Magical sets in any theme you can imagine!
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Notorious B.I.G.
Boho Rainbow
Jungle Girl
A classic but modern cake smash
warwick ny
pastel rainbow
This set was so fun to design - I get this request fairly often and it's always fun to do a new spin on an old favorite! No two sets are ever exactly the same - your baby isn't the same as any other baby in the world, so why should you get the same set?
a baseball-themed cake smash experience
warwick, ny
Rookie of the year
We've done this theme a few times and it's always fun to reimagine a completely new set! Vintage baseball props (purchased from a local Hudson Valley business!) add the perfect touch to this bold and bright baseball vibe!
an under the sea cake smash
warwick ny
mermaid
From bubbles to seaweed and everything in between, this set made a huge splash for this little mermaid! There are so many different ways to do this theme, and even different color schemes - it's a big fan favorite for sure!
pink and gold Jungle cake smash
warwick, NY
Jungle girl
This set was so fun to design - from the cute baby jungle animals to the pink/sage/gold color scheme, everything fell together perfectly to create the most adorable first birthday jungle set we could have imagined!
A neutral colored rainbow cake smash
warwick ny
Boho Rainbow
When we designed this set, we started with the neutral colored rainbow and added just the right mix of boho accessories. We carefully selected a combination of orange and cream balloons to make everything come together perfectly.
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a nostalgic music-themed cake smash
warwick ny
notorious b.i.g.
We always love when unique themes come across our desk, and this one was super fun to work on! We loved mixing the black and white with gold accents and the baby track suit was the perfect touch!
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a fruity & fun Cake smash
warwick ny
Strawberries
We really enjoyed putting this strawberry-themed cake smash together, especially because of the adorable little romper we found to match! There's something about this color scheme that just screams summer and we are here for it!
a rookie of the year cake smash
warwick ny
baseball
We've done this theme a few times and yet it never gets old or boring! What makes us unique is that we make everything unique - for YOU! Can you spy the tiny vintage wagon mixed into this set? Little touches like that are our way of acknowledging how special each one of our clients is!
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wild one - jungle style cake smash
warwick, ny
wild one
This jungle-themed set was exactly what we envisioned when we initially created our story board for this set! Different shades of green and hints of gold, pulled together with some jungle greenery for the win!
Your Hudson Valley Cake Smash PHotographer
The
Melissa Marino
Experience
"I can't even explain the feeling that I got when I saw my baby's 1 year cake smash photos that Melissa did. They are AMAZING. I think something just as awesome was the experience we had while doing them. My little boy took right to Melissa and my husband and I laughed the whole time at how cute it was. He had an absolute blast with his cake (that was delicious and we got to take home) and the fun poses that he got to do. the backdrop in Melissa's studio was phenomenal. I just can't say enough great stuff about this photographer, especially because she put so much work into the set. I ended up buying all the photos...they were all so perfect!"
"Amazing...phenomenal...perfect"
The best part about booking your cake smash session with Melissa Marino Portrait Artistry is that we take care of all the planning for you. Every single detail - from the outfit to the props, and even the cake - is carefully selected and taken care of long before you enter the studio.
Simply tell us your theme - or even a color scheme - and we custom design a brand new, unique set just for your little one. Even if the theme is one we've done before, we always put a new spin on the set so the design is special... because your baby is special!
You can rest easy knowing that everything will be perfectly coordinated from start to finish, so you don't need to think about anything except arriving on time with the birthday boy or girl!
Planning your session
the grand arrival
When you arrive at the studio, everything will be set up specifically with your baby in mind. Coordinated outfits will be laid out for your approval and selection, balloons, props and/or other decor will have been carefully curated into a beautifully cohesive set, and a gorgeous and delicious cake will be ready for your little one to dig right in!
The only things you'll need to bring are a few small snacks (puffs, etc), a towel and some wipes... and don't forget the baby!
The studio is shoes-off to minimize germs and keep everything safe for little crawling hands and feet, but don't worry - if you forget socks we have brand new ones for you!
the smash
We get right to business, because the very first portion of the session is the smash itself! Your little one will be seated center stage with their birthday cake, and the celebration begins! If needed, we give little suggestions and hints to send them in the right direction.
It's a good idea to let your baby get messy with food a few times before the session, so they don't get upset when their hands get sticky from the icing!
During this first part, we let baby focus mostly on the cake and the experience, and take a few "looking at the camera" photos here and there.
Most babies don't totally destroy the cake, which is a good thing because then you get to bring it with you and continue the smashing fun at home!
The bath
After we have enough photos of baby smashing the cake, we box it up for you to take home and switch gears so we can begin the faux bath!
Baby is seated in a beautiful vintage basin and we blow bubbles here and there to capture their attention and add a bit of magic. We add a related prop, a vintage wash brush and/or a few rubber duckies if baby needs something to hold onto or to grab their attention. This portion is always a huge favorite!
the classic set
Once we've taken a few bubble bath photos, baby gets changed one last time into an outfit that you've selected from those we laid out. We typically suggest picking a color that was used in the cake smash set, which makes for a nicely coordinated final gallery.
Baby is positioned in a few classic wooden props on our classic wooden set as we capture all of their different facial expressions and personality.
These photos are always a huge favorite of grandparents as they are fun and adorable but also classic and perfect for printing to put on a wall.
the final gallery
After your little one's session, we begin the editing process to bring that final perfect touch to your images. Editing typically takes 2-3 weeks which is why we suggest scheduling your cake smash session at least 3 weeks before your little one's birthday.
Depending upon the package you selected, you will either be sent a selection gallery from which to select your favorite images, or you will be sent your entire gallery!
From there, it's up to you to decide how you treasure your baby's birthday photos - but we suggest printing a few to hang in his or her bedroom and making a few mini books to give to family and friends.
"Melissa is absolutely phenomenal. She has done several sessions for us from maternity to newborn, family to cake smash, princess to holiday, and even fitness/branding sessions in between. Her studio is lovely and her outdoor sessions are always fast and fun. She is amazing with children and has always been a pleasure to work with."
"Melissa is hands down the best photographer I have ever met! We crossed paths with Melissa in 2021 after every mom on Facebook recommended her to me when I asked about a newborn photographer. From our first interaction I understood why. Melissa is a master at what she does. No detail gets by her and her passion for her craft shows up in the way she’s able to capture each baby’s unique personality. I also appreciate how effortless Melissa makes the experience on me! She has every detail pre-planned from the backdrops to the props to the outfits. All we do is show up!
Melissa makes sure all our photos come out flawless while still capturing the uniqueness of our daughter!
Melissa has now done photos for our daughter at newborn, 3mo, 6mo and 9mo and family photos for us.
We already have more sessions scheduled and I will never work with anyone besides her!"
"I can't even explain the feeling that I got when I saw my baby's 1 year cake smash photos that Melissa did. They are AMAZING. I think something just as awesome was the experience we had while doing them. My little boy took right to Melissa and my husband and I laughed the whole time at how cute it was. He had an absolute blast with his cake (that was delicious and we got to take home) and the fun poses that he got to do. the backdrop in Melissa's studio was phenomenal. I just can't say enough great stuff about this photographer, especially because she put so much work into the set. I ended up buying all the photos...they were all so perfect!"
"Melissa did my daughters 1st birthday photos and they came out AMAZING. Melissa was easy to communicate with and made our birthday theme come to life! Everything was better than we could have imagined. I would highly recommend Melissa for your next photo shoot!"
"I cannot say enough about the luxury experience I received for my maternity session. Melissa provided a variety of gowns that met my specific criteria, and then helped me select the perfect one. She made sure I felt beautiful from head to toe - even going so far as to create a hand made hair piece that matched my dress! The session was fun and enjoyable, and the final images are true perfection! She held my hand through the whole process, from start to finish - all I had to do was show up! Highly, highly recommend this photographer!"
"I absolutely recommend Melissa to anyone and everyone! She is extremely talented and can truly turn any idea into a reality. The images she captures are amazing! Melissa answered all my questions and any messages I sent quickly and no matter how many I sent it never felt like I was bothering her! Her kindness, patience, and friendliness made me feel at ease as I waddled around for my maternity shoot, and then when I brought my newborn to her studio. My son absolutely adores her! Cannot wait to book more sessions!"
"Melissa is absolutely incredible! Her work is truly unmatched! She did my maternity photos and made me feel so beautiful, which all other mamas out there know can be very rare in the third trimester! She has also done my daughters newborn, 3 and 6 month milestone photos, and a mommy and me shoot for my daughter and I. Melissa makes you feel so comfortable, and it’s as if you’ve known her and been friends for some time! I could not recommend her more!!"
Words
Kind
Interested in a session but have more questions? Of course you do - that's normal! Drop me a line below and let's chat!
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