Tips For Throwing A First Birthday Party

Planning your child’s first birthday celebration can be so overwhelming and exciting at the same time. Where do you even begin? Start out by planning at least a few months in advance. That way you will have time to ask friends and family members to save the date once you choose one. Keep in mind, what you want to serve your guests. Will you be preparing the food yourself or maybe hire a catering service?

Depending on the size of your party, you will either want to throw the party at home and perhaps have a catered barbeque or at a larger venue. Since your child will only be one, they won’t care where the party is as long as they are fed on time and get their nap. First birthday parties are more for the parents than anyone else. They are almost a celebration for making it through the first year.  

  

How is celebrating a first birthday any different from celebrating any other birthday? There actually are a few traditions that people like to do for first birthdays. Which ones you choose to do, if any, is completely up to you.

One popular first birthday tradition is the cake smash. This involves putting the baby in the high chair, which is usually decorated with some bunting. You give the baby a tiny birthday cake and let them go to town on the cake. The whole idea is that the baby will destroy the cake and usually the parents will take lots of pictures.

Since a cake smash can get pretty messy, many people end up doing the cake smash a few days before the party. Some people even hire a professional photographer to snap pictures. If you want to do the cake smash ahead of time, you can print the pictures out and use them for the birthday party.

Because your baby won’t care about the details of their first birthday party, you might as well save a little money. You can make it a small intimate occasion by celebrating it as a dinner party. If your baby’s birthday falls around a major holiday, then you can use decorations for that holiday for the first birthday party. For example, if your baby’s birthday is in February, then you can use Valentine’s Day decorations for the party. You can even make the party Valentine’s Day-themed if you want.

If you don’t want to be too specific, you can also use decorations that are appropriate for the season like snowflakes for winter or flowers for springtime. It is a lot simpler than choosing a very specific theme and hunting down all of the decorations.

While adults can be used to parties that last for hours, remember who the celebrant is. A baby probably won’t enjoy a party that goes on for hours and if the party cuts into their naptime, then they will be cranky. Try to keep the party under 2 hours if possible.

Last of all, don’t forget about the food. At Just Right Catering, we can provide you with a variety of menus and platters that will suit your child’s first birthday party. From sandwiches and salads to a wide range of party platters, we can keep your guests well-fed while you tend to your baby on their special day.