Don’t blink, they say! And *they* are right! This first year with Stella has absolutely flown by.  With our first child, we eagerly anticipated each new milestone – first laugh, first words, first steps – and I think that made time go by a little slower.  But, with our second, our sweet girl, I truly don’t know where the year went! She is sweet and snuggly but strong and independent.  She is going to be joyfully fierce, and I love watching her grow.

We knew we wanted to celebrate her fun spirit with a first birthday theme that reflects her personality.  And I knew I wanted it to be a little bit girly! I have always wanted a little girl since I was a little girl and playing with my baby dolls.  I have always dreamed of being able to plan cute little parties with girly themes.  And Stella’s first birthday theme and the party itself turned out to be the perfect way to celebrate our sweet Stella.

Wildflower First Birthday Theme

For Stella’s first birthday party, we went with a wildflower brunch theme.  “Our Little Wildflower is Turning One” was written gracefully on a banner above our dessert table with sentimental photos of Stella scattered around it.  I wanted something whimsical and tasteful with girly touches of floral and pink.  I know that Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol are in my near future so this felt like my last opportunity to be the sole creative director of the birthday party theme.  And, let’s be honest.  The first birthday party is more about the adults than the kiddo. Haha!

We incorporated gold and blush pink throughout the décor and accented it with gorgeous fresh florals by Vessel and Stem.  Our guests gathered and visited all throughout the house from the front porch to the kitchen to the backyard.  It was truly a lovely day, and her wildflower birthday party turned out just as I had imagined it!

The Party Menu

Because we knew we’d have guests young and old(er), we made sure to have food and drink that would appeal to all ages.  We served light sandwiches (and Uncrustables!) along with pinwheels, Goldfish snacks, mini tomato tarts and juice for the littles (but the grown-ups could indulge, too).  For adults, we had a variety of quiches, a charcuterie board with fruit, Korean BBQ chicken meatballs, pimento and parmesan cheese dip and bacon.  And, of course, a mimosa bar!

We stocked the dessert table with delicious goodies including macaroons, a delectable fresh fruit filled cake with white icing and pastel sprinkles and mini fruit-topped cakes.  

For Stella’s first birthday cake smash, she had the cutest little mini cake crafted just for her with a pink ombre of icing at the bottom.  Do you think she liked it? *wink wink*

Our Party Activities

We planned the party for it to be a relaxed and casual affair with friends and family enjoying conversation and food, but we knew we wanted to have something special for the kids to enjoy!  Queue the petting zoo!

It was a huge hit.  We had rabbits, goats, sheep and more for petting.  And we had ponies for riding. Stella loved it.  All the kids (and adults!) did, too. 

I also opted to have a professional photographer @kimiejames on hand for taking candid and posed photos of party-goers, our family and the birthday girl.  It was one of the best decisions I made.  We have lovely photos to remember the day by, and Stella had a mini first birthday photoshoot at her party.  We will treasure these pictures forever!

I am so pleased with how our little wildflower’s first birthday party turned out.  The time and effort it took to plan and organize it was totally worth it! I really enjoyed the process and the outcome.  But, in our family, we have what we call a “five year policy” for over the top parties.  We decided to do this because planning larger parties can be pretty time consuming and can get pretty expensive.  So we really only go all out every five years or so or for those milestone birthdays.  In the meantime, we plan to give our kids interesting and fun experiences instead of big parties, and I hope they will remember those experiences into their adult years fondly.

We are so grateful to our friends and family for helping us celebrate our fun little girl! And I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at the wildflower first birthday theme.  Feel free to ask any questions you may have about the day in the comments!

Xx, Amanda