A ‘Wild One’ 1st Birthday Party

When you think of first birthday parties, “wild” isn’t exactly a word that comes to mind. But that was far from the case when Phoenix turned the big ONE with a woodlands-themed birthday bash.

Kristal, Phoenix’s mother and owner of event styling and hire business Amore Splendido, chose the theme based on the birthday boy’s woodlands bedroom.

‘It isn’t a theme that’s really done in Australia,’ says Kristal.

‘But I find it’s quite popular in the States, so I wanted to create something different that would stand out from a styling point of view.’

Kristal pulled the setup together using woody textures (even foraging for pinecones in her local park) and plenty of greenery. She also used an abundance of mini woodlands creatures like bears, deer and squirrels to keep the styling first birthday appropriate.

The food table was the main attraction with not one but two stand-alone cakes, grazing platters for the adults, cupcakes, chocolate-dipped marshmallows with pretzel sticks, refreshing berries and yoghurt, and veggie sticks with hummus cups. Kristal says that everything was served with bamboo plates and cups in order to keep plastic (and cleaning) to a minimum.

As a busy mum and business owner, Kristal has some time-saving tips for other mothers planning their children’s birthday bashes.

‘Say YES if people offer to help! Don’t try and do it all yourself,’ she says.

‘And if you’re looking for inspiration for an event, check out Instagram hashtags and screenshot what you like. Then add an album on your phone where you can move the screenshots. It’s much easier than scrolling through thousands of photos.’

While Phoenix might never remember his first birthday party, it’s a day that his mother will never forget.

‘I really wanted him surrounded by friends and family he had met in his first year,’ says Kristal.

‘He had such a happy look on his face when he woke up and saw everyone out the back – they were there for him!’

We hope you enjoy this whimsical woodlands birthday party as much as we did. HOORAY_BeckyVanStraalen_Perth_01