One of my favorite traditions with my babies is their first birthday photoshoot. I loved the pictures from Jacob’s cake smash, so I couldn’t wait to plan Olivia’s outdoor cake smash! There is nothing cuter than seeing little toddlers digging their hands (and face) into a delicious birthday cake.

Cake Smash Photoshoot
For Olivia’s photos last year, we went with one of our go-to local photographers, Mel B Photography. Instead of an indoor studio session as we did for Jacob’s cake smash this time we chose to shoot outdoors. Mel has never steered us wrong, and I love the way these outdoor cake smash photos turned out.


I just put Olivia in a white diaper cover/bloomer and a bow for the cake smash images. I bought a six-inch cake from our local grocery store, which was very affordable. Our photographer had a small cake stand. I definitely recommend a cake stand both for the look and because it brings the cake a little closer to the baby’s face.
If you are wanting to create your own, here are some of my favorite accessories.

One of the benefits of having an outdoor cake smash session is that the clean-up is much easier! All you have to do is hose the toddler off at the end! And if you aren’t near a hose, bring lots of wipes!

Other First Birthday Photos
We didn’t just have cake smash photos taken at the photoshoot, Mel also captured some adorable shots of Olivia in a steel tub bubble bath. I had Olivia in a white swim diaper for this part of the shoot. To make the bubbles I brought plenty of water, dawn dish soap, and a plastic jug with a lid. I added water and soap and shook it up to create bubbles on location. I think it turned out super cute!




For the simple look below I wanted something neutral and timeless. I loved the texture and style of this crocheted romper. Below are some other similar rompers!

My best tip for a one-year-old milestone/cake smash photoshoot is to do them closer to the 11-month mark. This gives your photographer time to edit the photos and have them back to you for their first bday if you are wanting to display them at a party or use them to celebrate in another way. Also, there is less of a chance that they are walking, which would make this type of photoshoot more challenging.
Mel B Photography has also taken our at-home holiday photos and Olivia’s newborn photos.