When it came time to plan our son’s first birthday party, I knew it was going to be quiet large. It didn’t really hit us just how big it would be until we put pen to paper on the guest list and realized we were quickly over 100 family and friends that just had to be there to celebrate his first year of life. Oh, and I did mention that we just moved into a new home as well? Enter panic mode!
Spoiler alert, we survived. Even after a few hiccups (insert pouring rain on an outdoor party), it was an amazing day, and Blake had a blast! I wanted to share my experience and a few tips on how to plan, and more importantly survive, your child’s first birthday blowout!
Put the guest list on paper: This was a big shock for us. Once we got through our large families, multiple circles of friends and co-workers, we were close to the 150 mark. While we would have loved to have had everyone there, we had to think realistically of if we could host that many people. We took that list and were able to trim it down to 96, which felt much more manageable.
Pick a date and stick to it: Our son is a summer baby, which is great for outdoor events, but terrible for calendar planning. At first, we went back and forth on dates, trying to make sure no one was on vacation or at another event. Eventually, we had to land on a date that worked for us, and hope that most people could attend. Sending the invitations out about two months in advance was also super helpful knowing how busy the summer can be.
Asking for help: Let’s be honest, we all have those people in our lives that we love, but we know we can’t count on. With Blake being our miracle baby, this party was a very important celebration and I wanted to lean on those I knew I could count on. I was super lucky to have my amazing mother and best friend to help me along the way. Any thing that came up, from planning to execution of the party, both were there to help, and I couldn’t have done it without them.
Crafting: Thanks to Pinterest and Etsy, there are so many amazing ideas out there for any theme you can think of. To be honest, I was ‘pinning’ ideas for his party before he was even born. Crafting is fun, but make sure to give yourself time. We did the bulk of ours two weeks before the party. Thank goodness we did, as we had a huge mishap with our centerpieces (FYI…don’t use spray paint on foam, it will shrink and make you cry).
Have a back-up plan: Our outdoor party was at the end of July…perfect weather right? Unfortunately, we woke up to a stormy sky and pouring rain! We were lucky enough to have a ‘plan B’ for the day with a large outdoor tent for seating. We were also able to set up all the food and presents inside with access to the patio where the tent was. The rain stopped 25 minutes before the party so we were able to wipe everything down and drain the bounce house before everyone got there.
Most importantly: HAVE FUN! Take it all in and know that it is your time to celebrate your child’s first year of life, any maybe your first year of motherhood. Seeing Blake covered in cake and giggling up a storm made it all worth it. And if all else fails, grab a class of wine and cheer yourself! Happy party planning Mommas!
