fun • exciting • memorable
The first year of a child's life is filled with so many important milestones, and what better way to celebrate than with a cake smash session that includes family photos? Watching your little one dig into a big, beautiful cake is a moment you won't want to miss. It's a chance to capture their innocence and joy as they explore new textures and flavors. Not only do you get the hilarity of a cake-covered baby, but you also get to capture gorgeous family photos all in one session.
Cake smash photoshoots take place in my home studio at 4014 Dalton Dr. Rowlett. The studio is a custom design private space away from the rest of my home which holds everything needed for your photography experience. Basic color coordination props and "simple", not "garland" balloon setup, is included in the cake smash collection price. Any customized "themed" photoshoot props, can be provided for an additional cost of $200-$400.
Due to health, allergies and diet concerns, parents are responsible for the cake itself and your baby’s cake smash outfit. I recommend something simple and inexpensive from Whole Food, Tom Thumb, Albertsons, Target..etc for your baby's cake smash photoshoot. Outfits, I would recommend Amazon or Etsy.
Cake smash sessions begin with the family photos, first. They’re photographed in a traditional style stance and on an all white foreground. Creative grouping are with family together, mom and baby and dad and baby and lastly, your baby alone, before the cake smash setup. Following the family photos, we will then transition into their regular first year photos, followed by the cake smash session and lastly, the milk bath photos. The milk bath portion is photographed on the same cake smash photography, themed setup.
Once booking has been confirm, with both the contract and retainer received and in addition to this helpful cake smash photography faq's guide, you'll receive an informative "cake smash session parent prep guide". The guide goes into great detail, regarding outfit recommendations for the family photos, the best outfit choices for your baby and where to purchase their outfit, cake styles and size recommendations, how to help prepare your little one for their session at home, items to bring to the photoshoot and an abundant of other helpful information on what to expect.
If you have a particular theme in mind, please let me know and I'll send you available options, for said theme. If you need a bit of assistance, I'm happy to send possible options, as well.
***Please note, the price point is for a basic/minimal cake smash set up; backdrop/balloons. If you clients decide not to use what the studio has available, clients will be responsible for providing their own props in addition to the basic cake smash set up decor, the studio will provide.
As much as I understand and love the sweet idea of having your fur baby involved, pets are not allowed to be apart of any studio session. If you’re wanting your pet involved, I would recommend an outdoor family/cake smash photoshoot. Also, family photos are for immediate family members only; parents and siblings. If you wish to incorporate other individuals, you're welcome to do so at an additional charge.
Since cake smash photography sessions are indoor, we’re not limited on the weather and because I also specialize in weddings full time, cake smash sessions are not scheduled on weekends. They must be booked during the week, Monday - Friday. Earliest start time, would be an 9am and latest would be 5:30-6pm.
I’m vaccinated with the both COVID dosages and Tdap vaccine. I have begun the process of booking studio sessions full time. However, I continue to thoroughly disinfect the entire studio; door handles, light switches, camera gear, floors, couches, seating chairs, walls, floor..etc and also run my air purifiers throughout the entire day to clean the air. Frequent hand washing breaks and the use of hand sanitizer is used throughout the whole session.
Please note, there is absolutely nothing more important to me than the health and safety of all my clients. Taking all the necessary steps to ensure the studio environment remains safe and clean for your studio session is my utmost priority so if there’s anything else I can do to help alleviate concerns, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Within a week of the session, I will email you the gallery link of the unedited files for soft proofing. Meaning, once the images have been narrow down to the deliverable files, clients get to pick and choose the digital photography files they would like, edited and delivered.
The median range for this gallery is anywhere between 40-60 files. All relatively similar, just different expressions. Bear in mind, these files are unedited so they will be foreground distractions, cut-offs, not straighten..etc.
No worries, this tends to happen quite often but I don’t want you to worry. Depending how everything is progressing, it might run a little longer or shorter so please don’t feel as though you have to rush through it all. I understand not all families are the same, especially when working with babies. Although the time listed in your collection is a generalized time of how long the sessions typically take, your cake smash photoshoot won't complete until I have captured a reasonable amount of photos, I'm to edit, and deliver.
Turnaround on your digital files is 21 days from your session date. Once the photos you've selected have been post processed, files will be added to another online viewing gallery. I will text you once the gallery has been emailed. From the gallery, you’ll have a "download all" button displayed to download all your high resolution non-watermarked images to your computers. You will also receive a PDF of your print release/usage rights.
You’re more than welcome to share the gallery with family and friends. Online gallery also has the option to also purchase prints directly from the printing lab. Prints start at $15.00 and orders are shipped directly to the lab and arrive within 2 weeks of order date.
If you're needing a few files before the 21 day turnaround, when the gallery link of unedited files is emailed, feel free to let me know which 3-5 files you'd like before the 21 day time frame. I will have those to you with 48-72 hours. The rest of the digital files will be ready for delivery within 3 weeks.
Cake smash photography is not only a fun and memorable baby photoshoot, but it also creates the perfect memories for you and your little one to treasure forever. While arranging a smash cake photoshoot can seem overwhelming, taking into account our cake smash photography faq's guide, it will help you go through it, with ease. By understanding these faq's beforehand, you'll be able to better prepare for your baby's cake smash photoshoot and create the most adorable pictures of your toddler's first birthday.
If you have any additional questions not listed on our Dallas cake smash photography faq's guide, please submit and inquire, here.
Lily Hayes, an acclaimed Dallas Newborn Photographer, excels in artistic maternity and cake smash photography. She serves clients in Dallas, Plano, Richardson, Carrollton, Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Wylie, Rockwall, and nearby areas. Her studio is conveniently situated east of Dallas near George Bush.
