First Birthday Cake Smash & Tub Splash Photo Shoot

First Birthday Cake Smash & Tub Splash Photo Shoot2024-04-09T14:42:24+00:00

There’s no birthday quite like that first birthday! Not only is it a milestone for your baby but also for you, having survived the first crazy year of parenting your little one, whether they’re your first or the newest addition to your family!

Anyway, it’s the perfect reason to celebrate and with a first birthday photo shoot, you get to enjoy the photo shoot experience and have the memories are built right in!

When it comes to booking your first birthday photography, you have two options – a Full Birthday Photo Shoot and a Mini Shoot. You can access all the information about both of those using the boxes below.

Mini Shoot

First Birthday Photo Shoots East Grinstead West Sussex

This mini session is perfect if you’re looking for a short and simple way to create your birthday memories or the perfect image for party invitations or thank you cards.  This is a half an hour session in the studio that is the birthday boy or girl only and with a single outfit and a single background.   It includes your favourite digital image and costs £45.

Full Birthday Shoot

First Birthday Photo Shoots East Grinstead West Sussex

This is a full First Birthday photo shoot, that allows partners and siblings to take part to create some family / sibling portraits as well as giving you time for clean photos, a cake smash and a tub splash or any combination of those that you’d like.   With this type of session, the studio is booked for an hour , it includes three digital images and costs £95.

Cake Smash Outfits & Toppers

As cake smashes have grown in popularity, so have the amount of outfits and accessories such as hats, crowns and cake toppers that are available.  A quick search online will offer up more choice than you know what to do with!

You have plenty of time to change outfits in your session so you can dress your baby in something different for their clean photos.  The outfit that you bring along for your cake smash is totally up to you – whether you choose something that is especially designed for the purpose or just part of your baby’s everyday wardrobe.  I recommend keeping bare feet as they are just so cute when they’re covered in icing but, other than that, anything goes!

Just a note on your clothing for the session – no one loves a cuddle more than an icing covered baby so if you’re planning on going out anywhere after your session, you might want to bring along a change of clothes for yourself.  The chances of you escaping without icing on your trousers aren’t good!

Ordering Vests and Toppers from Me

If you’re looking for a real no hassle option, I’m delighted to be able to offer my clients who’ve booked in for a cake smash and tub splash first birthday shoot, the ability to order outfits and cake toppers directly from me.  There are two style options available in either pink or blue and, if you order from me, your vest and topper will be waiting for you at the studio when you arrive.

Cake Smash Vest and Topper Set
Cake Smash Vest and Topper Set

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my dog to sessions?2019-06-14T13:35:46+00:00

I love dogs and they’re welcome at my studio.  When you’re combining a dog and baby portrait, the only advice I have for you is to wait until your baby is able to sit up unsupported as otherwise it’s very difficult to pose them together.  Probably don’t bring them if you are having a cake smash as that’s probably just a disaster waiting to happen – even the best trained dog is probably going to be unable to resist all that cake!

Can I have a first birthday shoot without a cake smash?2019-06-20T09:55:17+00:00

Of course, when you book a first birthday photo shoot, you are welcome to cake smash, tub splash, do both or do neither.  Whatever works for you.  I have some first birthday props such as number 1’s that you’re welcome to include.

Can I order gift certificates?2019-06-14T13:47:23+00:00

Yes, you can order a gift certificate for any of my photography services. You can order a personalised voucher by following the link below…

Can I use my phone/camera in the studio ?2013-12-04T21:21:52+00:00

Sorry but no.  Obviously you can use your phone for making and receiving calls but I don’t allow any videography or photography inside the studio.  If you are caught recording or photographing the session, you will be asked to leave and the session will be terminated without refund.  All in all, that’s a horrible situation for us all to be in so please respect my copyright.

Can parents / siblings be in the pictures?2019-06-13T19:07:20+00:00

Of course.  I’m happy to includes parents and siblings in images at the start of the session before the cake comes out.  After that, they can relax and watch the fun unfold.

Can twins share a cake smash session?2019-06-13T19:45:44+00:00

Yes, twins are welcome to share a cake smash and tub splash photo shoot and the price doesn’t change of course.  I’ve done sessions where the twins have had a cake each but to be honest, it works better if they share otherwise they constantly want what the other one has!

Can we bring our own props?2019-06-13T19:41:11+00:00

You’re welcome to bring along your own props and accessories to personalise your session and create your perfect set of photos to remember the occasion by.

Can we cake smash and tub splash in one session?2019-06-13T19:13:23+00:00

Yes absolutely!  You can celebrate the milestone of your baby’s first birthday with both a cake smash and a tub splash (it’s all included in the £95 session fee) or you can choose to do just one – it’s entirely up to you.

Do we see images in colour and black and white?2019-06-14T09:55:50+00:00

I present all of your images in colour and then I’ll add in black and white copies of some that I think particularly suit it. Of course, if you’d rather have an image in black and white then just ask and I’m happy to switch it over for you.

Do you edit the images?2019-06-13T19:47:45+00:00

Each of your images is edited to make sure everything looks at its very best – that’s why you have to wait a little while after your session before you see them.

Do you have a bubble machine?2022-04-10T11:19:59+00:00

Bubbles are the ideal accessory with a tub splash photo shoot and I have a bubble machine that’s capable of producing loads of them at the time and saving us having to puff ourselves out doing it.

Do you have a cake stand?2019-06-13T19:17:59+00:00

I have a clear perspex stand that is perfect for round cakes of 8-10 inches.  You’re welcome to bring along your own if you prefer but a cake stand isn’t a necessity.

Do you provide the cake?2019-06-13T18:51:51+00:00

I don’t provide the cake as it would be too complicated to meet everyone’s design needs, not to mention the problems arising from allergies but of course, there are lots of cake makers out there that you can use.  Alternatively, there are some supermarket bought cakes that can be great – you just need to look and see if the icing is soft enough to make it smashable or you can make your own – I recommend fresh cream or butter cream icing as having the best squish factor.

How do we see our images?2019-06-07T18:31:11+00:00

About two weeks after your session, I’ll have your images edited and uploaded to your private online gallery.  There’s no sales or viewing session to attend. I’ll email you a link and a password and that will take you straight to your finished images.

How does the Order Gallery Work?2019-11-13T16:27:59+00:00

My online gallery should be fairly familiar to you if you shop online but in case you need a bit of extra assistance, you can click on the button below to access a help document that walks you through how to access your gallery, choose your favourite images and place an order.  Of course, if you are having problems, just get in touch and I’m always happy to help.

How long do you keep the images?2019-06-14T10:19:57+00:00

I keep your images for 18 months following your session date and after this point, they are permanently deleted so if you are purchasing digital copies, I can’t stress enough to back them up safely.

How long does a cake smash take?2019-06-13T18:45:45+00:00

We book the studio for an hour for a cake smash / tub splash session but generally speaking, sessions take about 45 minutes if you are starting with a clean shoot and doing both the cake smash and tub splash sessions.  We move through things reasonably fast as your baby’s attention span is understandably pretty short lived at this age.

How long will it be until I see my pictures?2019-06-13T19:05:56+00:00

Each of your images is professionally edited and so there will be a bit of a delay before you can see your images while I get everything ready for you. This can vary according to a number of factors but generally, it’s about a two week wait before your images are uploaded to your private online gallery.  I’ll be able to advise you better on exact waiting times at your session.

How many pictures do you take in a session?2019-06-14T17:51:47+00:00

This is question that I get asked a lot and it’s a really tough one to answer as it depends on so many things.  If I’m photographing a baby and they’re in a great mood, then you have lots of photos where if they are finding things a bit difficult then you get less.  Gun to my head, if I had to offer an average image count, then I’d say that you can expect to find about forty fully edited images in your finished gallery but that can vary wildly so it’s probably not a very useful statistic for you.

How much are additional prints and digital images?2019-06-07T18:34:04+00:00

I believe in complete transparency when it comes to pricing so you won’t get any nasty surprises.  You’ll already know what your session fee includes in terms of images, and you can simply order more from your online gallery if you’d like to – there’s no sales or viewing session to attend.

Here are the prices for additional digital images and prints. 

How much does a cake smash session cost?2019-06-13T18:37:21+00:00

A cake smash and tub splash session (you can do both in a single session if you want to) includes your three favourite digital images and costs £95.  You simply select your favourite images form your private online gallery – there’s no sales or viewing session to attend – you can order more if you’d like to directly from this gallery.

I don’t want my baby to have sugar, what are the alternatives?2019-06-13T19:58:16+00:00

It’s understandable that you don’t want your little one to have too much sugar if they’ve not had it before.  They actually don’t usually eat a great deal of the cake during a cake smash (sometimes they do but usually not) as it’s more about exploring the textures of it.  However, you can make cake with a sugar free alternative and I have had some clients use fresh cream flavoured with fruit like blueberries and strawberries as an alternative to icing and that’s definitely been very popular.

If we buy digital files, can we print and share them?2019-06-14T17:54:26+00:00

When you buy a digital file from me, the copyright stays with me as it would with pretty much all other photographers out there.  However, that’s just a legal term that I retain as the creator of the image.  You’re able to print and share the image as much as you’d like to – the only things that you can’t do is sell the images or claim that you took them.  Other than that, they are yours to do as you wish with.

Is there a minimum spend?2019-06-07T18:38:55+00:00

There’s no minimum spend or nasty pricing surprises with any of my photography.   You’ll already know the price of your photo shoot and what’s included and if you’d like to order more, you simply do so from your online gallery.

What backdrops do you have?2022-04-10T11:21:36+00:00

I have a range of backdrops you can use for your child at a photo shoot and you can make a choice on what  you would like when you arrive at the studio.  However, if you’d like to take a look in advance…

What do we need to bring to our session?2019-06-13T19:43:46+00:00

You need to bring along your cake, an outfit to smash in and bubble bath and a towel if you are adding in the tub splash portion of the session.  There’s an article on my blog with much more information about other things you might like to think about here – What to Bring to your Cake Smash Session

What if my baby doesn’t like the cake?2019-06-13T20:02:57+00:00

You would think that babies would automatically be keen to dive into the delicious treat in front of them and have a good old play but quite a lot of babies don’t like to get their hands dirty.  The good news is that you don’t need total cake devastation to have great cake smash photos and there are a few tricks that we can use to get them interacting with the cake.  Firstly, patience – they just need some time to get used to the idea. I also have miniature wooden spoons at the studio which are great to encourage interaction without having to get messy hands.  We can also hide some familiar treats at the back of the cake as that can help to get them diving in – or at least looking like they are!

What is a cake smash photo shoot?2023-03-22T12:59:49+00:00

A cake smash photo shoot pretty much does exactly what the name would suggest. You put a birthday cake in front of a one year old and let them just explore, play and occasionally eat until their heart’s content.  The resulting images are bright, colourful and fun and the perfect way to celebrate and commemorate the important milestone of reaching the end of your baby’s first year.

What is a tub splash photo shoot?2023-03-22T13:00:31+00:00

A tub splash photo shoot is the perfect companion to a cake smash session although it works just as well on its own if your baby enjoys bathtime.  You choose one of my two miniature bath tubs, we fill it up with warm bubbly water and let your little one splash and play. If you’ve had a cake smash just beforehand, it’s a great way of them getting clean as well as creating some fun photos.

What payment methods do you accept?2023-02-25T15:22:27+00:00

My preferred method of payment is bank transfer although I also accept credit and debit cards through the Stripe facility.

What props do you have?2019-06-13T19:38:04+00:00

My range of props and accessories is growing all the time, but I have a large pink and blue number one that is perfect for the clean part of the shoot. I have a range of tub splash accessories to choose from, and a good selection of bunting that you are welcome to borrow. If you have specific ideas, it’s always worth getting in touch to find out what I have and how we can create your perfect set of pictures.

What should my baby wear for a cake smash?2019-06-13T19:21:31+00:00

It’s completely up to you although obviously it’s likely to get covered in icing and so I don’t recommend anything that you aren’t prepared to say goodbye to if the stains won’t come out (that’s particularly the case where the icing is a dark colour).  Some people prefer their little ones to be full dressed (although I do recommend bare feet), some wear just trousers or a pettiskirt, or some smash in just a nappy although a nappy cover can look a bit nicer.  There are lots of specially designed cake smash outfits available now that they have become so popular so auction sites, Facebook marketplace and Etsy can have some beautiful things.   Unfortunately, I don’t let you borrow my outfits from the studio for the actual cake smash as they would quickly get ruined so just bring along something that you love.

What size and format are the digital images?2014-06-18T13:08:30+00:00

Any digital images that you purchase will be sized at 10×8″ at 300ppi so perfect for printing up to this size or slightly larger (you have more flexibility on size when it comes to canvases as they are printed at a lower resolution).

What Size Cake Should I Get?2019-07-27T10:33:54+00:00

Your choice of size and design of cake obviously totally depends on the style you like.  Babies tend not to eat that much cake really although there have been exceptions so it’s not necessary to get anything too big (unless you fancy cake to take home with you and I’m not ever going to discourage that!).  6-8″ is fine.

What tubs do you have?2019-06-13T19:24:00+00:00

I have a choice of two miniature baths for your tub splash – a vintage styled tin tub and a more modern miniature claw foot bath.   You can see both if you take a quick flip through the cake smash category on my blog. 

What type of cake smashes best?2019-06-13T19:16:20+00:00

Some people prefer to get a cake professionally made, some people bring their own or some buy one from a supermarket.  Whichever you choose, I don’t recommend chocolate cake as it can look a bit like poo in the finished images.  Buttercream or fresh cream icing is ideal for the maximum squish factor – royal icing can be a bit tough for little fingers to get into.  Any kind of decorations are great from personalised cake toppers, tons of colourful sprinkles or fresh fruit – whatever suits your style.

When do I need to pay for my session?2019-08-10T14:35:25+00:00

You need to pay for your photo shoot when you book it.  If your session is more than two weeks away, then you have the option of paying a £20 deposit with the balance being due the week before your session.  Otherwise the full balance is due on booking.

When is the studio open?2019-06-14T10:17:50+00:00

My studio is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

When should I book my cake smash photo shoot?2019-06-13T19:00:45+00:00

I’ll always do my best to accommodate last minute session requests but the studio can get busy, especially if you need a Saturday appointment.  You can book your session up to three months in advance and so I recommend booking early to make sure you get a session date and time that suits you.  If you’d like your photos to be ready for the big day itself, then book in a a couple of weeks before so I have time to get everything ready for you to see and order.

Where do sessions take place?2023-12-05T13:23:18+00:00

Sessions take place at my warm and cosy studio in Crawley Down, West Sussex.   You can find out more about it including the address and directions at My Studio Page.

Recent Blog Posts

If you’d like to find out more about recent cake smash and tub splash photo shoots at my studio, then taking a peek on my blog is a great idea.  You’ll find lots of ‘real life’ images plus some articles about what to expect and how to plan to the get most out of your first birthday photo session.

One of my Favourite Studio Visitors

By |October 30th, 2024|Categories: Cake Smash|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

Look I love all my clients equally but I can't help but have a special fondness for this gorgeous little girl.   She's just such a joyful little soul and she's been a real giggle at each of her Joey Club sessions. 

Ducks in the Tub

By |September 23rd, 2024|Categories: Cake Smash|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

My duck accessory set is an unsurprisingly popular addition to the tub splash section of a first birthday photo shoot.  They're bright, they're cheerful [...]

Cake Smash Decoration Hack

By |August 7th, 2024|Categories: Cake Smash|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

A while ago I posted about some really cool jungle themed cake decorations that a client of mine had used when they came to visit. They were [...]

Cake Smashing and Sibling ‘Love’

By |August 5th, 2024|Categories: Cake Smash|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I think this little trilogy tells the story in a lot less than [...]

I specialise in providing cake smash and tub splash first birthday photo shoots from my studio in Crawley Down, near East Grinstead, in West Sussex.  Celebrate and smile with a smash the cake photo shoot.   Book in if you’re looking for a photo shoot in Sussex, Surrey, Kent or London.

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