Did you there are over 31 million seconds inside the 365 days in the year?
Can you related to how we can only feel on your skin how fast those seconds and days go by when we become parents, because each given year can provide you only a certain amount of beautiful and unforgettable embraceable opportunities to watch our little ones grown, learn and love. We spend a great amount of our yearly seconds at work, running errands, cooking meals and doing laundry. Every second counts in the journey of a baby's precious first year journey and developmental milestones.
Even though you could’ve sworn they were born just yesterday, planning a birthday party is a great way to celebrate this important milestone in life of a baby.
If you plan on making an unforgettable impression for your guests, here are some hints and tips to consider:
"Festive organic arch of blue balloons", featured above. Text and images are copyrights reserved to La Dolce Vita Photography by Layne Fernandes.
5 tips for a hassle free special first birthday party
Choosing all the details and venue for a very special birthday celebration can be overwhelming, but there is a way to have your baby celebrated in grand style that is now a big part of the American culture. It is called "Cake Smash Session"!
Here are the steps:
1. Choosing the birthday party theme
Nowadays with the help and inspirations provided by several sources from the internet, choosing a party theme can make planning so much easier and fun!
There are plenty of inspirational sources for a first birthday party theme you can dream about, from cartoonish to futuristic.
Cartoonish parties are totally whimsical while futuristic themes bring emotional vibes to the party.
Costumes can bring the story of the set into reality along with a cake that ties all the elements during the session.
You can go as big as your imagination, and budget, allows you to embrace this dreamy adventure, of the world or universe of Cake Smashes!
Are you familiar with this style of photography sessions?
"Alice in Onederland". Featured above. Text and images are copyrights reserved to La Dolce Vita Photography by Layne Fernandes.
2. Plan around your baby's schedule
Some babies have more difficult schedules than others. If your baby happens to be nocturnal, if this is your case, make sure your baby has a nap before the photo session begins. Normally a good car ride does the trick.
The typical duration of a Smash Cake Session, runs between 45 minutes to almost 2 hours. This is because babies can sleep as much as 18 hours a day, plan on having a photo session that lasts no longer than 2 hours. This may not seem like a long time, but you’ll be able to have the most adorable stage photos to be enjoyed for a lifetime!
It is all about the baby! And a baby's attention spam can only last so long. I do not allow my sessions to be extended to the point of noticeable baby exhaustion.
Many times, parents and family members enjoy the groove of the session and, if it depends on them, it will go on and on...
I am here to advocate for the baby! Cake Smash sessions are exclusively intended to celebrate the baby's first upcoming birthday and having a happy baby in the studio is the most important factor that I will be focusing during the session.
The results will be the most adorable timeless photos, you could ask for...
"Farm animals" Cake Smash Theme, featured above. Text and images are copyrights reserved to La Dolce Vita Photography by Layne Fernandes.
3. Send Personalized Invitations & Thank you cards matching the birthday theme
Once you have the guest list and party details solidified, another fun part begins and it’s time to "write on stones" by making invitations and getting the feeling that "something is becoming real"!
The emotion of designing a first birthday invitation, comes tied to selecting cherished photos of your baby during the Cake Smash Session. This will turn any ordinary event into a memorable event!
A first birthday celebration is about embracing and wrapping up that first year into welcoming very special guests in a thoughtful get together.
When sketching your invitations, it is important to make it simple and clear. Do not forget to show clear directions to the venue, date and time. Knowing there might be lost guests driving around an unfamiliar neighborhood, is not a fun thing to deal with... be clear!
Setting a start and ending time to the event, is also important. This avoids the worry about guests overstaying while you might have to deal with the possibility of trying to comfort a fussy baby after being shared with all guests during the length of the party.
4. How many cakes should I order for the birthday party?
There is no right or wrong on this answer. One or two, matching cakes, should be my guess.
It is totally fine if your baby has had his professional Cake Smash photo session, prior to the formal and official event of his first birthday party.
You can totally go to town and have another petite cake designated for a second smash during the party. This time, your baby can be sitting on a decorated high chair.
Make sure cell phones, cameras and video cameras are fully charged! Get ready to assign guests to help you with family photos!
"Farm animals" Cake Smash Theme, featured above. Text and images are copyrights reserved to La Dolce Vita Photography by Layne Fernandes.
5. What is a Cake Smash?
Not everyone has heard about babies smashing petite cakes as a fun way of celebrating their first birthday. Experiencing the freedom of being allowed to dig into a decorated cake with their delicate tiny hands, is the most fun thing a baby could do!
It will be incredibly lovely, adorable and possibly messy! But... it will be so worth it to have, not only a birthday party highlighted this way, but timeless moments and memories too!
Nowadays, many local bakeries can design and create custom cakes to be smashed by your baby - in the studio or during the birthday celebration.
Most of babies won't eat much of it. They taste, play with texture, use a spoon to smash it, get up and look at the cake from above, just have fun with it... Other babies won't even touch the cake, but still have wonderful pictures taken beside the Smash Cake. Families may take the cake home and enjoy it later! There is no waste, in this regards.
Enjoy a first birthday celebration!
In nowadays fast paced lifestyle we all have, it is very easy to, sadly, be present and do not enjoy the moment. Let's try to make things different, by being more present to the given moment, celebrate and eat that cake too?
The more you can assign to others, the better will be for you. Remember that true friends and loving family members are here to help and they love to be of help!
The purpose of having a party for your baby is the celebration of life, health, happiness, the start of a new family with positive vibes. Remember that it has been a year with a new life in your home and this celebration only marks the very beginning of an entire upcoming start of a lifelong filled with incredible adventures. There is so much more to come, more beautiful celebrations and so many resources to look at when it comes to the need of reaching for new sources of inspirations.
Remember the sky is the limit only when you want to limit yourself. Be the light and live a healthy happy life beside your growing family!
Contact Layne Fernandes for a free consultation and guidance on your Smash Cake session planning in the studio.
I am here to help you and I work around parents and baby nap schedule.
I have researched and became certified on different tips and techniques to have the most successful Cake Smash sessions for the celebration of your baby's first birthday!
Best time to book your session? Between 10 1/2 to 11 months old.
www.ladolcevitaphotos.com
layne@ladolcevitaphotos.com
720.532.3111
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