Mum and the city: How to throw the ultimate first birthday party

They say when you are a mother the days are long but the years are short, and it’s true. My little Freddie just turned one and I have no idea how that happened so fast.

But I love any excuse for a party, so asked genius event planners Mini Maniac for their tips on throwing a first birthday bash that at least I – and the other parents – will remember. 

Do what YOU want

The first rule is to erase any mum-guilt; don’t feel bad if you don’t want to throw your bubba a huge bash. Although they will have a fun day, they won’t remember it and as long as you get a photo of them with a cake, you’ve done a great job. On the other hand, don’t feel bad if you DO want to throw them a massive party. Getting through the first year is a huge deal for both babies and parents and is definitely a cause for celebration. Other parents will love you for throwing an event that their kids will enjoy too. And it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Whatever you want to do, don’t forget to take lots of picture, they only turn one once so you will treasure these memories – even if the baby doesn’t. We put family friend Nigel Chapman in charge and were delighted by the results.

Work with your location

This sounds obvious, but can make or break an event. If you are throwing a kids’ party in your two-bedroom flat, keep the guests and decorations to a minimum and make it a cute and intimate occasion. If you want to invite large families and tons of kiddies, choose a venue with plenty of space and go crazy with the trimmings to make it an event to remember. Don’t try to mix and match the two.

Choose a theme

This will make your efforts go further and make the whole event feel more ‘together’.  Pick a theme and the rest will fall into place. We chose ‘Noah’s Arc’ for Freddie’s first birthday – because who doesn’t love animals? The decorations, entertainment, outfits and games then followed easily from there.

Bake it or fake it?

Unless Mary Berry is your mother in law, you may want to outsource your centrepiece birthday cake. Happy Cakes made ours and it was stunning. You will be able to find a fantastic local baker to make you a one-off creation to match your theme.

If you want to go it alone, maybe have a practice run the week before – like they do on bake off with the showstoppers. You’ll find loads of inspiration on Pinterest. Whatever your cake looks like, it will be delicious and bring everyone together to make birthday wishes and take photos.

Party décor

The only essential decoration for a first birthday party is balloons. Kids and grown-ups love them and they add maximum party vibes at minimal cost. Balloonista did ours and they looked incredible. The talented team will tailor their balloons to your theme and make your party really pop. The balloon industry is really taking off at the moment; you can get balloon arches, clouds, structures – anything to get your party of the ground. They are also the perfect substitute for party bags, giving children something to take away to remember the day by.

As with any event, the details matter. You can use table cloths to transform surfaces into party zones or adult dining zones (and protect tables from sticky fingers), flowers to brighten the room and even get crafty with a motif. You can create invitations, signage and a backdrop to compliment your theme and make sure guests know what’s going on.

Why not use mini tables, chairs and accessories to create a kids dining area? It will contain the mess and you can hire the furniture, wipe it off and send it back. You can replicate the look to match the adults dining area for extra cuteness. I also used Couvert Hire and Lux Occasions to add the all-important finishing touches to the event.

Trendsetting

We tried a new trend at Freddie’s party – the ‘party backdrop’. This is essentially a bespoke backdrop with a personalised message that matches the theme of the party. It adds a centre to build your event around, looks great in photos, and is apparently a big celebrity trend at the moment.

Kal Osahan, Creative Director of Quint London worked on Freddie’s party signage. “Signage is increasingly used to create photo opportunities to share on social media so you can shout about where you are,” she says. 

“Kylie Jenner recently threw a party for her daughter Storm whilst also launching her cosmetic brand Stormi. Signage was everywhere from drinking straws to an elaborate butterfly which not only coordinated with the party theme but opened up with her products inside.

“Another has to be Amir Khan’s daughter’s first birthday based on the rainforest which got a lot of media coverage. Signs said saying ‘WATCH OUT’ and ‘ALAYNA’S JUNGLE’. Celebs want their event to be the most talked about and that’s why paying attention to detail is key.”

Feed the masses

You will be catering for everyone from fussy toddlers, to hungry daddies and peckish grandparents. You need to cover all the bases. The Curated Kitchen helped with Freddie’s party and the feast was outstanding. Home cooked and styled by the very talented Dani May-McCallum, it was such a relief to be able to focus on Freddie and our friends and family, and not worry about the food. Dani provided endless grazing tables for all ages that looked and tasted fabulous with tapas dishes, charcuterie dishes, piles of fruits, cakes and chocolate, all laid out with glorious abundance to look like a banquet. 

A top tip is to also have some Ella’s pouches in the cupboard and then you can appease even the fussiest baby.  Having special kids furniture really helps parents to ensure children are eating properly as well as looking incredibly sweet. We used a company who specialise in exactly this – What About the Kids. They provide the mini chairs and tables as well as the tableware if needed.

Let them entertain you

The days of booking a hungover-looking party magician are long gone. Mini Maniacs also provide children’s entertainment with singing, dancing and games, which was very sweet to watch. Their singing and dancing kept everyone entertained, even the adults. If you are providing the entertainment yourself, just think about the ages of kids coming to the party and what would appeal to them. As long as you make sure everyone is included, you can’t go wrong. If you’re not sure what the kids want to do – just ask them.

Kids are also very happy to entertain themselves, and soft play works perfectly for everyone from crawling to teenagers. You can hire in soft play items to suit any size area. We used Big Bounce Theory and everyone had a wonderful time. 

Dress code

Your party is all sorted, but what will your little guest of honour wear? Whatever you want of course! Patachou do some gorgeous outfits, or you can always complete your theme with a fancy dress outfit.

And relax…

The most important thing is to enjoy your little one’s special day with them. Even if they don’t remember it, you will treasure the memories.