One-year cake smash sessions are always some of my favorites, but this recent unicorn-themed session at Novel Images Professional Photography may honestly be one of my best cake smash setups yet.
Mom wanted a whimsical unicorn theme, so we built the entire studio set around soft pastel colors, a beautiful unicorn backdrop, glowing twinkle lights, and a custom balloon arch that tied everything together perfectly.
The final setup photographed absolutely beautifully against the blue backdrop, especially once the twinkle lights started glowing on camera.
Creating the Unicorn Cake Smash Setup
For this first birthday session, we started with a unicorn-themed backdrop and layered in a large balloon arch with soft pastel tones to give the set a dreamy, magical feel.
I weaved twinkle lights directly into the balloon arch itself. That little detail added so much depth and sparkle to the final images without overpowering the setup.
We also did a couple outfit changes throughout the session, which always helps add variety to a first birthday gallery. Between the outfits, the balloons, the cake, and all the little expressions, this session turned into such a fun mix of colorful and playful images.
Photographer Fail: The Flooring Disaster
Now for the real behind-the-scenes story photographers will probably appreciate…
I’m always trying to find ways to save on studio supplies because photography backdrop paper is EXPENSIVE, especially during messy cake smash sessions.
Normally, I use glossy white sheets from Menards over my paper backdrop to help protect the paper while still giving me that beautiful shiny floor reflection look in photos.
But this time, I decided to try one of those clear plastic floor mats online after reading tons of glowing reviews.
Big mistake.
The reviews claimed the mat was crystal clear, wrinkle-free, and that any lines would disappear with a little heat from a hairdryer or by laying it in the summer sun.
Yeah… no.
Mine arrived with visible lines and creases that absolutely would not come out no matter what I tried. Hairdryer? Didn’t work. Heat? Didn’t work. Laying it out flat? Still there.
Lesson learned:
Sometimes buying the cheaper option ends up costing more frustration in the long run.
I was trying to save money instead of purchasing one of the professional cake smash flooring mats photographers typically use — and honestly, I probably should have just bought the real thing from the start.
My Current Favorite Cake Smash Floor Option
The glossy white sheets from Menards still honestly work really well for cake smash sessions and create gorgeous reflections in studio photos.
The only downside?
They’re slippery underneath and can slide around on the floor during sessions.
So now I’m on the hunt for the perfect non-slip backing or tacky grip solution to keep them safely in place while still keeping that clean reflective look photographers love.
Because the last thing anybody wants during a cake smash session is a baby drifting across the studio floor like a tiny birthday hockey puck.
Cake Smash Sessions in Montevideo, Willmar, Marshall & Beyond
My photography studio is located in Montevideo, Minnesota, but families travel from all over western and central Minnesota for custom cake smash sessions.
I regularly photograph families from:
- Willmar, MN
- Marshall, MN
- Alexandria, MN
- Redwood Falls, MN
- Glenwood & Starbuck, MN
- Hutchinson, MN
- Litchfield, MN
- Watertown, SD
- Surrounding western Minnesota communities
Whether you want a magical unicorn cake smash, a simple neutral setup, or a completely custom birthday theme, I love creating colorful, creative sessions that celebrate your little one exactly as they are in this stage of life.
