first birthday parties

Becca, the design-minded creator of the cool blog Lavender's Blue, has an international family. So to help celebrate her nephew's first birthday, she left her island home of Grenada and traveled to Beijing to throw a party with a French theme (and one cool Chinese tradition thrown in for good measure). "My sister is a major Francophile. She lived there for a year, fell in love with her husband there, and just returned there for the first time this past spring with Elijah! How appropriate it is that the inspiration for Elijah's first birthday party came from the classic French film, The Red Balloon?" Becca says. With an awesome invitation; simple, chic party details; and a heavy dose of whimsy, this party can be described in two words: c'est magnifique!

Source: Lavender's Blue

It's no surprise that lil Jude Stewart's first birthday celebration wasn't filled with the typical smash cake and bumbling clown. When you're Martha Stewart's first (and only) grandaughter, your party is sure to take a more sophisticated route (just peeking into the tot's Arctic-inspired bedroom and a colorful playroom is proof enough that things are different there). So when it came time to plan Alexis Stewart's daughter's first birthday — just two days after she welcomed her son, Truman — Grandma put her special spin on it and created a whimsical stuffed-animal-themed party at one of the family's favorite NYC restaurants, Perry Street. Keep reading to see all the details woven into Jude's sweet birthday luncheon.

For a globetrotting tot, the sky's the limit when it comes to a first birthday party. Caroline Tran, a Los Angeles-based photographer, has traveled the country with her tot in tow and paid tribute to their favorite destination for her lil one's soiree. With '60s-era Manhattan all the rage — thanks to the likes of Mad Men — she set out to create a mini version of the Big Apple. Using her father's carpentry talents and the expertise of Grand Soirées and Skybox Event Productions, Caroline crafted her own lil piece of NYC in the heart of LA. Keep reading to see all of the precious details!

Source: Caroline Tran Photographer

Summer is the season for camping, and A Little Savvy Event used every kid's favorite outdoor overnight experience as a jumping-off point for one cute first birthday party. Thrown for little Greyson, this party (from the brains who also came up with this sweet puppy birthday party and this vintage-map baby shower) is super clever, using a tree round as a cake stand, fun paper products and signage, and lots of yummy, camping-inspired eats. My favorite element? Mini bundt cakes in two flavors: s'mores and pancake with maple-syrup buttercream and bacon topping. Keep clicking for all the camp-tastic details.

Source: Allyson Wiley Photography for A Little Savvy Event

A summertime bash calls for bright colors and outdoor games, and this first birthday party for adorable little Emily didn't disappoint on either front. Full of candy colors and treats, bold patterns, and plenty of backyard fun, this is one party that's guaranteed to put a smile on your face. "I found my inspiration to the party when I spotted the invite on Etsy, and I instantly fell in love the with the modern chevron pattern and color scheme," says Emily's mom, Jill Hill. "This was my first time throwing a birthday party, so I just decided to have fun with it — make it bright with colors and fun with lots of kids' activities." Keep clicking for all the bright birthday details!

Source: Wendy Updegraff Photography

Bow wow indeed! You don't have to have a pet dog at home to love them — but it certainly helps for the pictures! This first birthday party, thrown at Modern Cookie in Marin, CA, by A Little Savvy Event wowed us with its sweet paper goods, cute puppy-inspired cakes, and awesome gift bags that were stocked with faux fur hats! Puppy power!

Source: Allyson Wiley for A Little Savvy Event

We love an adorable first birthday party, and the vintage-airplane-inspired soiree thrown by one-half of the team behind Posh Paperie for her 1-year-old son, Frankie, is certainly no exception. Featuring supercute plane-inspired snacks, some awesome parting gifts for party "passengers," and of course, some incredible paper details, this birthday is totally inspirational. Keep reading for all the high-flying details!

We recently showed you a supersweet, totally girlie first birthday bash, but this surf-inspired, all-blue, lil boy's birthday party is just as yummy. Photographer Ashley Rose created this brunch soiree for Crew's first birthday, and we're now loving the idea of a morning party.

With fun food stations like cereal and pancake bars (check out all the fun options and toppings!), and a cute drink area featuring chocolate milk shots for kiddos and mimosas for their chaperones, this party really has everything, in terms of both food and decor. Ombre, hand-painted place settings and cutlery, a kraft paper photo collage, and shark fin cake pops are all inspirational ideas, and if you need any other proof that this is one lucky 1-year-old, check out his new surfboard on the dessert bar; it was specially made for the birthday boy as a present from his mom and surf-loving dad. Keep reading for all the amazing details!

Source: Hostess With the Mostess

With my own daughter's first birthday rapidly approaching, I've been obsessing over lil girl birthday parties, and so when I found the pink-inspired bash Jamielyn Nye of I Heart Nap Time recently threw for her daughter's first birthday, I fell in serious love. Emmalyn's beautiful birthday party is as girlie as it gets, with a sweet dessert table, the prettiest rose-covered cake, and one seriously adorable birthday girl. While the party offers lots of inspiration (check out the chandelier-turned-cake stand), there are many completely doable ideas (lemonade in mason jars, a cute ribbon border for the dessert table) for mamas who weren't blessed with Jamielyn's awesome creativity. Keep reading for all the pink, girlie party perfection!

Source: Momentology Photography for I Heart Nap Time