Creative Cake Smash Theme: Happy Bee Day

maternity | Newborn | Senior | Milestone Photographer - Charlotte, nc

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Capturing your little one’s milestone first birthday is a joy, especially when it comes to gift them a creative cake smash sessions! Recently, I had the pleasure of photographing an adorable cake smash themed “Happy Bee Day”!  Creating a  custom set just for them with tons of sunflowers, bumblebees, and a super adorable cake that truly brought the theme to life was so much fun.

brown hair girl sitting in a basket during the start of her cake smash session dressed in a peach onsie and a coordinating peach bow

A Buzzing Good Time

I won’t lie, creating these set-ups for me is so much fun!!  From the moment her mom told me their birthday theme I was so excited to create them a set that would be perfect for her!!  The vibrant yellow and cheerful sunflower decor set the perfect backdrop for this delightful creative cake smash theme. Sunflowers symbolize happiness and positivity, making them an ideal choice for a first birthday celebration. I even had a chance to make a couple of little bumblebee hives to make it extra special!  And as soon as her mama saw it -she said “oh my goodness, it is better than I imagined” and, yep, that made my day!

custom creative cake smash set up filled with sunflowers, handmade bumble bee hives and tiny bumblebees perfect for a little ones cake smash session in the waxhaw, nc studio

Capturing Sweet Moments

One of the unique parts of booking a Supreme Smash session is that the session isn’t just a cake smash session.  My sessions are structured to make sure each of my clients gets to enjoy two sets so you have plenty of images from this final year milestone for your kiddos.  That way they can have the cute “clean” shots and then all the messy fun too!   So booking a session like this one is actually kinda like three sessions in one.

little girl dressed in a white romper sitting on purple cloth in a crate with the letters ONE in front of her

Starting with the Milestone Moment:

Each Supreme Smash session starts with simple Milestone images.  This is where we get to use my fun letters and numbers, little benches, stools, and so much more to highlight their little personalities!  And since I had the privilege of photographing Evelyn for her Lifestyle Newborn Session, I pulled a lavender wrap that we used during that session for a little extra touch of love!! Watching her laugh and giggle was the perfect start to our session!

Highlight The Theme:

Next, we start the cake smash portion of the photos and move on over to the custom setup!  This is when we will capture images of  baby sitting in the set up.  I love being able to use a fun prop – sometimes one I used from their newborn session – for them to sit in/on for a few cute shots.   Little Evenlyn had a blast sitting in the basket.  And it was a hilarious moment to remember when she started popping her feet out over the top to make her mom and I laugh!

Time To Smash: 

Once we had a chance to grab a few cute shots in the set up it was time for all the messy fun.    This is when the laughter really kicks in.  Some babies love the cake and some hate it.  As you can see, Evelyn LOVED it.  She even did one of my most favorite things kiddos can do during their smash: “THE BIG BITE”.  It’s that time of the smash when some kiddos bend over and take a big ‘ol bite of the cake.  No hands, just all mouth and cake.  It really is the moment I love the most during smash sessions. And know you know why I always recommend a multilayered cake!

Little girl sitting with her cake on a cake stand in front of her dressed in a peach romper and a big peach bow sitting in her custom happy bee day cake smash set up

The Custom Cake

The highlight of any cake smash session is, of course, the cake! I always recommend to my parents to think about adding a simple cake that works great with their cake smash theme.  Keeping the cake small but multi-layered is ideal.  And while we all love icing – or maybe that is just me – I do tell parents that keeping the cake more simply iced is best for the baby.  This custom cake was not only visually stunning but also perfect for little hands to explore and smash!  Even better that it had minimal icing for little E to enjoy both cake and icing!  Watching the birthday girl dive into the cake was a priceless moment. Her giggles and expressions as she discovered the taste of frosting and cake were truly heartwarming.

Custom 3 tiered cake with dripping icing and little bumblebees placed on it perfect for this themed Happy Bee Day Cake Smash Session.

What about outfits?

Like I mentioned before, these specific types of sessions are like multiple sessions in one.  So that means you get to have two different outfits for your little one.  Because this portion of the shoot is all about baby, it’s ideal to keep the outfit and set up simple so the little ONE stands out.  Evelyn wore an outfit from my client closet that I think was perfect for her. She was adorable in the little white romper with her little chubby legs and bare feet showing!  

Next is smash set time so outfit number two comes into play!  Some parents keep it really simple and others want to make sure it matches the theme.  I love the outfit Evelyn’s mom chose because, while it was simple, it had just enough “theme” to tie everything together!  And BONUS, I love when parents choose rompers for their kiddos!  Rompers are great for ensuring the diaper doesn’t show and you never have to worry about straps falling down or shirts coming untucked!

Why Choose a Creative Cake Smash Theme?

A creative cake smash theme like “Happy Bee Day” not only makes for stunning photos but also allows your child’s personality to shine through. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate their first year while incorporating elements that are meaningful to your family. Plus, these sessions are a fantastic way to create unique and memorable keepsakes that you’ll look back on for years to come.

Little girl sits in her peach ONE embroidered romper looking at her cake with her tongue out in a charlotte area nc studio session