Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

Event concept, design and styling: Kate Landers Photography: Liza Voll

This is Kate Landers, thrilled to share with you a most darling personal event: our son Noah’s First Birthday Celebration! As an event stylist I have always recognized what a milestone event a first birthday is. As a mom, I have experienced first-hand the emotions and tremendous joy that comes along with celebration the first twelve months with your little one. I invite you to enjoy the beautiful images that captured a most perfect birthday celebration.

1. We opted for a very intimate family affair, 15 guests. Also, for the sake of Noah and other little ones, we kept the party at a manageable length of one hour.

2. We held the party mid-afternoon, offering a simple menu of birthday cake and a few special sweets, doubling as party favors, on the dessert table. This is also keeps your party within a reasonable budget.

3. Hiring a professional photographer allowed us to relax as parents, and feel fully present for this special day. It was an investment I highly recommend. Liza was able to capture precious moments as well as event details I normally would fuss over as a stylist.

4. Noah has a favorite giant teddy bear that he loves to tackle and snuggle, who served as inspiration for the party theme. The soft blue, yellow and tan color palette kept the event sweet and “baby”–celebrating his first 12 months of life. Loralee Lewis created a most darling paperie collection that everyone adored.

5. I thoroughly enjoyed hand-crafting (with my husband Ryan’s help!) pom poms for party hats I made. They were also displayed as soft toy balls, paired with the yellow polka dot boxes representing baby blocks, making for crafty centerpieces.

6. Noah had his very own “smash cake,” while guests enjoyed a soft blue ruffled cake filled with whipped cream and strawberries. Smash Cakes are fabulous for that infamous first birthday portrait!

7. Garden chairs and floor-length table linens created a clean palette for styling this event. The 3′ white balloons from The TomKat Studio also filled the celebration space with white. I used wide satin ribbons to tie them to the back of chairs, making them perfect for little guests to carry home.

8. I fell in love with the “Noah” banner created by Loralee Lewis, and we now have it hanging in his room, a charming way to remember this milestone celebration.

9. Inviting long-distance friends and family members to create items for the party can be a wonderful way to celebrate your child’s party with them. My dear friend Lynn made the gorgeous fine-wale pale blue corduroy overalls Noah wore, while my good friend Ruth monogrammed them.

10. Guests signed cards leaving “Warm Fuzzy Birthday Wishes” for Noah to read and enjoy for many years to come. I cannot wait to put together his first birthday book, another way to let the celebration continue!

RESOURCE LIST

• Styling & Design: Kate Landers
• Photography: Liza Voll Photography
• Custom Table Linens: Sweet Tea and Linen
• Paperie: Loralee Lewis
• Tableware, Party Supplies & Favor Packaging: The TomKat Studio
• Custom Cookies: Bambella Cookie Boutique
• Chocolate Covered Oreos: Le Bonbon LA
• Fondant Krispie Treat Toppers: Edible Details
• Party Horns: Oh Goodie Designs
• Peg Doll Cake Topper: Craft That Party
• Caramel Corn, Butterscoth Candies & Lollipops: Hammonds Candies
• Yellow Polka Dot Favor Boxes: Pamela Smerker Designs
• White Cake Stands: Rosanna Inc at Layla Grayce
• Embroidered “Noah” Party Hat: Shawna Brockmeier Styled Events
• First Birthday Subway Art Print: Dollhouse Paperie By Dolce Drive