TIPS ON HAVING AN AWESOMELY BEAUTIFUL AND BUDGET FRIENDLY BIG 1 PARTY

As a first time mom, any significant event on my child's development makes me ecstatic especially when she turned ONE. We felt so blessed and grateful to have her in our lives so we decided to throw a BIG ONE party for her. It wasn't extravagant but I can say that it was indeed an awesomely beautiful and budget friendly celebration. Today, I wish to share with you some real tips (based on our experience) in organizing a party without getting overboard and spending beyond your capacity.

Important reminders, keep in mind that throwing a party whether big or small requires your time, effort and money. Organizing and hosting a party for your tot is extremely exciting but at the same without PROPER PLANNING and EXECUTION it can lead to what they call a party disaster. So if you wish to have a blissful party care to check out the tips I have listed below.


1st - Choose and decide for the Party THEME.

There are many party themes/ideas available to choose from (online) but it would be better to stick on a theme that your kid will appreciate more. Wait! calm down, I know that they don't have the capacity to decide yet but you can tell what make s your tot eyes twinkle and I mean more of the physical thing. It can be her favorite toy, a favorite cartoon character, any materials or activity that arose their interest will do. Ideas are overwhelming but don't go overboard and stick to one theme as much as possible. Remember you are the one to decide but it is your tot to appreciate it.

(My daughter's birthday falls mid of June (almost at end of Summer) Since she loves water and anything colorful we chose a Splash Summer Party Theme.


2nd - Choose a VENUE, set a DATE and specific TIME for the party.


VENUE - Decide whether you want it indoor or outdoor?

Indoor - think how many people you can accommodate and how comfortable for everybody to move around. Remember you will be throwing a children's party so check if you have a space for them to play and move around.

Outdoor - if you have a big garden or event spaces at your house the better (save yourself from renting costs), but if you are thinking of renting a big space make sure to have at least three choices so you can compare the offer. Do some accounting because it can eat up most of your budget and learn how to compromise. It would be better if the place is just near so you can manage your logistics stress free. Also check the weather as always and do an ocular visit of the place (mind the facilities, amenities, safety and the price offer).

Set DATE AND TIME of the Party

It is best to set the date and time of the party according to your choice but you must consider your tot out of bed time, play time, feeding time and nap time (Tantrums, anyone? a big NO!). Also since it is more of a child's party, better to set the date during weekend, relatively close on your child's D Day (if it doesn't exactly falls on weekend) so the other kids are all free to attend and celebrate. They will appreciate your effort (Trust ME!) and look at it as a gift after a long week from school or an early treat before the school year begins.

3rd - Check your BUDGET

Now check how much you can share and contribute. Ask your husband and be honest and open to one another. Set an ideal and realistic budget (consider the minimum and maximum amount you can spend and if you can settle on the middle).  Again if you choose to rent an outdoor venue it will eat up your budget so settle only on the price/ offer that you can afford. Let say 30% for the venue, 50% for the food and 20% divided for the rest. In our case we opt to celebrate her dedication and birthday together - "Hit two birds in one stone" (just being practical here).

FOOD - You don't want to invite a huge number of people and let them leave with empty stomach right?. So choose if you want to have your food catered or if you still have a capacity/time to cook for them, do it yourself (like what I DID). You can also ask some help from your family or relatives it will make your life hassle free. In our case my sister in law willingly offered to sponsor the Birthday Cake. For the Party Food make sure to choose a menu that are not too complicated to cook. Some healthy, heavy and delicious menu that suit both kids and adults taste buds is a must. Always have an extra food on sides. (ex. food good for 100 pax have an additional allowance of 20).

Make a GUEST LISTS and send out INVITATION Decide how many people you are going to invite. Though you want to invite almost everybody (I know) think about how your tot will react first to unfamiliar faces. Prioritize those within your circle and most dear to you like your family, relatives and friends. You have the power to limit the number of guest that way you can catch up to them during the party. Now for the INVITATION decide whether you want to avail the service of an invitation maker or buy a ready made invitation (you just need to write the details on it). To be able to save more from your expenses you might want to have it DIY, besides there are many free downloadable templates on the internet. Download, edit and print. You can also suit yourself with e-invitation and send it out to your guest via email.

4th - Think about the DECOR/ ENTERTAINMENT/ GIVEAWAYS

Decorate but don't over decorate - If you have a beautiful and picturesque surroundings around your party place good for you! that way you won't need to spend much for the decor. Anyways it is your option whether to make your place fully decorated or you can just pick an area from your party venue where you might want to gather most of your decor. It is like creating a focal point.

Make rounds and Entertain Guests - decide whether you want to avail an entertainer like magician, mascot or the like. Your have an option also to ask your guest to participate and be the light of the party. You can make your nieces to perform a dance or song number for everyone at the party. You can avail the service of a magician or clown at a very affordable price but check first if your tot in particular are not afraid of clowns. Make the program simple and exciting to you and your guest. Create a program and MAKE IT SHORT AND SIMPLE. Another means of entertaining yourself and your guests is by putting a personalized photo booth in one corner. Yes personalized! You can design a tarpaulin and have it printed, tack on a wall and get a very reliable camera and a person to take pictures of you. Who doesn't like SELFIES and unlimited shots. You can print it and send it out to the guest or just make an album (private so they can pick the best picture to share) online and tag your guest name on it. Make sure to make rounds on every table and try to catch up with your guest. It is nice also if you will allow your tot to be familiar and interact with them! Make other kids play and suit themselves that's what they want.

Party Favors/ Giveaways - a simple token can make miles It is a way of showing how grateful you are for your guests presence and for celebrating the moment with you. Giveaways or Party Favor's doesn't have to be expensive. You might want to focus on choosing something that has a meaning for your tot or anything that your guests can make use of they'll love it even more. This is the part that calls your imagination and creativity. DO IT YOURSELF party favors and giveaways.









5th - Most important of all, do not forget to PRAY and SEIZE THE MOMENT!


More than anything, during the D Day make sure that all you are thinking about is to make your tot happy and comfortable then you'll realized everything that you have planned for will run its course. But most importantly don't forget to pray and be thankful for the blessings, for the unwavering love that surrounds your family and for the overflowing abundance!





Disclaimer: Photo credit to Mr. Fidlen Miranda for capturing the official photos of McKenzie's 1st Birthday and Dedication Celebration.