How To Choose A Theme For Your Cake Smash
Your baby is turning one! And what better way is there to celebrate this milestone into toddlerhood than with a cake smash photo session, styled just for you. But how do you even begin to choose a theme for such a special occasion? Don’t worry, I’ll go into brainstorming with you to help make your child’s cake smash special and memorable.
Questions to ask yourself before choosing a theme
Am I going to display these images in my home? Or in the baby’s nursery? If so, what colors would compliment the decor?
Do I want to match my baby’s birthday party theme or should I do something different?
Do you already have an outfit picked out?
What are some recurring themes in our life that have special meaning?
Parent’s choice
For a first birthday, parents have full control over the theme, which is a fun opportunity to celebrate the milestone and create a memorable experience for family and friends, as the child will likely not remember the details of the party.
Your career. Hair stylist, chef, teacher, firefighter.
Your favorite hobby. golf, surfing, shopping, going to the movies
Your favorite sport. football, baseball, soccer, hockey, martial arts
A favorite movie or TV show. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Beverly Hills 90210, Batman
Something special to baby
Baby's first year is a period of rapid development and discovery, as they learn to express their unique likes and dislikes, often showing excitement for specific songs, TV shows, or activities by their first birthday.
So, what sparks joy for your little one?
A favorite song: Baby Shark, The Wheels On The Bus,
A favorite TV or movie character: Moana, Mickey Mouse, Sesame Street, Monsters Inc.
A favorite book: Hungry Little Caterpillar, Where The Wild Things Are, Love You Forever, Dr Suess
A favorite food: ice cream, pasta, fruit (a lemon or avocado theme would be so fun!)
A favorite toy or activity: dump trucks, airplanes, coloring or painting
No Theme, Just a color scheme
Consider choosing colors that are opposite one another on the color wheel. Blue and yellow look amazing together both in pastels and bold colors. Pink and green have a very summery feel and primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) always look fun together! You might even consider doing all of the colors… in a pastel or bright rainbow theme!
Your child’s name
Does your baby’s name have a special meaning? For an example, Regina means Queen. So her set came with her very own castle and a crown!
Animal, Nature, and Location theme
Animals like elephants and sloths have become really trendy for newborn portraits, so if this was a theme in your little ones room it would make for a really cute cake smash theme! Another really great idea could be tying in something from your hometown or even your honeymoon location.
Jungle themed: monkeys, sloths
Ocean: under the sea, mermaid, shark, nautical
Floral: sunflowers, roses, daisies
Camping or forest
Mountains
Flamingos or swans
Elephants
Insects: ladybugs, butterflies
Maps & travel
Farm animals
Dinosaurs
Dogs or cats
Bumblebees
Circus
City-themed: NYC, Hollywood, Paris, Venice
Space or stars
Seasonal Themes
This one is fairly easy if baby was born around a holiday or season that you love to celebrate! For example, you could do a classic Christmas set with candy canes and Santa hats or you could have fun with a Buddy The Elf theme! Halloween has endless variety as well.
Christmas
Easter
Valentines Day
Cinco De Mayo
4th of July
Winter ONEderland
Fall: leaves, pumpkins
Spring: garden, florals
St. Patty’s Day
Halloween
New Years
Not a cake!
Cake smashes are certainly the most popular, but there are lots of really fun ideas for a smash session without a cake as well!
Fruit smash: watermelon, strawberries, avocado
Doughnuts: “Donut grow up”
Spaghetti
Tacos
Pancakes
Cookies & milk
My personal cake smash bucket list
Need just a few more ideas? These are some cake smash themes that I would love to photograph! If any of these catch your eye and your session can be at least 6-8 weeks out please visit the contact page, and let’s start planning!!
Space Jam
Tiffany’s
Friends TV show
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
90’s themed
Construction
Circus
Blue’s Clues
Monopoly
Lemons or strawberries
Tacos!
Pokemon
Banker or Boss Baby
Zoo animals
Fireman
Planning your custom cake smash set
will be so much fun!
Remember to book your cake smash session in advance. 4-8 weeks out is ideal for a custom set and the more time we have to plan, the better! Weekends fill up months in advance, but weekday availability is much more open.
I hope this guide has been helpful for you and I can’t wait to hear all about what theme you chose for your little one’s first birthday cake smash session!
