Up, up and away! A first birthday party full of rainbows and clouds

There’s something a little bit magical about a first birthday. Meaghan Cometti shares her daughter Willow’s special day with us with, complete with cake smashing!

Where was the location and what was the theme?

The theme was 'Up in the sky' and we were aiming for it to feel like you had stepped into a party amongst the clouds. Finding a venue just before Christmas was a challenge so we ended up using the Cometti family workshop – a space where the boys usually build their race cars. In order to transform the space we pushed everything aside and popped up a ton of white drop sheets to create the perfect white-out.

Tell us about the party…

I’ve always been a fan of crafts and DIY so I made some of the party decorations myself. We wanted something really special to be a part of the celebration so I repurposed some bunting we’d made for our wedding by adding a pop of pink. My friend Amy – the creator of Bow and Leaf – came over one night with the rainbow cake topper supplies so we could make it together, which was really fun. Now, the bunting and rainbow are hanging proudly in Willow’s bedroom! The hot air balloon I put together to trap our wee love for photos; all it took was four tall bamboo poles, a large balloon from Kmart, a basket and fishing wire to hold it all together. Lastly we added cute little sandbags and some bunting. 

The cake smash was definitely a highlight and it had to be done for a first birthday! The trick for me was to just let go and embrace the mess. She had a blast picking off the toppers and playing drums with the icing. A couple of her little girlfriends thought it looked like fun too and joined in. 

Tips for planning a first birthday party?

I am so grateful for the incredible community of mothers I've found myself in. So, the least I could do when planning Willow's party was to ensure the parents would be able to relax and enjoy themselves too, not having to worry about what their children were getting up to or into! It took a little more preparation but we were able to make the space completely baby safe. We brought a kids' tent and filled it with cushions and a few of Willow’s favourite toys, set up a low kiddies food table and hired a mini roller coaster and soft play equipment to keep everyone entertained. And yes, there were plenty of bubbles and beers on hand for the parents too! 

I couldn't recommend enough getting friends and family involved. The whole day was a real collective effort – Willow’s godmother, 'The Cookie Lady', made the most beautiful cookies I've ever seen, our closest of friends brought along a plate of food each, and we had family on hand to help with set-up. We also called on our epic boss friends – Grace at Lunar Balloons, and Amy at Bow & Leaf – to help create the look we were after.

Lastly, try and have someone there to take photos during the most memorable parts of the party. When it came to the cake smash, I wanted to be present and enjoy it first hand, not be stuck behind the camera. Luckily I had my sister-in-law, Ashleigh Cometti, there to capture those special moments!

SHOUT-OUT TO THE PARTY PEOPLE:
Cake created by family friend 'Nanny T'; Balloon garland from Lunar Balloons, lunarballoons.co.nz; Cake topper from Bow and Leaf, instagram.com/bow_and_leaf; Cookies by The Cookie Lady, thecookielady.co.nz; Play equipment from Happy Days Party Hire, hdpartyhire.co.nz.

Rainbow, Bow and Leaf, instagram.com/bow_and_leaf; Balloon, Lunar Balloons lunarballoons.co.nz; Jamie Kay Josie Top Bubblegum fleck, $39.95, jamiekay.co.nz; Pumpkin Patch Girls Tutu Skirt, $39.99; Ezibuy.com; Cookies, The Cookie Lady, thecookielady.co.nz; Kmart reusable cups, $4, kmart.co.nz; Citta Acacia Rectangle Chopping Board in X-Large, $69.90, cittadesign.com, Kmart SequinTable Runner, $6, kmart.co.nz