photography£195 / 60 min session
family photoshoots
A family photoshoot that doesn't end with everyone needing a lie-down. We work fast, we keep little ones interested, and we still get the photo with everyone looking at the camera.
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photography
cake smash sessions
First birthday. First cake. First excellent mess.
A first-birthday cake smash session, fully kitted: bespoke cake, themed setup, splash mat, and a bath area so the cleanup is somebody else's problem.
First-birthday cake smash is a session built around mess management as much as photography. The setup is fully covered, the cake is sized for tiny hands, the bath is pre-warmed for the after-shot, and the whole thing runs to a 90-minute schedule that lets baby explore the cake at their own pace. Some babies dive straight in, some politely consider the cake for 20 minutes, some hate it and we go straight to the family-portrait fallback. Whatever happens, the images are usually the parents' favourite from baby's first year.
How it works
booking cake smash
From enquiry to delivery — here's exactly how the process runs.
pick your date
Closest to baby's first birthday is ideal — within two weeks either side works well. Pick your theme and colour palette at booking.
we arrange the cake
Bespoke first-birthday cake made fresh by our local baker, themed to match your colour choice. Delivered to the studio on shoot day.
smash, bath, gallery
90-minute session with pre-smash family shots, the cake bit, and bath cleanup. Online gallery delivered within 5 working days.
In the price
what's included
No upsells in the small print. The headline rate covers the kit and the room — add-ons are listed separately and you only pay for what you book.
Bespoke first-birthday cake — themed to your colour palette, made fresh by a local Essex baker, perfectly sized for one-year-old hands.
Themed background and styling — choose from boho, primary, pastel, themed-character or seasonal. We set up before you arrive.
Splash mat and clean-up area — full coverage so cake stays where it should, plus changing area and warm towels for the post-smash mess.
Bath setup for post-smash giggles — yes, the bath bit is part of the session. Some of the best images are from the cleanup, not the smash.
15 edited high-resolution images — mix of pre-smash posed, mid-smash chaos, and post-smash bath happiness.
Online gallery + print release — full sharing rights plus password-protected family gallery.
Why book this with us
reasons to pick echelon for cake smash
Cake included — bespoke, themed and made fresh. No extra to organise.
Full cleanup setup means no stress about mess — splash mat, changing area, warm towels and bath all ready.
Themed backgrounds in stock — boho, pastel, primary, character themes, or we can build a custom theme to your palette.
Family portrait section included free at the start — get the wider-family shots before cake takes over.
Backup snacks if baby refuses cake — happens regularly. The resulting images are usually even better.
90-minute session with no time pressure — paced for baby's mood on the day.
Our daughter wasn't sure about the cake for the first ten minutes, then went fully feral. The photos are absurdly good and we've already framed three.
Rates
how it's priced
Prices ex-VAT. 25% deposit holds your slot — the balance is due 24 hours before the shoot.
Per session
£225
90 min session
Includes cake & cleanup
Optional add-ons
In-house photographerfrom £140 / hour
Videographer + editfrom £180 / hour
Hair & makeup artistfrom £85 / hour
Studio assistant£35 / hour
Same-day edit turnaround+£120
Catering for crewfrom £15 / head
Common questions
about cake smash
- Yes — bespoke, themed to your colour palette, and made fresh by a local Essex baker. We organise everything; you just confirm the theme at booking.
ready when you are
The booking form takes 90 seconds. We reply within 2 working hours.