July 17, 2026
Hey, thank you so much for being here! I’m Paige, a Horsham newborn & family photographer with a studio in a small village in West Sussex.
The time is here, you’re about to celebrate your baby’s first birthday and you want to document this special time. Babies don’t need more plastic to play with for 5 minutes to then get bored. They deserve their childhood to be captured forever, an heirloom to pass down for generations, to see their baby photos on the walls of their parents house.
I have put together all the most common questions I get asked. If you don’t see a question below, please just reach out I am more than happy to help!
What is a cake smash photoshoot?
These photoshoots are to celebrate your baby turning 1! There will be a cake and decorations and your baby will have the cake all to themselves to do whatever they’d like. Some babies smash it up completely whilst eating it, other babies go slow and have little bits by little bit. It is so much fun seeing what your baby will do!
When should you book your cake smash session?
These sessions are great for when your baby is between 11-13 months old. I’d recommend booking early if you want the photos back in time for your little ones birthday to share with friends and family. The ideal booking time frame is 2-3 months before. Please note if you’d like a weekend date to book even further in advance as I only offer 2 sessions a month on weekends.
What happens during a cake smash photoshoot?
I have a specific workflow that I like to follow as there are different parts to this shoot! The overall shoot can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
- Family photos
All my cake smash photoshoots start of with natural family photos with no props. This is a beautiful way to update your family photos that you can use all year round. This is also a good time to get sibling photos!
- Baby portraits
I’ll then pop out all the cake smash props but not the cake just yet! Here we can get some lovely natural photos of your baby exploring and playing. I have lots of lovely wooden toys that fit the aesthetic of the shoot very well! I have lots of tricks to make baby smile and look at the camera whilst playing!
- Cake Smash
Then I’ll pop the cake down in front of your baby and we will watch the magic happen! Messy magic of course!
- Splash
We will then finish the session with a warm bubble bath! This is a great way to wash the cake off your baby. I have some bubbles that we can use too! This is often babies’ favourite part of the session!
What is included in your cake smash package?
My packages are all designed to give you the best value! Please reach out for more information on pricing and upgrades.
- 1 hour photoshoot
- 10 digital images
- A freshly made semi-naked cake from a local baker in Horsham
- White balloon garland
- Full use of the client wardrobe for mums and babies up to 1y
- Style guide
- Private online gallery with a personalised slideshow to view all your images
- Discounted upgrade collections
What should my baby wear for a cake smash photoshoot?
The more neutral colours the better! You can even do 2 outfit changes for your baby. An outfit for family photos that coordinates with the rest of the family’s outfits and then an outfit for the cake smash! I’d recommend a neutral romper for the cake smash as it’s so sweet to get their cute chubby legs out and their tiny toes! I will send out a style guide before your photoshoot that goes into specific detail on styling.
What if my baby doesn’t eat the cake?
This is a very common worry! But I can assure you that even if your baby doesn’t want to eat the cake we can still make the photos look amazing! I always recommend that clients bring little snacks for their babies such as raisins. We can then pop the raisins on top of the cake and this will look like they are eating the cake. We can all help the baby smash the cake up. Some babies just like playing with it, which makes for some great photos! Every individual reaction is different and it makes wonderful photographs.
Can parents and siblings join in?
Absolutely! I start all my cake smash photoshoots with natural family portraits including siblings too. This way we can focus on all of you before the studio is covered in cake. Nothing worse than a baby crawling all over you with cake when you haven’t had your photos yet!
Can my twins have a cake smash session?
Twins are more than welcome to have a cake smash session! The prices and packages do not change for twins. Your twins can share the cake that is included or you can add an extra matching cake on for a small charge.
What if we don’t want the cake included?
This is absolutely fine! The cake is complimentary so you can choose to have it or not. I do have a wooden cake that looks beautiful in the photos so we can do the exact same workflow but just without all the crazy mess! I’m also open to suggestions such as doughnut smash, pancake smash, or even a fruit smash!
Thank you so much for reading my post! If you have any questions or you’d like more details regarding prices and packages please don’t hesitate to reach out here: Contact Me
Take a look at my Cake Smash photos and more information here: Cake Smash Information
Speak soon,
Paige x
