If you’re planning your baby’s first birthday party, then you know just how many details you have to consider in order to make it perfect! From the time and date of the party to the menu, guest list, and decorations, there are plenty of things to keep in mind as you plan your big event. One aspect that often gets overlooked is invitations – but they can be just as important as everything else! And not just because they help invite people to your celebration; they also serve as your first opportunity to set the tone of the entire affair.
What to Include on Your Invitation
Have an idea of who you’d like to invite? It helps to make a guest list before you buy a birth announcement card. One of those guests will be your baby. Traditionally, newborns don’t attend parties because they’re not typically able to hold their own cupcakes—but if someone else is throwing a party for you, it might be fun to send them an invitation as well.
Simply add and Guest or Accompanied by under his or her name. This way, if someone else gives birth around the same time as you do, that person can bring along his or her infant. Since having a one-year-old makes it hard to walk from table to table at a party, there are usually goody bags available for little ones.
Don’t worry about sending food with your kid on his birthday; people won’t mind buying him some birthday cake himself. If you want an eco-friendly alternative to envelopes, look into sending nonwoven kraft gift bags with tissue paper inserts instead. You could even decorate these yourself using scrapbooking materials (just remember to stick with washable markers!).
Most children turn one once they reach 36 months old, which falls somewhere between February 10th and March 10th every year. To get specific, have guests RSVP by midnight on January 1st—or email out their responses beforehand so you know how many sparklers to pick up for a reasonable price. For example: Please respond by January 15th is just fine so long as recipients receive your email closer to New Year’s Day than December 25th . . . that’s just common sense.
Who Should Be Invited
Only close family and friends should be invited to your baby’s first birthday invitation party. Mom and dad will want to share a special day with their child. If you know that one of your guests may have difficulty coming, be sure to have a phone number on hand in case of an emergency. That way, you can reach that person if he or she is needed at home.
You don’t want anyone stranded at your event just because someone else couldn’t make it! If it’s a casual event, like an afternoon barbecue or ice cream social, you shouldn’t worry about formal invitations (though some parents love sending them). You can use informal invites such as text messages, e-mailed reminders with RSVP details to give out your location and time.
The point of these types of invites is so everyone has all the necessary information they need in one place. Send out an invite well ahead of time; these are more spur-of-the-moment parties than traditional showers and weddings. This gives families ample time to plan babysitters and other necessities. Just remember not to leave it too long, or forgetful guests may wind up missing out on a fun celebration.
There’s also nothing wrong with enlisting help from professionals when it comes to big events like birthdays. When you’re working hard on building your business, you have less time—and headspace—to think of creative ways to celebrate milestones such as these . Don’t panic! There are people who specialize in planning every detail down to table centerpieces.
Remember that when searching for a planner, research what makes them qualified for the task at hand; there are plenty of services available for specific occasions. Also, check online reviews carefully before making any commitments.
What to Put on Your Invitation
When it comes to what to put on your invitation, you’ve got a few options. The most important thing is to make sure you include all of the necessary information (like time and location) so that people don’t miss out. Other than that, there are a lot of different ways to create an invitation suite—you can personalize it with a message from Mom and Dad, add some photos, or keep it super simple.
There’s no right or wrong way to do it as long as everyone gets invited and knows where and when to show up. To learn more about how to send out invitations for your baby’s first birthday, check out our post: How to Plan a First Birthday Party.
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