Sweet at-home NYC Cake Smash
A Sweet At-Home NYC Cake Smash Shoot With Jennie Monness (of Mo’ Mommies)
Since she was in Jennie’s belly, I’ve been photographing little Nell and was thrilled to be able to capture her 1st birthday cake smash!
Lovely Jennie Monness is the brain behind Union Square Play, a unique parenting community, and children’s play space. She’s a total pro, always bringing creative ideas to our shoots and making them so much fun! After capturing some solo shots of the birthday girl, Jennie and big sister Tess joined in, making the photos even more special.
This smash cake, from Padoca Bakery (yes, they actually sell cakes just for smashing), smashed like a dream! It created a beautiful, painterly texture that the girls loved playing with—as you can see. We didn’t need any other props to get them smiling, giggling, and engaged.
The setup…
For this shoot, Jennie prepped her home by moving her couch and rug out of the way so I could tape up white set paper (all of which was included in the price of the session). I positioned this close to her sunny windows to get lots of bright, glowy light. Fun fact: This session was shot with only natural window light! ✨ Shooting cake smash photos at home is recommended when possible, so you can put your messy kiddo right in the bathtub once we wrap. No need to strap a frosting-and-sprinkle-covered toddler into a car seat.
Jennie chose a chic yet playful color palette, keeping the wardrobe white (brave for a cake smash!) and gold, while the cake and birthday hat were bright, rainbow hues. Something to remember if you opt for bolder colors: You can always request black and white photo options, that way you won’t have to worry about the pics not matching with your home decor.
Curious about capturing your little one’s milestone moments and birthday shoots?
Get in touch and we’ll brainstorm!
