Happy Birthday to a Princess
I wasn’t sure I ever wanted children. Not that I didn’t like them, but I never viewed myself as the motherly type, never babysat kids growing up so I didn’t have much experience with children, and I was honestly scared of the life change they would bring. I also wasn’t sure I could have children due to numerous reasons, but God always knows more than we do and knows just what we need and brings it into our lives at the perfect time. After Holden was born, I knew I wanted him to have a sibling because my brother and I have always been very close and I couldn’t imagine him not being in my life. He was my “built-in” best friend and I wanted Holden to have the same experience. Originally, my idea of a first birthday party was having an Alice in Wonderland “Tea party”, and I will probably do that at some point, but when it came time to plan Magnolia’s 1st birthday party I felt that theme did not fit. So, like most of you, I went on a Pinterest search for the perfect birthday party theme for my little girl. If you’ve ever searched for birthday party ideas, then you know how overwhelming it can be. Pinterest can be a great start, but when you see so many ideas you like it’s easier to find a way to narrow down your search and lessen the number of options you have to look at. I decided I wanted to go with a theme that represented how I feel about her. Words I use to describe Magnolia are strong, determined, smart, and adventurous, yet gentle, sweet, and kind. Anyone that knows me knows my love for Disney runs deep. I can recite many Disney movies, know all of the song lyrics, and I try to plan at least one or two trips a year to visit the castle. As a result, a Disney princess theme felt like a good place to narrow down my search, because most of the princesses possess these same characteristics. However, I didn’t want the party to be about the Disney princesses, but about my little princess, so I finally decided to go with a “Once Upon a Time” theme and incorporate little hints of Disney in the decor.
Now is the time for me to say, I did not sit down and make a budget, but I also did not have a lot of extra means to spend on a lavish birthday party, so I tried to cut costs in any way possible. Once I decided on a theme, I looked for decorations in search engines under the keywords “Once Upon a Time 1st Birthday Party” and “Princess 1st Birthday Party”. Most of the decorations I purchased were very affordable and purchased from Amazon and Etsy. We decided to throw her first birthday party at my church, and I had the help of @peytonjevents to bring all of my ideas together and decorate the space we were working with.
We threw Magnolia’s birthday party on Super Bowl Sunday and it was a hit! She had so much fun and enjoyed showing off in her new car in front of all of the guests. The decorations turned out beautiful and the guests loved the theme. It was the perfect day for my little princess and I am glad that I chose such a fun girly theme for her. We are so thankful that God blessed us with her. She is truly a bright light and the world is a better place for having her in it. I have linked the decorations below along with pictures from the party and some of her birthday pictures to help with ideas for anyone looking for a princess-themed party. Also, if you have any questions feel free to email me (bscook110@gmail.com) and I would be happy to help in any way I can : )