I’m so excited to finally be able to share my son’s First Birthday Party with you all! He truly is ONE Happy Dude! When this theme started trending within this last year, I knew right away it’d be the perfect first birthday theme for my happy boy! I’m sure every mom says this, but this theme could not of fit Ford’s personality any better. He’s seriously the happiest baby you’ll ever meet. And he’s made our first year with him so enjoyable with his sweet smiles, and happy demeanor.
This theme was so fun for me to put together! As I’ve mentioned before I love putting together trending designs but I always want to ensure I’m putting a unique spin on the overall look. With a “One Happy Dude” theme, you see a lot of bright yellow and black and white. But I wanted to incorporate a more muted palette with blues as the accent color and make the yellow more in the background.
One thing I’ve learned as I continue to design my own celebrations is how easily you can get carried away with materials or ideas. My partner in crime, my mom, is always good at reeling me back in and reminding me that it’s about the small moments you create rather than filling every empty corner with stuff. I had two favorite moments throughout the celebration that we created. First, was this amazing food table seen in the photos above. I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out! It showcased our beautifully crafted cakes and desserts which were made locally right here in our hometown by the youngest, most talented baker, Kennedy’s Confections. (if you’re local to SE Michigan, be sure to check her out! Highly recommend) Another favorite moment of mine, was of course the cake smash area! I probably spent most of my prep time for the party on these backdrops I bought from Hobby Lobby. I bought two of them and I decided to paint to match the theme. I’m was happy with how they turned out and I think they will be fantastic to reuse for another event.
Some other small moments I created to carry the theme throughout our home are shared below.
I had a fun space where you could create and take home your very own “One Happy Dude” merchandise as our party favors. I was able to create our very own custom patch to use as well as a bunch of other patch options our guests could choose from. We had tote bags, shirts, sweatshirts, and onsies in a variety of sizes. I also had a welcome area where guests could write Ford a special message that we would share with him on his 18th birthday. As well as a photo book of his entire year that family and friends could sign. And obviously boy birthday or not, flowers are a MUST! Looking back I’m proud of how this event came together! During preparation, I didn’t know if we could pull this birthday celebration off with everything our family was facing at the time. But we as a family owed it to ourselves, and especially to Ford, to celebrate the moments of happiness the past year had given us. Sharing and linking as much as I can from the party decorations below. As always, be sure to follow along and keep an eye on my Pinterest page. I’m continuously pinning my favorite trending things for the every event for every event hostess! Click here!
Event Links:
Checkered Table Runner
Black Cake Stands
Cake Topper
Tabletop Awning
Cakes and Macaroons
Plates, Napkins, and Silverware
Baby Face Confetti
“ONE” Garland
Tri-fold Backdrop (tri-fold is currently out of stock. but linked something similar)
Flower Pots
Balloon Garland
One Happy Dude Signage
Smiley face posters
One Happy Dude Milestone Sign
Custom Patch
Other Patch Designs
Merchandise
Hometown Hostess 