Let’s talk about a cake smash!  Everyone loves cake – or do they?  This York ME first birthday session cutie wasn’t so sure. 

A champion smiler, adorable flirter, and most chill kiddo ever, he charmed me over and over again.  He had a wonderful time with his basket of balloons, loving his beautiful mom, and hamming it up for the camera.  

But he had ZERO interest in his cake.  It happens!  Some kids are not a fan of getting dirty and they’ve not had sugar before.  Plus, they’ve just heard ‘don’t’ play with your food’ for the past year.  

This is not uncommon, at all!  I’d say at least 50% of the kids I photograph for a cake smash think we’re off our freaking rockers for putting this weirdness in front of them. 

Here are a few tips:

1. Make sure the cake isn’t cold.  Sometimes you’ll keep it in the fridge so it doesn’t melt, but if frosting is an unpleasant texture when you’re one, cold frosting is even more unpleasant. 
2. Have some of their favorite snacks on hand.  Puffs, yogurt bites, small crackers – something that you can feed to them and then make a breadcrumb trail up to and into the cake so they’ll at least look interested. 
3. Consider frosting it in something the like – if they’re good at eating their veggies, mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower can make an excellent frosting substitute! I wouldn’t go as far as these meatloaf cupcakes unless meatloaf is a staple in your house – but this Vegan Vanilla Sweet Potato Frosting could be useful!  Or just find a bakery or recipe that will help you make a low sugar, more savory treat.  Think of their favorite foods and get creative! 
4. Smaller can be better.  Maybe multiple cupcakes or cutting a piece out of the cake.  
5. Try it with them and get a little messy together!

We couldn’t get Mr. Cuteness here to like the cake, but with a little patience and creativeness, we still got the point across! 

York ME first birthday session The obligatory SEO (it’s how the internet returns Melissa Koren Photography as a result when you search on google! (or the search engine of your choice)). Wedding, Family and Newborn Photographer Melissa Koren Photography photographs good people. Wonderful, loving, quirky, sassy, laughing, fantastic, and often cheeky people like you! You are good people! Really – you’re good people! Intimate NH Weddings, Adorable MA Newborns, ME Engagement Sessions, Seacoast NH Family. There are adventures to have and memories to keep so let’s get to it! Based in Exeter, NH. If you’re in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine (plus I love to travel) and looking for a photographer, you can see more of my work online at melissakoren.com and also on Facebook. If you’d rather contact me directly, please email me at melissa@melissakoren.com!  Random search terms: Exeter Inn Wedding, NH Indian Wedding Photography, Flag Hill Vineyards, Ogunquit Family Photos, NH wedding venues, NH newborn photos, NH family photos. If you read all this, thanks for sticking with it! I hate having to do this weird SEO stuff, it’s so not natural! In conclusion, I hope you enjoyed York ME first birthday session