When my son turned one I had the hardest time deciding what to do for his cake smash theme. I mean, seriously, I’m a cake smash photographer so you’d think this would be easy for me! But no.

I went back and forth with so many ideas and finally settled on one that tied into our family’s story. My husband and I spotted a llama in downtown Saratoga Springs on our very first date, and over the years it became a lucky find for us whenever we spotted a llama. So llamas were kind of our thing years before they became “trendy”, and we settled on a llama theme for our little boy! It worked out perfectly because he had so many llama books and toys, and it was now his thing, too!

So if you’re like me and you’re wondering how in the world to pick a theme or an idea for your child’s first birthday portrait session, don’t worry! This blog post is filled with ideas to inspire you!

Just pick a color – no theme!

I love working with just a few colors and incorporating them into a festive setup with balloons, confetti, garlands, and cutouts.

PRO TIP: Choose the nursery colors and you’ll have the perfect spot to hang your portraits!

Pick a favorite song or book.

Baby Shark, Oh the Places You’ll Go (travel theme), Peter Rabbit, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star are just a few that we’ve done based on books and songs!

Special Holidays

Was your baby born on a special holiday or in a particular season? Incorporate that into the cake smash! Christmas, New Year’s, Winter Wonderland, Fourth of July, Spring, Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving (with a pumpkin pie smash). These are all a few fun ideas!

Nautical – always a popular theme!

This is definitely one of the most popular requests I get for boys, and I love customizing it for each baby!

Florals – another popular request!

Blush pink florals and peonies are always a popular request for little girls, and I love coming up with new ways to design the cake smash setups so that each one is unique. Here are a few favorites!

Favorite toys

Maybe your child has a favorite stuffed animal and you’re planning his birthday party to match. That’s how we came up with this panda bear theme!

Favorite family activities

Does your family love to go camping? Bake cookies? Have pool parties? Travel? Visit the farmer’s market? Make that a theme for a very unique session!

Still not sure what to choose? That’s why I’m here! I love helping families come up with the perfect idea for their baby’s cake smash, and I’m happy to help you, too!

But if you need more inspiration, here are a few on my wish list this year:

• Ice cream shop

• Farmer’s Market/Flower Market

• Cookies & Cream/Oreos

• New Year’s Eve

• Little aviator

• Pastel balloon wall

• Ballerinas

• White & Gold

Love these cake smash ideas? Pin this image or any from the post above!