CAKE SMASH & ONE YEAR SESSION GALLERY

San Diego Cake Smash Photography Sessions

Luxe Cake Smash Sessions are one of our favorite offerings.  We shoot in three different sets and three different outfits here in our San Diego-based photo studio.  We have a beautiful selection of clothing for children in the 12 month size and 12-18 month size, and clients can choose to use our wardrobe or bring their own outfits.  Our closet is STOCKED!! We have over 200 dresses and rompers for little girls and approaching 100 outfits for little boys. We work closely with each family to come up with sets/colors/themes that fit their child's personality.  For the cake smash itself, we are more than happy to create a custom scene for you (upgrade is required for a custom theme set)!  We also provide the cake, so you don't need to worry about a thing - it’s all handled for you.


Smash Cake Photo Frequently Asked Questions

What is a cake smash session? Cake smash sessions are a great way to commemorate a baby’s big milestone of turning one year old! The child is presented with a cake to enjoy. Some will eat, others will smash or both or at times, nothing might happen! (we have tricks for that)

How does the cake smash photo session work? Every cake smash session comes with THREE sets and THREE outfit changes! Sessions are usually about 45-60 minutes long. I have you pick out your backdrops ahead of time, and I have outfits set out for you to choose from on the day of the session.

Are props provided? Absolutely! I have a huge prop room and most of my backdrops have coordinating props. I have cute “one” signs, cake stands galore, themed props, etc. If you have a specific request for any specific props, I may or may not be able to accommodate them… and anything custom does require a package upgrade. I even have an adorable tub for cute pictures and a real water clean-up at the end of the session!

When should I book the Cake Smash photo session? It’s never too early to get on the schedule! Some months fill up fast and I have to turn clients away. So it’s better to book as soon as you decide you want to do a session. I often will book sessions several months out. It’s best to do the pictures within about 4 weeks of the baby’s actual first birthday if you want photos back in time for a party. I do have parents who want the shoot right around the baby’s actual birthday and that is fine too!

Where does the session take place? All cake smash sessions take place at my studio in Carlsbad, CA. North County Suburb of San Diego. Our studio is about 35 min. drive from downtown San Diego, and 30 min. from San Clemente, CA.

What do I need to bring with me? NOTHING! I handle the whole process. Just bring me a happy well-rested baby! If you have a special outfit you want to bring along, that is fine. But I do have a huge wardrobe available to clients for your use during the session. I will send you a prep guide ahead of your session and I do have you bring a few of the baby’s favorite snacks. Otherwise, I handle everything from start to finish!

How soon do I get to see my images? You will be viewing your images the same day! Immediately after the session takes place, I will need about 15 minutes to prepare the unedited images. I have you get baby comfortable and settled, while I do my process. You get to sit on my comfortable couch/seating area, and view the full gallery of images on my large screen monitor. I have a very efficient system to help you pick out your favorite images and select the ones that you love! At this time you will be picking the images that you want to move forward with and order. This is also part of how I have a very fast turnaround on your final images. Final images are delivered to you one week from your session date (payment in full is required to get on my proofing schedule). Once you’re on my editing schedule I need approximately one week to complete your edits. Note that during November/December (my busy season) turnaround is closer to two weeks.

Is the cake included? Cake Smash Sessions include a basic cake with 3 design options. If you want to upgrade to a more ornate design, there is a fee for that. And if you need a special dietary cake, you must either bring your own, or I can order that for you for an additional fee as well. I work with an amazing bakery called Yummy Cupcakes in Encinitas. They do a great job and their cupcakes are truly YUMMY!

Can we have family pictures also? This session is designed specifically for babies. But we do have an option to add on family photos.

What if the baby doesn’t like the cake? I’d say that over half of babies are not really interested in eating the cake. That’s why I highly suggest bringing a few of the baby’s favorite snacks, and we put them on the cake to get the baby to interact with the cake. I have been doing this for many years and I have lots of tricks to help the session go smoothly!

Can we bring friends or family to the session to watch? I discourage this only because being in a new place is already overwhelming to a lot of little ones. Adding in all the family members trying to interact while I’m trying to get baby to look at the camera and it’s often just too much for baby. I highly suggest parents only at the session. If you do bring other family I ask you to limit it to 2 other people and I will have other family members stay in my waiting area.

How do I book? Contact me so that we can first agree on a date… once we have selected a date, in order to secure that date on my calendar, I do require a $200 non-refundable retainer and a contract to be completed online. I will then have you send me your backdrop selections and I send a planning sheet to ensure we’re on the same page about backdrops and details.

If you’re looking for pricing and additional information, please fill out the contact form below, and Stacey will contact you as soon as possible.


San Diego Baby Milestone Sessions & Cake Smash Photography.  We highly recommend capturing portraits at the six months and one-year milestones. We work closely with each family to come up with sets/colors/themes that fit their child's personality. We also offer a beautiful selection of studio wardrobe, or you may bring your own outfits. Call us today for a free no-obligation consultation.