Planning a first birthday session is one of the most fun parts of documenting your baby’s first year, especially when parents want something playful, colorful, and full of personality. Two themes that continue to be favorites in the studio are unicorn and mermaid cake smash sessions.
Both themes work beautifully for families who love bright colors, whimsical details, and a little extra creativity. From soft pastel setups to bold colorful designs filled with teal, purple, pink, and blue, these sessions always photograph beautifully and create such a fun way to celebrate turning one.
If you are looking for first birthday photo ideas near Boston, here are some of my favorite unicorn and mermaid cake smash setups from recent sessions.
Unicorn Cake Smash Ideas
Unicorn cake smash sessions are one of those themes that can be customized in so many different ways while still keeping that fun, magical feel. Some families love a softer pastel color palette with blush pink, lavender, and pale blue. Others prefer brighter rainbow inspired setups with colorful balloons, florals, stars, clouds, and whimsical details that really make the session stand out.
One thing I love about unicorn sessions is how versatile they are. They can feel elegant and soft or bright and playful depending on the overall styling.
Whether you want a simple setup or something full of colorful details, unicorn themes always feel timeless while still being fun for a first birthday celebration.
Mermaid Cake Smash Ideas
Mermaid cake smash sessions have become increasingly popular for families looking for a bright, colorful theme that feels playful and a little different from traditional birthday portraits. These setups often feature shades of teal, turquoise, lavender, pink, and soft blues paired with shell details, ocean inspired props, balloons, pearls, starfish accents, and textured backdrops that create an underwater inspired look.
The best part about mermaid themes is how much variety they allow. Some families choose a soft pastel look while others love bold tropical colors that make the entire setup feel vibrant and energetic.
For babies with big personalities, mermaid themes create some incredibly fun and expressive first birthday portraits.
How to Personalize a Fantasy Cake Smash Session
One of my favorite things about cake smash sessions is how customizable every setup can be. For both unicorn and mermaid themes, parents often personalize sessions by choosing favorite colors, coordinating outfits, custom birthday crowns, unique cake designs, or adding extra props that make the setup feel completely unique to their child.
Even when families choose a popular theme, no two sessions ever end up looking exactly the same. That flexibility makes these fantasy inspired cake smash themes especially fun to design.
Other Magical Cake Smash Themes to Consider
If you love whimsical birthday themes, there are so many other creative directions you can take beyond unicorns and mermaids.
Some fun options include:
- Fairy garden cake smash sessions
- Princess inspired birthday sessions
- Under the sea birthday themes
- Alice in Wonderland cake smash sessions
- Vintage Winnie the Pooh cake smash sessions
- Butterfly garden birthday themes
- Rainbow themed cake smash sessions
There are so many ways to create something playful while still making the session feel unique to your baby.
Planning a Cake Smash Session Near Boston?
Cake smash sessions are one of my favorite ways to celebrate a baby’s first birthday because every family brings a completely different vision to the studio.
Whether you are planning a colorful unicorn session, a playful mermaid theme, or something completely custom, I love helping families create a setup that feels fun, timeless, and completely personalized. You can see even more on Pinterest.
If you are looking for a Boston cake smash photographer or planning first birthday photos in the North Shore Massachusetts area, I’d love to help create something special for your little one.
You can contact me here to start planning your baby’s first birthday session.
