Planning your L’il One’s First Birthday

2020 has been a year of realisations. For me, as I’m sure is the case with many others, appreciation of and gratitude for family and good health have come to become both our vulnerability and our strength. Covid has taught us valuable lessons - we have learnt to take extra care of our parents and kids. By spending time with them, we have learnt a lot of things (especially from our parents!).

I’m certain a lot of people would relate when I say that being a mum or dad is the most ‘beautifully-tiring’ responsibility. Once we become a parent, our world is around our kids. Whatever we do, we’re constantly aware of the fact that we may be responsible for affecting the way our kids react to situations or people in the future. The day that a couple gives birth to a child is often remembered as a fond memory and one of the most beautiful days of our lives. But the journey forward is a roller coaster ride for sure! Days pass by and before you know it, it’s time to celebrate the first birthday of your child.

It’s definitely a day for celebration. However, quite often, our plans remain as plans as we fail to execute our ideas in a manner that suits us best. The following is a brief overview of the potential challenges you may face and how affective planning for the first birthday of your child will help you save the day.

· Before you even reach the stage of the first birthday party planning, it is always helpful to prepare the child for the fun and chaos he/she is going to face that day. You can do so by celebrating monthly anniversaries to get him/her used to people being around them. Please remember – a well fed, and well rested baby is always a happy baby. So, keep a note of his/her sleep and food cycles and plan your day accordingly.

· Selecting the right venue for your party is an essential step in ensuring a smooth birthday party for your baby. The venue should rightly accommodate the number of guests being invited. Please keep in mind that if your baby is not used to being around other people, they can feel scared or irritated with all the potential noise. If you are planning to celebrate the birthday at home, ensure you invite only close friends and family. You can always share photos and videos of the event with others later.

· Increasingly, there is great flexibility available while choosing the Décor for the event. There are a myriad of possibilities to begin with and it can be inspired from various themes or color schemes to begin with. For example, you could choose to color coordinate your outfits to the décor so that each complements the other. Good lighting is essential in bringing out the décor of an event. Most decorators make use of color lights (red, green and blue). However, past experience with such occasions has proven that warm white is the best lighting option to make use of to transform a venue in the best way possible. Make sure to make use of warm lights while setting up the décor.

· Making sure your baby is dressed comfortably is an important consideration as it has the potential to determine his/her mood that evening. During summers, avoiding a 3-piece suit for your baby boy or a frock that is ‘prickly’ for a baby girl could be a good idea. There is a high chance that the child will feel hot in it. Keep the clothing colorful and simple. You may want to try the outfit on the baby a couple of times before the event, just to make him/her comfortable in the attire.

· Same goes with the birthday cake. If you are ordering a customized cake, ensuring that it matches the theme of the party could be a good idea. Planning the delivery of the cake at the venue a little ahead of the actual time of the event is always a good idea to ensure no hassle in the last minute.

· Once you have taken care of all these aspects, now is the time to call a professional photographer to ensure that your efforts and happy memories are recorded. A photographer and videographer would not only ensure that all the décor and venue details are captured, but also the guests who are coming in. Do inform the photographer about any special events/surprises you are planning beforehand so that he/she is ready at the right place at the right time.

The baby will most likely not remember his/her first birthday. However, these photos and videos are the means to relive that event. If possible, creating an album is recommended because digital files can get lost or get corrupted. Afterall, nothing beats the joy of holding a photograph in your hand and flipping through the pages of an album! A good quality album can comfortably last 10 years if preserved well. Hence, it is good to think of it as an investment towards safekeeping memories.

At the end of the day, don’t forget to enjoy the event and the precious moments with your friends and family because all your efforts and planning will end as soon as the event starts. “Carpe diem”, I believe, is the mantra for a happy event ;)