Some would rather crawl away than eat a single crumb and that's perfectly okay!

Every baby is different, and that's exactly how I approach every session.

The best photographs are the unexpected ones

Some of my favourite images aren't actually of babies eating cake.

They're the cheeky smiles.

The curious expressions.

The clapping.

The tiny handfuls of icing.

The proud faces after discovering something completely new.

Those are the moments families remember.

Finishing with a splash!

After all the sticky fun comes one of everyone's favourite parts the warm bubble bath.

Not only does it help clean away all that icing, but it also creates another opportunity for gorgeous smiles, splashes and laughter.

For many babies, it's the highlight of the whole experience.

A relaxed, baby-led experience

Just like every session in my studio, cake smashes are completely baby-led.

There are no expectations.

No pressure for your little one to eat the cake.

No forced smiles.

Instead, we simply let them explore, play and enjoy themselves at their own pace.

Because that's when the real memories are made.

Ready to celebrate?

If your baby's first birthday is approaching, I'd love to help you celebrate this incredible milestone.

Together, we'll create beautiful portraits, lots of laughter and memories you'll treasure long after the last crumb of cake has disappeared.

The Penney family experience with Phoebe Berridge Photography

Why was having professional photographs important to you?

Professional photographs was hugely important to me, these moments go by so quickly that you have to capture them when you still can. I will put my hands up and admit I’m not the best photographer and I would have hugely regretted if I hadn’t had professional photographs taken of our daughter when we had the chance to do so. 

Tell us about your experience with Phoebe Berridge Photography? 

Phoebe has a lovely studio space with different back drops and it’s beautifully organised with lots of different outfits and head bands. Phoebe herself is very warm and welcoming and clearly comfortable dealing with babies. Phoebe is incredibly patient and even when you think “oh no my baby is a nightmare, we’ll never get any pictures” - Phoebe has managed to capture some really good ones!

What does it mean to you to have meaningful memories?

It means everything to me to have some meaningful memories in the form of beautiful photographs of our daughter. Having struggled to become parents, we count our blessings to have our one child and we want to remember every little moment forever. 

What do you love about your images?

I love the personality that is captured in the photographs, cheeky smiles and poses. They’re such high quality and we enjoy looking at them on our walls and in our photo album. 

How important for you was it to trust your photographer?

Very important, you’re trusting the photographer with your baby - including newborn babies. Having had photographs taken once, I have been back another two times so far to have further sessions and look forward to the next one. 

What did you trust about Phoebe Berridge Photography?

Phoebe’s warm personality. The professional service including invoicing and booking system.

What would you tell others about Phoebe Berridge Photography?

I’d tell others to get booked in, early! We didn’t get newborn photos done as we had the Bounty photographer in the hospital but I wish we had, and am just thankful that Phoebe has the patience to do sessions for babies between newborn and sitting. It’s well worth the money, the pictures will last a lifetime.