First birthdays, gloriously messy

One year of your little person, celebrated with both hands in the icing.

The first birthday is a big one — for your baby, and honestly, for you. You made it through the newborn fog, the sleep regressions and a year of firsts. A cake smash session marks the milestone the way a one-year-old would want to: with cake, chaos and absolutely no table manners.

I'm Deep, a dad of two based in South-East Melbourne. These sessions happen in your own home, so your little one is on familiar turf — no strange studio, no pressure to perform. Just a simple, beautiful setup, their favourite people close by, and a cake with their name on it.

How the hour runs

• The clean portraits first — a few frames of your one-year-old looking their birthday best, plus family cuddles while everyone's still icing-free.
• Then, the cake. We put it down, step back and let curiosity take over. The first cautious poke, the first fistful, the full two-handed demolition — that arc is the session.
• The gloriously messy finale — icing-covered grins, cake on the floor, and one very satisfied one-year-old. Want to keep the cameras rolling through the bath? See the splash session below.

What's included

• 1-hour session in your own home — relaxed pace, with plenty of room for snack breaks and warm-up time.
• 30+ edited images, delivered within 2 weeks through a private online gallery.
• Setup and clean-up help. I bring the patience and a hand with the mess — you won't be scraping icing off the floor alone.
• Family in the frame. Parents, siblings, grandparents — anyone who wants to celebrate (or be lovingly smeared with cake) is welcome.

Add the splash — cake smash & splash

The mess is half the fun — and the clean-up turns out to be the other half. The Cake Smash & Splash session ($300) is the same hour and the same 30+ edited images, but we finish with a warm splash bath: bubbles, kicking, icing rinsed out of unexpected places, and that content just-bathed wind-down at the end.

Some of the sweetest frames of the whole session happen in that little tub — the belly laughs, the splashing, the calm after the sugar storm. If your bathroom has decent light, you're set; if not, a baby bath near a window works beautifully.

About the cake

For dietary and allergen reasons, parents provide their own cake — that way you know exactly what your little one is eating, whether that's a classic sponge, a refined-sugar-free bake or an allergy-friendly recipe.

Any cake works, but a simple single-tier cake with soft icing smashes best — buttercream is easier on little hands than fondant. Light-coloured icing photographs beautifully, and a smash cake doesn't need to be big or expensive. Once you book, I'll send through a short guide with easy cake and outfit tips.

What to expect with a one-year-old

Some babies dive straight in. Some burst into tears the moment the cake lands in front of them. Both are completely normal — and as a dad of two, I've seen every version. We go at your child's pace, pause whenever they need a cuddle or a snack that isn't cake, and there's no time pressure. The hesitant ones usually come around; the criers usually end up with the funniest gallery.

Pricing

After something broader? Family sessions ($295) document the whole crew, or see all options on sessions & pricing.

Serving Frankston & South-East Melbourne

Cake smash sessions run across Frankston, Chelsea, Seaford, Langwarrin, Mt Eliza, Cranbourne and the surrounding suburbs — always in your own home, and travel is included.

Book the big first birthday

First birthdays only happen once, and the icing-covered version of your baby doesn't hang around. Get in touch and I'll come back to you within 24 hours — or book your date directly below.

Wondering about the cake, outfits or timing? Most answers are in the FAQ, or just ask when you enquire.