Cake Smash & Birthday Session Getting Ready Guide

 

Welcome, I’m Nicolette

Thank you for trusting me with this special season. My goal is to create an effortless, beautifully styled experience from start to finish. This guide will help you feel confident, prepared, and excited for your session.

Getting Started

Your child’s cake smash or birthday session is designed to be joyful, relaxed, and thoughtfully guided from start to finish. With a little preparation — and a lot of fun — we’ll create beautiful, personality-filled images while keeping your little one happy and comfortable.

What to Bring to your Session

A few helpful items we recommend having on hand:

  • Extra wipes for quick clean-ups between moments

  • A small towel for hands, faces, and post-smash cleanup

  • Puffs or Cheerios — perfect for tucking behind the cake to gently encourage curious little eaters

  • A sippy cup or water bottle for breaks

    These small essentials help us move smoothly through the session while keeping your child comfortable.

What parents should wear

Cake smash sessions can be delightfully messy-and that’s part of the fun.

  • Wear comfortable clothing you don’t mind getting a little frosting on

It’s very common for parents to leave with a bit of cake on them — consider it part of the celebration

Our Assistant & How We Work

For every cake smash session, we hire a dedicated studio assistant whose sole focus is your child’s comfort and safety.

We encourage parents to:

Allow our assistant to handle and guide your child on set

Stay behind the photographer, engaging, cheering, and entertaining

This approach helps your child feel supported without the worry of a parent “leaving” them on set, which can sometimes lead to hesitation or tears. By keeping parents close but not directly involved on set, we consistently see happier babies, more genuine smiles, and a smoother session overall.

Our assistant is experienced in working with little ones and partners closely with the photographer to ensure the session flows naturally and calmly.

Choose Your Props

Please send the preferred props form at least 24 hours before your session.