Castles and Trains Cake Smash | Calgary + Airdrie First Birthday Photographer

Meagan Paige Photography
Mar 31
2 min read

By: Meagan Paige Photography

A baby in a floral dress stands by a carriage toy, smiling widely. Background shows a fairy tale scene with a train, castle, and flowers.

Some session themes just make you stop and say… okay this is going to be GOOD 🤍✨

When Amanda reached out about her children’s birthday theme, I was instantly obsessed. Her vision was such a unique blend — her older son is all about trains, while her little girl is living her best princess life 👑🚂

She actually sent me a mockup she created (yes… with ChatGPT 👏), showing exactly how she imagined tying both themes together for their party. And honestly… I could not wait to bring it to life in the studio.

Baby with a floral headband smashes a white cake with a spoon. Backdrop: fairytale train and castle, "Once Upon A Time" text, "ONE" letters.

From there, I designed a custom setup that blended the softness of a princess fairytale with the charm of a classic train storybook. The “Once Upon A Time” backdrop paired with the train and castle details created the perfect balance between both worlds — something that felt magical, cohesive, and completely unique to their family.

And can we talk about her little princess?! 🥹

She absolutely owned this session — from exploring the setup to diving into her cake in her own way.

Because let’s be honest… not every baby loves the feel of icing (and that is SO normal 🤍). While she wasn’t a huge fan of the frosting texture, she had the best time playing with her wooden spoon and enjoying the actual cake underneath — and those moments are just as sweet.

Smiling baby in floral dress sits with cake. "Once Upon a Time" backdrop with train and castle, surrounded by flowers and toys. "ONE" sign.

That’s one of my favorite things about cake smash sessions… we follow baby’s lead. Whether they’re smashing, tasting, or just exploring, we always capture their personality in the most genuine way.

We finished the session with a different take on my classic “bubble bath” look… and I am OBSESSED. Instead of water, we used soft floral fabrics and scattered blooms to create a dreamy, elevated setup that felt straight out of a fairytale. It’s such a beautiful option if you want something a little different but still soft, timeless, and full of texture.

Baby in floral dress eating cake, sitting on the floor. Decorative "ONE" letters and flowers in background. Playful, celebratory scene.

This session is the perfect example of what I always tell my clients…

When you book a Cake Smash with me, you’re not choosing from a limited set of backdrops — I custom design your session around your vision 🤍

Whether that’s something simple and timeless or a fully themed concept like this, I’ll bring it to life for you.

And for my allergy-conscious mamas — I’ve got you covered too. I work with an amazing baker who can accommodate things like milk allergies, so your little one can safely enjoy their cake smash moment without any stress.

If you’re dreaming up something special for your baby’s first birthday… let’s make it happen ✨