First birthday cake smash?

[twocultures]

I'm currently planning my LO's first birthday and me and my fiancée both love the idea of the cake smash. You know where you get a special small cake made, put it in front of your baby and let them go for it with their bare hands!
The only thing we are trying to decide at the moment is wether to have the cake smash during the actual birthday party in front of all the family and friends as we think they will enjoy seeing our LO dig in and have fun. Especially his great grandparents who are flying in from abroad.
Or should we book in a studio pre-party in a more 'controlled environment' so we can make sure the photos actually come out nicely for a keepsake and then display them at the actual birthday bash?

Has anyone done a cake smash for their little ones? How was it? What sounds like a better option?

[MooningIntoTheAbyss]

A great many mumsnetter don't read the full thread (RTFT) so they won't have read the replies. Simply thrown in their 2 pennies and left straight away.

Sort the wheat from the chaff with replies.
Similarly, people are much more up front online then they are in real life, and possibly more up front then they should be, bold, in a way!

1st birthday parties are memorable because of what it is. Their 1st. Whatever you do you will wish with time you had done, or that, or Xyz.
Just be there and enjoy it.
Simple food, a nice cake (non smash able) and tea for the grown up,
Ball pool for the baby. Nothing is as much fun as a ball pool for a 1 yr old!

[hilbil21]

There's loads of negative people, but by the same vein there's a lot of helpful posts/people and good advice I've found so it's not all bad! Are you on Facebook? If so I will pm you the business page of the lady that did ours. You can see some of the photos to give you ideas X

[merrymouse]

I don't have a problem with photographing a one year old covered in cake - any 1 year old is going to get covered in cake if you give them cake - it's just recording something that is part of life at that age.

However, I'd much rather record memories of a party than memories of sitting in a photographer's studio.

Having said that...

If you want some studio pictures of a one year old and you want to use cake as a prop then go for it - it's not going to be the last time your one year old makes a complete and utter mess with food!

[twocultures]

Oh thank you for some positive stuff!!! I thought everyone managed to brand me disgusting vulgar and wasteful by now!
It's good to hear not everyone thinks wasting 1 small cake is such a horrible thing to do.

I appreciate all the comments but I'm new to this whole forum so I guess I just didn't expect so much negativity.
Thank you for a bit of encouragement!!!

[hilbil21]

I would ignore all these holier than thou folk and go for it! As far as I can see your question wasn't really whether you should do it it was where it should take place! Once again mumsnetters answering a question which wasn't asked!

We recently got a cake smash photoshoot done and it was done by a photographer in her house with backdrop etc. I definitely wouldn't do it at party there will be far too many distractions.

As for wasteful - we had the opportunity to bring the cake home albeit slightly bashed and messy! We didn't but who cares!

[SleepyForest]

I have some cute pics of ds at his first birthday covered in cake. But that was fifteen years ago and not contrived as a "thing" for social media purposes.

Beware stains on his best new clothes and don't expect anyone else to find him as cute as you do.

[Pootles2010]

Honestly I think first birthday parties are lovely for their simplicity - folk will want a cuppa, a sandwich, bit of cake, and a snuggle with the birthday boy.

Actually re the cake smash thingie - if you go for it, have you considered what a mess he'll be in after? You'd have to whisk him off for a bath, might be a faff? No one will want to cuddle him when he's covered in icing

[Cuppaand2biscuits]

Oh get over your snobby selves. I'm assuming none of you waste any food ever? It's only a bit of flour, sugar and a few eggs. Compared to all the lovingly crafted, homemade nutrious meals a small person reserves the right to 'waste' (refuse to eat, smear on their face, throw on the floor) every year, it's really only a small percentage of the food waste occurring.
I haven't done a cake smash but I've seen cute photos done at home and in studio's.
It's your child and your party plans, don't let it be ruined by the opinions of others.

[twocultures]

I was just getting ideas i don't understand why people are now just saying one and the same about how they think it's 'vulgar and a waste' etc I get it that's what 5 other people on this post said!

I appreciate sharing your opinions but please from now on if that's all you have to say I'd rather you not post it as if you look a few replies up I have asked everyone about their ideas for things to do at the party and there has been some good ones. I keep checking for more but I just keep getting more negative comments about the initial idea...

Please could we keep it positive and stick to the advice/ideas?
I would really appreciate it!

[curren]

Honestly I think these are awful. Wasteful. Tacky (imo).

However I find it really odd that you are planning on it as part of the birthday party. 'Let's all stand round while a one year old smashes a cake up'

It's like those gender reveal parties where the cake is pink or blue inside. A bit cringy

[PurpleDaisies]

When British people say 'that sounds lovely' they roughly mean ' that sounds like my idea of hell, thank God we don't know you socially so there's no danger of being invited!'

That literally made me laugh out loud. I always think of sir Humphrey from Yes Minister saying "that's a brave choice,minister" meaning "that's a ridiculous course of action." Off to google what Brits say and what they really mean.

[guerre]

Are you British? Have you seen the list going round of 'what Brits say, what Brits mean'?
When British people say 'that sounds lovely' they roughly mean ' that sounds like my idea of hell, thank God we don't know you socially so there's no danger of being invited!'

[SweetieDrops]

If you want to do a cake smash then I'd do it in a studio with a photographer so the pictures come out well, I wouldn't do it at home at the party in case DC is distracted by all the relatives/presents etc.

It's not to everyone's personal taste but neither are those newborn shoots with the baby posed in a plant pot and stuff and plenty of people do them, it's not exactly unheard of. One small cake is a small amount of waste in the grand scheme of things, my DC probably wasted more than that amount weekly by chucking it off the highchair tray.

[magpie17]

That sounds horrible/boring and not really something I (if I was was a relative) would be interested in seeing. I have an 8 month old and already have lots of the essential "food all over the baby" photos anyway, don't you? And that just because all babies are messy at first, I don't deliberately give him food with the intention of him throwing it everywhere. And neither should you.

[Ilovenannyplum]

It's a cake. It's one day.
I'm assuming OP isn't going to let her baby smash a cake every day it's not that wasteful.

I would do it in a photography studio, I think you would get better photos. I think it's nice to mark the 1st birthday and if that's what you want to do, don't listen to anyone else!

Before anyone asks, no I didn't do it with DS, I'm sure he would have loved it though, he's quite partial to throwing himself in the direction of cake....

[PurpleDaisies]

But it's good to get a few outside opinions as everyone we mentioned it to before has liked the idea, some even loved it but maybe they were just being polite.

I think a key part of being British is the ability to be polite in the face of a really bad idea.

A friend of mine did a hand and foot print frame at their baby's first birthday where all the family children did prints on a frame and they took a lovely photo of them all together to go on the wall. Apparently they're going to do this every Christmas so you see the hands (and children!) getting bigger. The photos are going up the stairs.

[VinceNoirLovesHowardMoon]

Do remember that your baby won't remember it! Inviting everyone over for tea, sandwiches, presents and cake is really sufficient

[twocultures]

I wasn't inviting people to come and watch my baby smash a cake! That's not what I wrote...
All I meant was I was considering it as one of the things that we do at the birthday party.

But it's good to get a few outside opinions as everyone we mentioned it to before has liked the idea, some even loved it but maybe they were just being polite.

This will be the first thing we organise for our LO and also the first thing of this sort we organise together, so we are looking at all the ideas and options. It's a big birthday and we want it to be special and memorable...

So on that note has anyone got any ideas or maybe anything they've done at their LO's birthdays that's fun or different?
They'd be really appreciated!

[VinceNoirLovesHowardMoon]

You want to invite people to watch your baby smash a cake? That wouldn't be something most people would be impressed by I don't think. I think cake smashes are gross and vulgar.

[WellErrr]

I think it's terribly wasteful, tacky, teaches poor habits, and looks awful.

So I wouldn't even consider it.

But that's me. If you like it go ahead. Your baby! and kitchen

[twocultures]

I guess I never thought about the waste.....
Some good points!

I wasn't worried about the money as my friend who's a baker offered to make the cake it would've only been a small version of a normal cake rather than a slice probably about 4/5" max .
I guess I was just drawn to all the cute adorable photos I saw on the Internet

No culture problems here as I know the GPs would've enjoyed it.
Guess we need to rethink it !

[PurpleDaisies]

This sounds like my worst nightmare. Sorry.

[glasgowlass]

I don't get cake smashes. Utterly pointless & wasteful in my opinion.

[Savagebeauty]

Utterly tacky

[Roseformeplease]

Why don't you just give the baby some cake to eat? Will make lovely messy photos (if that is what you want?) and will also not result in something that looks like the epitome of ridiculous Western consumerism.

What next? Setting fire to a pile of tenners to light the barbecue?