Should You Have Mechanicsburg Cake Smash Photos for Your Baby’s First Birthday?

07.16.24

If your baby’s first birthday is coming up, a custom first birthday photo session is the perfect way to mark the occasion in a fun way that also creates sentimental portraits your family will love. It’s become a popular tradition to have Mechanicsburg cake smash photos as part of your baby’s first birthday photos. Should you have a cake smash photo session for your little one like the little guy in these photos? What are the pros and cons, and some fun alternatives if you decide to go a different way?

Best First Birthday Photos in Mechanicsburg PA Photography studio — First Birthday Photographer near Mechanicsburg PA

Why is Cake Smash Photography a First Birthday Tradition?

Why do we take cake smash photos as a first birthday tradition, anyway? It’s become popular in the US in the last decade or so. No one’s quite sure where the tradition started – it may be an homage to a Mexican first birthday tradition, or a callback to the tradition of brides and grooms smashing cake in each other’s faces at their wedding. Or maybe it’s just because when you give a baby a cake or cupcake to celebrate their birthday, they mostly just smash it between their fingers and play around with it, and cake smash photos capture that cuteness in a more aesthetic way than taking snapshots during their birthday party.

Regardless of where it started, cake smash photography can be a cute and fun way to celebrate your little one’s first birthday!

Baby boy gets ready to smash his first cake at his first birthday photo session near Mechanicsburg — Best Cake Smash Photography near 17055

Are Mechanicsburg Cake Smash Photos the Best Option for Your Baby’s First Birthday?

Cake smash photography is entirely a question of personal preference. I love working with families to honor their baby’s landmark first birthday, whether they choose a cake smash or not!

There are, of course, pros and cons. A lot of parents love cake smash photos as a fun and lighthearted tradition. It can be so cute to watch your little one playing in the cake and exploring something new, getting adorably messy in the process.

Some parents just aren’t fans, though. You might not like the messy aesthetic. Some parents feel that a cake smash encourages their kids to eat sugar or exposes their kids to sugar before they’d like to, or that it encourages their baby to be messy with food.

It all comes down to your vision for your baby’s first birthday photos – there’s no right or wrong here.

On year old baby boy photographed in Mechanicsburg PA studio at his first birthday cake smash photoshoot — Baby boy first birthday studio photoshoot

Ideas for First Birthday Photos Without a Cake Smash

If you don’t want cake smash photos, you can still get a fabulous first birthday photo shoot for your baby! In fact, my first birthday photography sessions include many different portraits and sets, and for parents who want cake smash photos, this is just one part of the session.

Some parents like to split the difference and still have a “smash,” but with something besides cake. These can be a fun way to do a twist on the tradition! For example, instead of cake you could use:

Watermelon or other fruits
Donuts or other pastries
Pasta
Pancakes
Pie

Best First Birthday Cake Smash photographer 17050 17055 — Cake Smash Photoshoot Mechanicsburg PA

Booking Your Mechanicsburg Cake Smash Photos or First Birthday Photos

First birthday photography is a beautiful way to celebrate a milestone for your family, and whether or not you want a cake smash, I’ll create fun and sentimental portraits you’ll be able to cherish. Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography and let’s start planning your baby’s session!

Expressive baby boy at his First Birthday Cake smash photoshoot

First birthday studio Photography near 17055

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When to Book First Birthday Photos in Hershey PA

06.07.24

Your little one’s first birthday is an occasion you start dreaming about as soon as your child is born. It marks the end of what might be the most life-changing year for your family, and a year of amazing growth and change for your little one. What better way to celebrate than with first birthday photos in Hershey PA?

If you’re looking ahead to your child’s first birthday cake smash photos, how soon should you book your session and start planning? As a baby photographer, I’m happy to share my advice.

Baby Girl is dressed in blue and wearing a flower crown, smiles during her first birthday photography cake smash photos with Karissa Zimmer Photography — Custom First Birthday Cake Smash Photography Sessions near Hershey PA

The Short Answer: Book a Couple Months Ahead

I accept a limited number of photo sessions each month to make sure that I can give every client my undivided attention to make their portraits special. That means my schedule tends to book up a few months in advance. If you want your baby’s photo session to be right around their first birthday, I recommend that you contact me 1-4 months in advance to schedule your session.

Baby girl gets ready to smash her cake during her Hershey PA first birthday photoshoot with Karissa Zimmer Photography — Hershey PA First Birthday Cake Smash Photoshoot

The Longer Answer: Taking Other Factors Into Account

Booking a couple of months before your child’s birthday is great if you don’t have a particular date you want their portraits to arrive. But if you do have specific plans for your photos, you’ll want to plan ahead further.

For example, some parents want to unveil the portraits at their baby’s first birthday party. In this case, you’ll need to plan the photo session far enough in advance to allow time for editing and for ordering your wall art or any other display you choose. How far in advance you book can vary because some displays and prints may take longer to arrive than others, and we can discuss your specific plans when you book your session.

Ultimately, if you do have a specific date when you want to have your child’s cake smash portraits or one year portraits, reach out to my studio as early as possible. That way, we can talk it through and I’ll give you a recommendation on when we should schedule your session.