Planning Your Baby’s First Birthday Party

First birthdays are usually full of family time, laughter and cake smashing. Making it through the first year is a big milestone for both babies and parents. Congratulations, from our Custom Labels Depot family! We know you have a lot of decisions to make when planning your baby’s first birthday. Here’s what you need to know to help you through process.

Birthday Traditions

Cake! It is generally tradition for babies to smash their first birthday cake. We recommend you bake (or purchase) one separate for your baby and have a bigger cake for the rest of your guests. Some parents start new traditions for their children on their first birthday. It is a nice tradition to start documenting details about your child on a yearly basis. Some ideas are to record height, take footprints or handprints using paint or casting kits, or snap a photo each birthday for a photo album.

Party Budget

This is a big question for new parents and the answer is ultimately up to them. A Babycenter.com poll asked 5,000+ parents the amount they spent on their baby’s first birthday party. The results showed that “a majority — 61 percent — of parents spent $200 or less, 25 percent spent between $200 and $500, and 11 percent dished out more than $500.” The number of attendees, location, food and decorations all contribute to the cost. Before purchasing items for the party, it is smart determine a budget, like you would for any event.

First Birthday Tips and Tricks

• Take time into consideration. Plan the party pre or post nap so your baby isn’t cranky during the celebration. Late morning or afternoon usually works best. You may even want to keep the length of the party short.
• Stay home. Your little one will be comfortable and it’s cozier to throw the bash at home. However, if you’re concerned about space, try going to a zoo, a family member’s house or a restaurant.
• Trim the guest list. Just invite close friends and family. This will help you keep your costs down and make the party more intimate.
• Prepare finger food to snack on. Everyone will be walking around socializing, so appetizers are perfect for this type of event. Oh, and the cake(s) is a must!
• There are so many wonderful first birthday party ideas for boys and girls. Animals, cars and balls are big go-tos at age one. Throw a circus-themed extravaganza, a race car party, or keep it simple by just picking a color-palette.

Is your baby’s first birthday approaching? What are your plans to celebrate? Share them with us by commenting below or posting on our social media channels.