The Alternative to a cake smash session

I don’t really know why, but the idea of a “cake smash” is definitely a random American thing. The phrase describes the tradition of giving a child a personal birthday cake and watching him/her annihilate it. But for some reason, the tradition has become more about backdrops and props for pictures than the tradition or moment itself and what’s behind it— who’s behind it. AKA the celebration of a child (and surviving that first year as parents). Positioning a child as a prop and forcing them to dig around in icing while the cry out of of anxiety isn’t really valuable in any way. That token photo is more obligatory than meaningful.

May 26, 2019 · 1 min read · Leah O'Connell Photography

Cake smash sessions have become a popular trend, but my heart behind photography is much more about honoring the people than any backdrop or baked goods. It’s a fun moment for the baby and a sweet milestone for parents that marks the first birthday.

But I’m after the moment where grandpa lights the candles.

The laughter and play filling your living room with so much joy that came together over one little girl.

The way he giggled with pride as he takes tentative steps up the stairs of your first home.

Birthdays are about so much more than smashing a cake. Why not capture more of the story?

This little one’s mom wore the same dress at her first birthday party, so we dug out a photograph to see the resemblance

Without props or forced suspenders and confetti. If you’re going to let your kid smash some cake on his birthday, let’s actually celebrate more than just that moment. Let’s capture the experience of being one, of loving on this child, of the family you’ve built together.

In your kitchen with your dog licking the chair and your neighbor flipping hot dogs in the back yard.

The streamers around her high chair and the homemade cake you didn’t really know how to ice but darn it you tried.

Let’s capture the whole story that hits your heart and becomes a story to share around their 16th birthday when they ask – “what was my 1st birthday like?”