Vancouver Cake Smash Photographer

cake smash

simple, modern and classic

vancouver 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

the cake smash

add ons: family, portrait and bubble bath

the process

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 their 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

Within 2 weeks of your session, your full gallery will be presented in a tear-inducing slideshow. Watch (and rewatch!) and decide which collection to purchase. 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 the collection that fits your family’s needs best.

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 include a print credit in every collection to be used on products to display in your home.

Investment

“BUY ONLY WHAT YOU LOVE”

By splitting up the total investment into two parts, you are assured you’re only paying for the images that you love. Pay the session fee before the session to cover my time preparing, photographing and editing. Then, after you see your photos, you can choose to purchase collections containing 15, 30 or all the digital files. I include gift print credits so your precious memories end up as printed art in your hands.

Session Fee

$150
This fee is non-refundable and payable before your session. It covers my time spent working with you before and during the session, including session preparation, capturing your photographs, and editing your images.
No photos are included in this session fee.

Collections

STARTING AT $350
After your session, you purchase the collection size that works best for your family. Collections all include a number of digital files and a gift print credit that can be used for prints and products in the online store.
The session fee is NOT applied to your collection.

Get in touch for more info!

…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.

have questions?

Cake Smash and Portrait sessions take place on weekday 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. The baker I work with is incredible, but busy, so we want to make sure that we order the cake in time. 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. Check out my Pinterest board to see what’s inspiring me on the cake smash scene!

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 so I design my session flow 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, while 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 really, the vast majority of kids are not 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 while baby shows interest in the cake to capture a shot that looks like they are digging into the cake! 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, which you can purchase using the print credit included in every collection.

I look at each and every image I take at your session, and then hand select the best images. I am looking for images that genuine, of a high quality, and flattering to everyone in the photo. There will be 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.

The pandemic has certainly taught every Vancouver cake smash photographer how to offer sessions that check all the safety boxes! 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 7 days of your session, while I also ask that you do the same. In addition, upon request, I can wear a mask during the session, and I practice very strict hand hygiene, sanitizing my hands several times before, during and after our session.