cake smash

simple, modern and classic

cake smash photography

You made it through a year! Sure, these sessions are about celebrating the little one’s first birthday, but between you and me … parents need to be commended for surviving that first year too!

Cake smashes are done in a modern, minimalist style, and set against classic, timeless decor where your baby gets to be the focus of attention, rather than a bunch of props. The purpose remains to tell the story of who your baby is, by focusing on the little things like his hearty belly laugh, or how she pouts to get her way, or their pure delight at the 16th rendition of Baby Shark.

HOW IT WORKS

INVESTMENT

FAQ

one year old eating smash cake in Coquitlam

Vancouver wood and greenery natural cake smash

big baby photo session with alphabet blocks

simple cake smash in white studio in Port Coquitlam

boy crawls towards cake smash cake on simple white background

close up shot of boy looking at dirty fingers in studio cake smash

one-year old boy celebrates his cake smash photo session

simple child photography session with boy standing next to chair

in-studio toddler standing between parents

one year old studio session in Vancouver

baby with red hair eating smash cake in Vancouver

vancouver cake smash photographer captures girl touching flower cake

girl crouches next to cake smash cake with simple white and grey background

overhead shot of cake smash with grey flowers

Coquitlam cake smash photography shows boy with ferns at milestone session

modern white and green cake smash in Vancouver

one-year old enjoys digging into cake at milestone first birthday session

girl eats cake at lemon cake smash in Vancouver

girl sits with lemon cake in her cake smash photography session

girl smiling in Vancouver milestone photography session

twin cake smash with white and gold balloon garland

boy sits on fluffy rug with red toy truck during Coquitlam one-year photo session

boy in bucket in Vancouver portrait studio

boy laughing with cake during cake smash photography session in Vancouver BC

classic and modern cake smash session with boy and star cake and decor

the process

modern white and green cake smash with Vancouver cake smash photographer

01.

How time flies

Doesn’t it feel like yesterday when you held that little one in your arms for the first time? Now they are a crawling, giggling, bundle of energy who challenge you in so many ways! As you look ahead towards the transition from baby to toddler, contact me around the 10-month mark so we have enough time to book the cake for their cake smash!

02.

Getting to know you

A cake smash is an experience completely customized for your little one. We have an extensive planning call to talk about your baby’s personality, what is important to you to capture, and which colours and decor would allow your baby to be the star of the show. Expect lots of brainstorming and Pinterest boards – planning is so much fun!

03.

Prepping made easy

Right from the beginning, I emphasize that cake smashes are FUN! I use checklists to let you know exactly what to expect before, during and after the session so you can leave the stress behind. I take care of the cake, and you can use my studio wardrobe, so just bring your baby and let’s get messy! And yeah, I clean up too!

04.

It’s Photo Day!

It’s here! Prepare to have a fun, energetic and memorable session. Baby may hate the cake, or baby may bury his face in the cake, or anything in between! Whatever happens, we’ll all get messy, laugh a lot, sing Baby Shark 22 times, and sneak bites of the cake. And get stunning photos recording this special day.

05.

The Big Reveal

Expect a couple of sneak peeks within a day or so! Within 2 weeks of your session, your full gallery will be presented online for you to review in the comfort of your home. I’m sure you are going to love them all, but my commitment to you is always to only buy what you love, so choose which collection makes sense for your needs and lifestyle.

06.

Let’s talk about art

Your photos are part of your story as a family, and it makes no sense to keep those memories sitting forgotten in a dusty corner of your hard drive. Part of what I do as a Vancouver cake smash photographer is to provide a free artwork consultation to offer ideas on how you can display your gorgeous family photos in your home.

…the photos came out amazing…

Rochelle is an awesome photographer. She did my son’s cake smash shoot and the photos came out amazing! She is so easy to talk to and made us all feel comfortable.

Lesley D.

investment

Pre-session planning and preparation guides are included
Cake Smash includes custom cake from professional baker
Access to studio wardrobe for outfits
Studio sessions are 30-60 minutes in length
Full galleries usually have 60+ images available for purchase
Collections with prints and digital images available

COLLECTIONS START AT $300

Request a full pricing guide

have questions?

Cake Smash and Portrait sessions are held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at my home studio in Port Coquitlam. We aim for around 10am, but adjust the start time as needed depending on your little one’s nap schedule.

Your session does not have to take place on (or even near) your baby’s first birthday! I typically photograph babies between 11 months and 14 months for their first birthday cake smash. I work with an incredible, but busy baker, so ensuring the cake is ordered is the biggest timing factor. I recommend you contact me when baby is about 10 months old to get a date on the calendar.

I recommend not making the outfit the focus of the session. We want your little one’s antics and expressions to remain the star of the show! I offer an extensive studio wardrobe with some classic rompers, onesies, and outfits in neutral colours that will complement any colour scheme that you may choose. You are also welcome to bring your own outfit – just don’t overthink it! I recommend rompers for girls, and rompers or just jeans for boys. Zara and H&M are both stores with great options for that age.

Firstly, you’ll notice that I specialize in a more classic, timeless look for cake smashes. Sessions are set against a white background, and I don’t do extensive themes with tons of fake props, By removing all distractions, save for a few classy items that support your chosen colour scheme, the primary focus becomes your baby: the expressions, the movements, and all the little details that you’ll want to remember forever. The images that result from your session then become timeless – you can print them and they will display well in any room of your home.
During the planning stage I will help you choose decor for the cake smash that is in line with a simple natural theme, like floral or woodsy, or with a particular colour or pattern scheme. I then add these subtle touches to customize both the set and the cake for your session. The set design and decor service and the cake are all included in your package.

Oh, trust me, this Vancouver cake smash photographer knows good old separation anxiety all too well! Rest assured that wanting to be with a parent is completely normal and expected at this stage, and my session flow is designed around this fact. It is rare that a child is willing to sit in one spot with a cake for 20 minutes. Typically, a parent will place baby at the cake, I will capture some moments (fast!), and within a few seconds, baby will crawl back to the parent. We take a few moments for a cuddle, then place baby back at the cake. We repeat this process until I’ve captured all the moments I need for a full and varied gallery.

There are a few kids who totally dig into the cake, sometimes face first! But the vast majority will not be interested in eating more than a few bites. In fact, some kids want nothing to do with the cake. This is normal! I am skilled and experienced with cake smashes, so rest assured that it takes just a fraction of a second of baby showing interest in the cake to capture a shot that looks like they were digging in. We also hide some puffs or cheerios on the cake so babies will naturally reach out for those, again making it look like they’re grabbing and eating cake.

Each collection offers some (or all) digital files. In addition, I offer unique, heirloom products to show off your beautiful images in your home, some of which are included in collections (meaning I do all the hard work of printing and ordering and designing for you!).

I look at each and every image I take at your session and hand select the best images. I am looking for images that genuine, of a high quality, and flattering to everyone in the photo. I pick a minimum of 60 images (30 for short sessions), so you can be assured you’re getting a great variety of poses, angles and storytelling moments.

Our BC Provincial Health Officers have deemed it safe for a Vancouver cake smash photographer to continue with in-home studio services during this phase of the Provincial Restart Plan, provided that we have COVID protocols in place and we follow them without fail. It goes without saying that the health and safety of both my family and yours is front and center in my mind at all times. I will be rescheduling your session if anyone in my household has displayed any symptoms related to the flu within 2 weeks of your session, and I ask that you do the same. My entire studio is sanitized before the session with a hospital-grade mister and all high-touch surfaces are manually wiped down. In addition, I wear a mask at all times during the session, and practice very strict hand hygiene, sanitizing my hands several times before, during and after our session. I maintain a physical distance as much as possible during our session, and I do not touch any of your family members unless absolutely necessary.