Let the Birthday Party Planning Begin!

As a new parent, people tell you all the time to enjoy each moment because the time just flies by and next thing you know your child is heading off to College. I can honestly see how this is true. I have so cherished each day with my little sweetie pea Lily and I can’t believe that in just 2 short weeks she’ll be turning one! Even though some days can feel really long, in some ways I still feel like I was just holding her as a newborn in my arms just days ago.

Over the past few months I’ve been thinking about the kind of party I wanted to plan for her birthday because the first one is so special, not so much because she’ll remember it or will be aware of everything (let’s face it, she probably won’t remember a thing), but it means a lot to both Paul and I to celebrate, enjoy and document the day so she can look back at it in years to come and see herself surrounded by our dear friends and family who love her. Not only is it her birthday but it’s also the 1st Anniversary of the day we became parents too, responsible for this amazing blessing we get to call our daughter. Although her birthday falls on a Saturday (perfect I thought!), hubby thought he’d be out of town on business but it turned out in the end that the trip is now set for October. By the time we realized this, it would not have left me with the right amount of  time to send out invitations and allow guest to properly RSVP for her actual day, so we’ve now bumped the date forward two weeks into the middle of September which actually gives me a bit more time to plan.

I’ve been looking online (mostly pinning things to a private board on Pinterest) for some ideas on decor and games for the kids that will attend the party. I debated between holding the party at a venue or in our home. I don’t particularly love the home we’re in for entertaining larger crowds (it’s a smaller, older home and the kitchen is cut off from the rest of the main living area) but I wanted to do what would be easiest on Lily and that meant being in our home where she has the comfort of her own crib to nap in right before guests arrive as well as afterwards without a drive home in between. It’s also way easier for set up and take down of decorations and food transport/prep. This is actually the first large party we’re hosting in this home. Since future birthday parties for her will likely be of a child-focused theme or character she is most interested in at the time, I wanted this one to be a bit more elegant as the majority of the guests will be other adults with just a few children attending.

You can take a peek at some of the images I’ve pinned below, they’re serving as inspiration as I plan and begin creating some DIY decor after she goes to bed each evening. I’ve always loved the look of paper flower pom poms, paper fringe and pretty garland so I’m planning to make all of those on my own and the fact that they don’t cost a lot is a huge bonus. I also have a lot of other original ideas that I’m hoping to incorporate and I’ll be sure to share actual photos of her special day in an upcoming post in the coming weeks. Here are some photos that have me all excited about planning this party. How stunning is the two-tier cake in the photos at the top of this post?! If I can find someone to make this for me locally without it costing a fortune, I would love for this to be Lily’s cake. *All image links are available at the end of this post.

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I’d love to hear from you! Did you do something special for your little one’s first birthday? What was your favorite party decor or most memorable moments from the big day? A party with close family + friends, a big blowout bash, a family day a the zoo?

Thanks for Reading!

XO

Image sources: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13)