And we are finally here! Who would have thought that we somehow aced a WHOLE YEAR of successfully keeping alive and looking after our beloved firstborn!
So, like all first time parents do, lets throw an epic-over-the-top-unnecessary birthday party for them which will be enough to rival even Kim K’s parties for her kids. I trolled a lot through Pinterest and other Instagram accounts for inspiration on decor and a theme and ended up making nearly everything myself. So, if your up for the challenge and you like being creative (and are wanting to do things on a budget) I very much suggest having a crack at doing as much as you can yourself as it can be a very rewarding experience to see your final end product finally come to life! And of course first birthday parties are always a bit of a novelty for your little babe. They are still too young to comprehend what is actually even going on and who even rocked up! But that’s ok, because I feel like a first birthday party should be just as much of an occasion for everyone to come together to have a good time and of course celebrate this little person who has lit up each of their lives differently in the last 12 months! We had less than 30 close family and friends helping us celebrate Noah’s special day, and it was just the best feeling watching his face light up and being able to see how much fun he had with everyone during the whole day
PARTY DETAILS
All food and drink prepared, set up and made by me
Personalized cookies – Made by me | Cookie outline stencil SHOP HERE | Cookie bags SHOP HERE | Cookie labels SHOP HERE
Naked cake – Handmade by me | Cake topper SHOP HERE
Cupcakes – Handmade by me | Cupcake holders SHOP HERE
Bear paper plates MERI MERI | Unavailable now as bought on sale but shop a huge range of the brand HERE
Balloon garland – Made by me + balloons purchased at Big W | I’ve included the link to the YouTube video that I watched which I found really helpful and easy in order to make it | CLICK HERE
Front door Noah sign | SHOP HERE
Hanging flower decor – Made by me | I purchased a bag of 100 artificial flower heads off Ebay, threaded and glued each individual flower onto clear fishing line which was then hung using removable sticky hooks onto the side of our outdoor alfresco gutter
Water bottle labels | SHOP HERE
Jute flag bunting table decor | SHOP HERE
Hanging plant centerpiece above food table – Made by me | Hanging vine decor SHOP HERE
ONE backdrop details – ONE wood signage SHOP HERE | Paper fans KMART | Silver foil backdrop SHOP HERE
Bouncy castle | SHOP HERE
Tee pee (unavailable but similar look available here) | SHOP HERE
Various sized wooden crates for decoration | H&M
White table cloth | SHOP HERE | Jute table cloth and lace table cloth purchased from Spotlight
Other small details + notes
- Cassie’s dress – SHOP HERE | Noah’s outfit – SHOP HERE
- I didn’t provide lolly bags as there was already enough treats available to take home on the day
- All animal decor and glass jars used as candle holders were bought from Kmart, Target, Ebay and Spotlight
- I had a lot of help in setting up for Noah’s party, however majority of it all was done by me. I did find it incredibly stressful to make a lot of the food and decor myself but was adamant as not to spend a lot of money on things I knew I could easily do myself. I recommend if you are not the OCD type like me and would rather relax on the morning of your event, then PAY PEOPLE TO DO IT FOR YOU!
- Personally, I am also a big believer in thank you cards after hosting an event. Have some pre bought, and also note down the gifts that were given so you can get the thank you’s out nice and quick.
- Don’t forget about everyone if you host a party. Make sure there’s plenty of games, food and music available that will suit to everyone’s age and needs.
- I bought a lot of my food and drink months in advance (obviously things that were not going to expire before the party) to save me having to spend a lot in one go on the week of Noah’s party. So then all I had to do was go out the day prior and buy all the fresh food.
- Accept and ask for help. It can be very hard for me to let go and give responsibility of things to others but if you are the one hosting a party, you also need to be able to enjoy the day so if you need cleaning and cooking done, or even someone else designated to answering the front door for you, take that person up on their offer.
- I had tossed up for a while whether or not I should hire a photographer for the day just so I didn’t have to worry about taking pictures myself and being more in the moment. I wish that I had now as there were a lot of times I now regret in which photos should have or could have been taken. So I highly recommend thinking about hiring someone if this is also something you think you may be conflicted with.
Note- Please get in touch with me if you feel like I may have forgotten some details or you require more information, I will be more than happy to help
