My Lukey Bear is official one and we had the photo shoot with a smash cake to boot. I wanted to commemorate his first birthday without blowing a ton of money so we decided to do his photos at home. Here are a few tips to do a DIY smash cake photoshoot at home:

Pick Your Theme

Picking a theme doesn’t have to be anything crazy difficult, I just looked around on Pinterest for inspo. I started to go for the balloon ride theme but I decided that I didn’t need that sort of stress in my life. Wild One and a few banners seemed easy peasy to me.

Order Supplies

Everything in this photo is from amazon except for the cake and ballons, we got those from Kroger;each item was under $20. If you follow me on Instagram you may have heard me say that a tepee and vines were supposed to be involved but they arrived late. I will update the post with the new photos if we decide to re-shoot.

Item List: (all items are linked here at my amazon store)

Wild One Banner & Cake Sign
One Tassel Banner (can be used on high chair as well)
Black Balloons (Kroger)
Gold Foil Balloon (Kroger)
One Crown
Suspender Outfit
Gold Cake Stand
Mini Rosette Cake (Kroger)
White Sheet (we didn’t have one, because late, BUT it’s definitely needed to let them have fun with the cake)

Decorate Your Space

I used basic packing tape to hang everything and to keep the balloons in place. Long term it can be damaging to paint but it works just fine for something that won’t be left hanging over night. I’ve used it a number of times with no issues. The idea is to hang everything a your babys height so that its the perfect setting for them.

Try to set everything up in the room that has the best natural light. We did this in the evening so we still had to use artificial light; if you don’t have great window light in your home it’s not the end of the world.

Keep it Fun

Anytime we shoot our kids we just let them be and have fun. We clap, dance, make funny faces and play music to keep their attention and help them liven up but for the most part we just let them do their thing. I love love love candid kid shots and forcing poses makes my kids look miserable. You know your kids best so cater to their personality.

Have you or are you planning on doing a DIY smash cake photoshoot for your babies bday? If so make sure to tag me over on IG so I can see it. Both Luke and little James party details will be coming soon so make sure you’re subscribed to stay in the loop.

If you missed it, click here to read Luke’s birth story; its a good one!