Essentials for a 1st Birthday Party

ONE Party You Don't Want to Miss

One of my favorite things to plan and attend are first birthday parties! Whenever I describe one to someone not in the events world, they say “but the baby won’t even remember the day, why spend money on a party?”. My thought is that even if the baby doesn’t remember the details of the day, their parents and their guests will! Why wouldn’t you want photos to capture your 1-year old dressed to perfection, walking around looking at everyone and everything? You can invite other kids in the family or kids of friends that are older.

Custom first birthday party high chair banner handmade by Luxe Life Event Design.

There Won't be Another ONE Like It!

First birthday parties are so beautiful, it’s a way for parents to celebrate the wonderful year of parenting and watching their baby grow!

Here are 6 of my essentials for first birthday parties:

Smash Cake

Consider getting a smash cake for your one year old! These are small, usually very simple cakes that often coordinate with a larger cake that you’ll serve to your guests. The smash cake is solely for your baby to touch, explore and sample and is the perfect photo and video opportunity!

Fun Color Scheme

First birthday color schemes often derive from the baby’s nursery or generally soft colors. Pastels, whites, and touches of metallic are very common and always work nicely. If you have a larger theme, I like to coordinate with the décor that represents that theme.

Food and Beverage for ALL ages

This is one of the few events where you will find babies, parents, friends, and grandparents all in the same space and all with different catering needs. Have some puree packets and milk on hand for the little ones, some juice boxes, snacks, and easy food for the older kids, and consider some wine and beer and heartier food for the adults.

Play Area

Something that often gets overlooked depending on your home or venue is a space for the kids to play. If you do have a few babies coming, have a foam mat or carpeted area for the kids to crawl around. We like to bring some pillows and blankets for kids that like to run and play.

Balloons

An almost non-negotiable! You should have some balloons that coordinate with your color and theme and a jumbo #1 balloon to keep around in the baby’s room after the party!

High Chair Banner

It’s smart to have a high chair available, depending on the time frame of your party. This way you can make sure you can feed the birthday kid, present the smash cake, etc. Reach out to us to create a custom high chair banner in your chosen colors.