Simple Sophistication
Newport Beach, CA & Gilbert, AZ • Sessions by appointment only
Southern California & Arizona
Orange County ● PHOENIX
Baby’s first year is a blur of excitement and milestones. Now that you’ve reached the end of it, it’s time to party! A cake smash portrait session is the perfect celebration to capture all the joy of the last twelve months, to send out to family and friends or on a birthday announcement, and images you’ll cherish forever.
The point of the cake smash session is just that—the SMASH! The messier, the better! We start with the non-cake smash outfit and do a nice one-year-old portrait. Then we will have an outfit change and dig into the cake smash portion of the session.
We’ll talk with you ahead of time and decide on the theme (you can do a color scheme, a sports or hobby theme, favorite toy, book, simple, etc.) you’d like for your photos. Some sets take longer to prepare (depending on if it is custom) so please book 4-6 weeks prior.
We work with our local bakery to create the perfect (and perfectly yummy!) cake. The naked design is included in our session fee, but you are welcome to upgrade to a custom cake.
Our studio is full of a huge assortment of backdrops and props and is usually the best place to photograph a cake smash. We have sets you can choose from that we have already designed or you can have us come up with a custom set to match your one-year-old’s birthday theme.
Browse our wide variety of cake smash studio sets ready for your Southern California or Arizona cake smash session.
If you'd like a custom set design it is a additional upgrade.
Cake Smashes are the best way to celebrate your baby's first year. Simply pick your set design and reserve your date, Gilmore Studios will take care of the rest.
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*Add additional milestone sessions for $ during the 1st year. Digital files & photo products sold separately.
Photography products, digital files, and wall collections are purchased separately from your session fee. Please see our product guide for photo product collections & pricing.
We suggest scheduling 4-6 weeks in advance so we will have time to gather the props for your theme, the backdrop, and get the custom cake ordered.
No, we work with a local bakery for your session. Each cake included is naked. You are welcome to upgrade to a custom cake for the baker's additional fee. We will even box it up for you to take home afterward if it doesn’t get completely smashed. If your child has allergies - please bring your own cake.
We recommend bringing two outfits for the cake smash that coordinate with your chosen backdrop and theme, plus something clean for the baby to wear home. We can supplement with our huge assortment of hats, headbands, and tutus if needed. We also recommend an outfit change for the parent. Sometimes you can get messy with little hands on you.
All cake smash sessions are done in our studio, typically in the early morning or lunchtime.
Your images will be available online 7-10 business days after your session. You will be able to download the digital images you purchased as well as order prints, albums, canvases and more. If you would like to do an online ordering session with Gilmore Studios, that works great too.
Don’t worry! This is very common at this age. We have a few tricks for these kids and we will still get plenty of great shots, even if they refuse to touch the cake. We do recommend practicing at home incase that is the situation.
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The first look with Alex and Bryndis was one of those moments you do not forget. It was quiet, heartfelt and gave them a chance to breathe before the day took off.
If you are planning your wedding, consider a first look. It gives you time together, helps calm nerves and lets you enjoy more of your day without rushing.
Here are a few highlights from their beautiful Newport Beach Hyatt wedding.
Planning and Florals: @ruffleeffect
Venue and Caterer: @hyattnewportbeach.events
Photo: @gilmorestudios
DJ and Photo Booth: @djguiseppe
MUAH: @refinedbeautyinc
Live Music: @oceansidequartet
Cake: @couturecakery
Rentals: @loungepartyrentals
Some people wonder - is it worth the hassle every year to take family photos? In my personal experience… 💯 With two of my boys out of the house and one teenager left - I am so glad we did family photos. I have them around my house on the walls and in albums and it makes me so happy. I don’t think you will ever meet someone that regrets taking photos yearly - but you will definitely find people regretting they didn’t take family photos. #printyourphotos #orangecountyfamilyphotographer #gilbertfamilyphotographer #newportbeachphotographer
Photographed this awesome family right out front of their home in Utah, and I loved everything about it. The light, the laughter, and my favorite part…. the chickens walking around in the background.
It is always the little things that end up being my favorite part of a session.
#FamilyPhotography #GilmoreStudios #UtahPhotographer #LifestyleFamilyPhotos #FamilyPortraits #FamilyPhotographyInspo #OCPhotographer #OnLocationPhotography
I messed up and put my glasses on my head not thinking they were recording, but actually loved what I heard. If you have had me photograph you / you know. I will tell you where to place your hands so they don’t look awkward, how to fix your hair, where to stand. That’s my job. You should never have to worry about things like that 💕 #howtopose #howtoposeforpictures #familyphotographer #photographytips
An extended family session with four dogs and the best energy. We found the most beautiful tree for our backdrop and ended the session by climbing it for the final photo.
Sessions like this remind me how much fun family portraits can be when everyone just goes with it.
#FamilyPhotography #GilmoreStudios #OCFamilyPhotographer #NewportBeachPhotographer #ExtendedFamilyPhotos #FamilyPortraits #OrangeCountyPhotography #DogPhotography #FamilySessionFun
Newport Beach, CA & Gilbert, AZ
Session by appointment only
