A Cactus-Themed First Birthday

Little Ava’s first birthday was certainly a fun affair. Not only was it to celebrate her first lap around the sun, but also an opportunity for mum and dad to celebrate their first year as parents to their little angel.

Inspired by a family holiday to California, Mum Christine decided that the most fun theme they could do would be Desserts and Deserts. The day was filled with a few cheeky drinks for the adults, some cake-smashing fun for baby Ava, and an all-around good time for everyone there.

The Celebration

The first year of parenthood is certainly one to celebrate! It is a pretty big deal bringing a new life to the world and raising it to be the best little human you can. So, parents should be given a chance to celebrate their achievement too. When Ava reached her first 12 months earth-side, mum and dad decided that they could celebrate her amazing first year (..and theirs!).

Reflecting on their choice of celebration, Christine says, “As parents, we always knew that getting through our first year of parenthood with our first daughter was something to be proud of.”

The party celebrated Ava’s birthday spectacularly, singing her happy birthday for the very first time, and she had her very first taste of birthday cake too!

Christine says “Our favourite moment without a doubt was when we brought out Ava’s birthday cake and everyone sang and then we blew out the candles and she got to experience her first bite of cake! It was too cute seeing the reaction on her face and getting to experience that moment of pure joy.”

The adults were able to share in some delicious party treats, including a grazing table prepared by Chris and Christine through their business, PlatterSmash. Toasts were made and some incredible memories were shared between loved ones and friends.

The Inspiration

Mum and Dad duo, Chris and Christine met in Toronto, Canada and moved to Australia as a young couple. Shortly after little Ava’s arrival, they moved back to Canada, though still held a huge love for the Gold Coast and the Australian beach vibes. The pair love entertaining and it has been so important to them to bring the laid-back, boho beach vibes back to Canada with them through their celebrations.

Aside from the clever wordplay on the theme of ‘Deserts and Desserts’, both of these features of the theme have been a pretty important role in their lives.

When Ava was 6 months old, they took their first family holiday to California and fell head over heels in love with Joshua Tree National Park and the rugged, rocky landscape. When Christine was considering the ideal theme for the first year of life and of parenthood bonanza, she decided to hone in on the cutest little elements of their trip.

The “desserts” aspect of this celebration came from their combined love of sweet-treats and their connection to many friends with sweets businesses. They used the help of their friend/vendors to make some incredible treats for guests to enjoy!

Scroll on to see all the images from this seriously cute shindig!
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