A One-year-old child is so many things --
A tiny discoverer of butterfly wings,
A hugger of Teddies,
A sweet sleepyhead,
And someone to dream for in bright years ahead...

Just reading this poem makes my eyes start to well up with tears. 

I think about my own two daughters and how time has flown!  They both have birthdays next month and while they will always be my babies, they aren't really babies anymore.  Every day is a quest to seek more independence....every day, I reluctantly give a little to them.  I would have to say that some days my reluctance is much stronger than others.  Some evenings when I get home, I would love to give them the independence to, for instance, cook their own dinner or do their own laundry.  Most of the time though I dread the day when they won't need me so much for the little things.

This is why I believe, and always will, that it is SO important to do everything I can to document everything I can.  My number one way to do that is through photos.  I want my photos to be able to verbalize what is actually going on without a lot of explanation.  I want to be able to give that to everyone else who I take photographs for as well.

I have an upcoming cake smash with TWINS!  I am super excited and I also want it to be a huge success.  I'm on a quest to do everything I can to make it a memorable moment for two special one year olds. 

I have to remember though that a success, especially where children are concerned in a photo session, is not necessarily obtaining the perfect photo that I had envisioned.  I think we all know that kids of any age can be almost as unpredictable as this Nebraska weather.  My measurement of success when I take photos of children is the true picture of the child during the session.  While I do think posed photos are nice and it's always a bonus when you have a child who is willing to sit for a session for some awesome posed photos, we all know that most of them get way more pleasure and happy faces from being able to do what they want to do which is play and be silly!  True genuine smiles are the best!

I remember when I was a kid, I thought it was good enough to just show my teeth for a photo when I was told to smile.  While those photos seem funny when I look at them now especially because I remember what I thought, it sure would have made for nicer photos if I had been caught with a good old fashioned natural smile.

I've learned through the variety of kids that I've taken photos of that it's actually better for me to act as silly as they are.  So parents, be prepared to hear my not-so-good singing voice chiming in with a few kids' songs if that's what it takes to get your child to flash those pearly whites for me. 

Cake Smashes are no exception to catching some PRIME candid moments!  This is an opportunity for your child to SHINE as they prepare to celebrate their VERY FIRST BIRTHDAY!  They virtually get to be as silly and messy as they want.  With that being said and as I stated a few paragraphs above, I want your Cake Smash to be a success.  Below I've compiled a list from other sources and my own observations that I think are very important to prepare for your Cake Smash session:

1. Cake and icing choices matter

When picking out your own cake or making one to bring to a smash session, it's suggested to choose a white cake over chocolate or red velvet. Bright or pastel covered icing seems to photograph better than plain white or chocolate, with the exception of red. Why you ask?When chocolate or red icing is smeared everywhere (and it usually will be during a cake smash session) it can resemble things less appetizing and at first glance people may not realize that what your son or daughter is covered in is actually cake. Gross, right? I have also found that creamier icing and less dense cakes are better for smashing. Fondant and really stiff icing can make it harder for them to get messy. If your cake is going to be refrigerated before the session, let it sit out about a half hour before leaving for the cake smash session so the icing is less stiff.

2.  Let your baby have some cake experience before your Cake Smash Session

This will assist in a few different ways.  First, you will know beforehand if your baby has any allergies or sensitivities to cake ingredients.  As scary as it sounds, it can happen.  We want to make sure that your child has no adverse reactions to cake or any of the ingredients.  Secondly, we don't want your baby to be scared of cake.  We want your baby to remember that yummy taste that he or she has experienced before. This will help your little cake smasher get more excited about the cake and he or she will be more likely to be interested in the cake versus being scared and anxious.  

3.  Props

While I am of the mindset when it comes to photos that less is more, not everyone shares my vision.  I personally like the attention to be on the main character of our photo session which is your little Cake Smasher.  I provide the backdrop and a few props like a chalkboard, letter blocks and other minor miscellaneous items.  It is up to you to provide the cakes and and other props your would like to implement like balloons.  Keep in mind that banners will tend to get chopped out of a photo.  My focus will be on the child and cropped in on him or her. Banners tend to be too wide for what we are trying to achieve.  A nice bouquet of helium balloons can be fun though.  

4.  Clothing

Be sure to bring clothing that you won't mind being permanently stained.  If your child is going to get messy with cake frosting, it's unlikely that bright colors will wash out.  My daughter wore a tutu.  I didn't even try to remove the stains.   There are lots of different ideas for what children wear for cake smashes.  Be sure to check out ideas on Pinterest for what you want your child to wear.  It's helpful to let me know what they will be wearing and even to send me a picture.  I can better select the backdrop and have it all ready when you get here.

Remember that we just want to have fun!  Even the smallest little details make for some great moments to remember your child's 1st Birthday!

You will probably get a little messy too so wear clothes that are okay to get some icing and cake on!