The sky really is the limit when it comes to cake smashes. So come with me on my process of creating a particular set for an incredibly lovely returning client of mine.
Sara got in contact for a cake smash session for her daughters first birthday, before I even opened up the email I was thinking "hold on a minute I know that name" and a big smile came across my face! There is no bigger compliment than a returning customer! I felt extremely honoured that I was being asked to capture their 3rd little girls first birthday memories.
After a quick catch up about Sara's other two daughters, and being gobsmacked at how that much time had passed already, it was time to get into planning Amelie's cake smash. Its worth mentioning that Sara always gives me a welcomed challenge with themes, for her eldest daughters first birthday we did a floral/greenary set, for her second daughters cake smash I made my very first pastel rainbow balloon garland (and we know how well they've taken off!) and this time around Sara asked for a daisy theme, which if you know me you'll know at the minute I am obsessed with daisies (just ask my husband!), so I was very pleased with this theme suggestion.
I asked Sara if she had any ideas in mind and we could go from there. She sent me over some Pinterest inspo and told me that she trusted what I could come up with and let me run with the theme from there!
A side note, I always welcome inspiration images but I do always mention that these are for INSPIRATION and I will never directly copy another photographers work. So I studied the inspiration images and off I went on planning the set.
Sara chose my Flour package, so keeping the cost within this package budget I started creating my set in my head. Instantly I knew sailbaords would be perfect for this theme! I had been toying with the idea of making some for a while and I already had all the supplies to make them, so it was time to get a wiggle on. I of course enlisted my dad's help, those of you that have been to the studio know all about my dads handy man skills in there! I even got my mum involved helping me work on what dimensions I wanted and what could fit in the space I have. My dad got to work cutting up the MDF for me whilst I got to work painting them up, it was quite the family affair!
Whilst the sailbaords were being made I began to design the rest of the set and explain it to Sara, which is a very hard feat over email! I decided to draw it out digitally to make sure my vision was coming across. Now there is a reason I'm a photographer and not an artist, haha!
After making a very interesting digital sketch I sent it over to Sara hoping she would be able to see my vision depsite how poorly executed it was currently on screen. She replied that evening saying my design was perfect and she could envision it very clearly, phew! So the rest is history.
I did make a minor adjustment to the final set with regards to adding ivy throughout the garland, this was a decision I made whilst setting up as I didn't think it was adding anything to my set but I did run the final decision past Sara once she turned up on the session day as I could have easily added it in.
Amelie did an absolutely outstanding job smashing the cake and making a mess for me, we were bffs by the end of the cake smash! She even left a little bit of cake remaining for mum to take home and share with her sisters, how thoughtful is she, haha!
It was such an honour to capture more memories for such a lovely family, thank you again Sara for choosing me x
Cake supplied by Sprinkled with love
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