1st birthdays are a huge milestone in your child’s life and your life.

Let’s face it, you have survived 12 months of crying, diapers, diaper rashes, crawling, giggles, sweet smiles and sleepless nights – you deserve a party too.

Here are a few tips on hosting your child’s 1st birthday party!

– First tip: Keep it simple. Your child is turning 1. You will have many, many years for birthday bashes. Do not feel that you have to have a huge cake or extravagant decorations. Your child will not notice what tablecloths you use, I promise.  Your little one will just be happy to see everyone.

– Timing is everything! Plan the party around his or her nap time. Your family and friends will understand if your child’s party is at in the am or pm. They want to be there to celebrate this special event regardless of the time.

– Set a budget and stay within it. Don’t feel the need to go overboard. Did you know that 70% of parents spend $200 or less on their baby’s first birthday party. Simple is the key.

– Location, location, location. While most parents have their baby’s first party at their home, don’t forget to search locations. I can not say how amazing it feels to simply leave a party and the mess behind. You feel free! A lot of locations will clean up when the party is done. At your home, guess who is the clean up crew? A local park is another great party location option and they are often very inexpensive.
But if the party is kept simple, the mess will be less.  Your child may be happier having it at your home.  You have to do what works best for your family.

– Ending with a last valuable tip – Schedule a Smash Cake photo session. This is one of those moments you will want to capture. Often times, everyone gathers around to see how the baby will react to his or her birthday cake… Will they smash it, devour it, or barely eat it? You will want to have that moment on film. What better way to hold this memory forever than to schedule one on one time with a photographer?

Here is our Amy P Photography Smash Cake flyer to show how special this moment is:

We get all of our delicious smash cakes from the very talented Cakes by Elise.  Below is the link to her Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/CakesByElise

The very best advice that I can give you regarding your little one turning one is to enjoy every minute of it. Time flies so fast.