Cake Smash Photography Cake smashes are the most popular pictures for a baby milestone age or a baby turning one. It is a keepsake that most parents adore and one that I highly recommend to anyone looking for great ideas on how to immortalize that special moment in your child’s life. To help make the process a little easier for you, I have compiled a list of common FAQs I get from my NJ photography clients: When is the best time to book your Cake Smash session? Cake smashes are best done before baby turns one. I suggest about 1 month before your baby’s first birthday if you want the pictures ready in time for his/her big day.. Many parents try and do the photos on the big day itself but that can very challenging from a scheduling perspective, especially the more elaborate you want the photo shoot. For my customers, I recommend booking to be done at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the desired photo session date as we need time to coordinate the schedule and the setup (ordering cake, scheduling, etc). What is provided for the cake smash session? For most of my cake smash photography sessions, I provide a full service experience with balloon garlands, cakes and more custom setup. When you contact me for cake smash pictures, we will talk about the colors and theme you want. I will do the best to incorporate the theme with balloons to match your wishes. A cake from a local bakery is included with your cake smash pictures and pricing. Please let us know about any allergies your child may have so we can accomodate. Clients may choose to bring their own cakes but to keep with the colors and theme of the photo session, please coordinate with me directly.  How should baby be dressed? For girls, I can provide designer dresses and custom rompers for the cake smash photos. Alternatively, you can bring your own outfits but I recommend coordinating with me prior to the session to make sure we keep the theme in mind. For boys, I recommend you bring several outfits that you like. Don’t worry if you can’t decide, I can make suggestions if you want to achieve a certain look. When is the best time to do the cake smash session? The best time of day for any small child photography session is usually early in the morning before the first nap for of the day. They are generally more alert and cooperative at this time and will make the experience a little better for everyone.. What do I need to bring to the cake smash session? If the Baby Cake smash is done outside the home, here is a list of suggested items to bring: Towels (more than one)Paper TowelsFull pack of Baby WipesExtra DiapersAny outfits that you would like baby to be photographed in (be prepared as they will get very dirty)Plastic Bag or two to bring back the dirty clothesMilk/Formula (just in case the session takes a while)SnacksA few of their Favorite Toys to keep them occupied during some of the downtime Can other people come to the session? It is best not to bring any extended relatives to a cake smash as it will disrupt the baby. Keeping the child focused and on task is going to be enough of a challenge without any added distraction. What is the process during the Cake Smash Session? First, we photograph the baby on background and with their outfit without the cake. This will last about 10-15 min depending on the baby and how comfortable he/she is with the process. Then we change baby and do the actual cake smash. This will last about 20-30 min, depending how much baby is into it. After that we clean the baby up and put him/her into the bath. We do the splash pictures which will last about 10-15 min depending on how well the baby likes it. The splash pictures complete the session. I love this kind of sessions as each of them is different and the setups are unique and one of the kind. Is a deposit required? Yes a deposit is required to book and start working on the setups. If you live in Mercer County NJ, Middlesex NJ, Monmouth County NJ or Bucks County PA and would like to book a child photography session please contact me directly at svetlana.boyko@yahoo.com or call me on (229) 299-7094