Jaylah’s Daisy-Themed First Birthday Cake Smash | Elk Grove Baby Photographer
A Sweet Spring Session to Celebrate Turning One
There’s something extra special about watching your tiniest clients grow up in front of your lens. Sweet Jaylah Cecilia Medina turned one, and we celebrated with the cutest spring-inspired cake smash session in Elk Grove. I’ve had the joy of photographing this family for years—starting when I first met mom Mariah during big sister Mylah’s newborn session four years ago! Since then, we’ve done family/maternity photos, Jaylah’s newborn session this past fall, and now this adorable milestone. It’s such a joy to document each chapter for families like the Medinas.
For Jaylah’s first birthday session, we leaned into a cheerful daisy theme—perfect for an April baby and such a cute nod to springtime joy. Mom had a vision, and I loved bringing it to life with three different setups, each full of soft pastels, pretty flowers, and beautiful golden light. Jaylah was all smiles (with a little help from big brother Jessie behind the scenes!), and she made each setup extra fun with her playful little personality.
Setup One: Bench + Blooms
We started with a little wooden bench out in the sunshine, surrounded by colorful Gerber daisies, a big pink flower pillow, and some sweet spring touches. Jaylah wore an adorable cream outfit that said “One” across the front, and she was full of giggles and big smiles. The grass was green, the light was beautiful, and everything just felt happy and fresh—perfect for a spring baby..
Setup Two: Rustic Crate with Daisy Details
Next up was a whitewashed wooden crate that Jaylah could sit on—and in! We added a daisy garland, a cute watering can filled with flowers, and some greenery to tie it all together. She peeked out from inside the crate, showing off those bright eyes and joyful little expressions. It was such a playful setup and really showed off her personality. She was definitely on the move and loving it!
Setup Three: The Big Cake Smash Moment
Finally, it was time for the main event—the cake smash! Set in front of a white picket fence, this setup was styled to the nines. A soft white blanket made the perfect base for our birthday girl to sit and explore her cake. We surrounded her with baskets of flowers, the pink daisy pillow, letter cutouts spelling “ONE,” and a custom chalkboard sign with her name. She even wore a gold crown to mark her special day.
Jaylah gave us a few hesitant pokes at the frosting before deciding she wasn’t a fan of the mess—just like big sister Mylah! But in true sibling fashion, she also followed Mylah’s lead by sticking her foot right into the cake. I love how those little full-circle moments show up during these milestone sessions. Even though she didn’t dive headfirst into the cake, she gave us plenty of adorable expressions before wrapping up.
A Full-Circle Moment for a Special Family
It’s such an incredible feeling to photograph families as they grow and change. From maternity to newborn, family portraits, and now another sweet cake smash—it’s truly a gift to walk alongside the Medina family through each milestone. Jaylah, you are such a light, and your daisy-themed cake smash was the perfect way to celebrate your first trip around the sun. I can’t wait to see what this next year brings for you!
To see other cake smash sessions see below:
