Eliza | In-Studio Portrait Session
Cake Smash sessions make my inner-child beam with joy,
especially when my subject is a childhood best-friend’s beautiful daughter.
Growing up, Jessie and I did everything together. From after-school activities, to family vacations, and everything in-between; we were inseparable. While she was a permanent fixture in my everyday-life as a kid, I never could have predicted that I’d be photographing her daughter’s one-year photos. I mean, WHAT AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY!! This is literally what my dreams are made of, ya’ll.
After locking down a date for Eliza’s session, I knew I had to get to work on making her setup super, super special. One solid hour of searching Pinterest and a quick trip to Hobby Lobby later, I found the most adorable floral teepee idea that I just HAD to recreate. (Check out my Instagram Reels for the behind-the-scenes footage of the DIY floral teepee in-the-making)
Additional props to the setup included some twinkle lights, beautiful accents of white lace, an organic hanging-flowers backdrop, and of course, the letters O-N-E to highlight this momentous occasion. Jessie’s eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning when she saw the finished product, which told me I had nailed her vision to a tee.
We started Eliza’s session with this gorgeous, pastel pink formal dress. Fluffy layers of tule, sparkly detail, and a tiny bow to match – I mean, can you even?? She’s a total doll-baby.
After formal photos, it was time for an outfit change and CAKE. This layered pink-ruffle romper number was my favorite, and the beautiful floral silk bow was the perfect touch– so sweet and dainty.
Huge shoutout to Jaes Cakes for providing this adorable, custom three-level mini cake for us. As you can tell, Eliza thoroughly enjoyed it, and so did my camera!!
A little added bonus some people might not know about booking their child’s Cake Smash with me: I exclusively offer a FREE Mini Milk Bath setup to clean up and close out Cake Smash sessions.
I love the added variety a milk bath setup provides to the shoot, and the kiddos seem to love it too! A sprinkling of fresh flowers adds a pop of color to this lactose-free bath, and it’s even naturally soothing to your baby’s skin.
We used lavender sprigs to go around the bowl and chose purple, violet and white blooms to go in the actual bath. A wooden backdrop was added to give neutral vibes to this simple setup.
I had so much fun spending time with Jessie, her sweet Husband, and their gorgeous daughter, Eliza in my studio. Catching up on old memories while making new ones is honestly the best, and was soooo good for my soul. Here’s to celebrating many more fun milestones to come for Miss Eliza.
Considering booking a cake smash?! Let’s chat about how we can customize your experience and make your baby birthday photo dreams come to life!
Thanks for checking in and supporting my dream! Until next time.
XO,
Ashley
leave a comment