9 Cute Baby First Birthday Invitations & Wording Guide!
All brand new parents look forward to the milestones ahead — especially all the firsts.
- First tooth
- First steps
- First messy adventures with solid foods
All are unforgettable moments. The next thing you know, you’re sending out first birthday invitations!
In the interest of helping make this milestone just as special as the others, we’ve put together this quick guide to choosing your baby’s first birthday invitations. We share loveable themes, as well as helpful nuggets for stress-free planning.
The Cutest First B-day Invitations!
It’ll seem like you just brought home your bundle of joy (parents are certified time travellers), but the first birthday has snuck up.
Picking out first birthday invitations is so much fun. There are so many sweet themes that you may find it difficult to choose. Here are a few that have melted our hearts to a puddle.
** Note: These invite choices are categorized by gender and gender neutral. No rules, so take a look to see what you like best! **
1. Bumblebees Birthday Invitation
Bumblebees are hot right now, and these will easily go right along with any outdoor or garden-themed party.
Choose from daisy, teal, or kraft tones. You can customize it with four different silhouettes and three types of paper. Throw in adorable backer options and free recipient addressing, and you’re all set to create a buzz around baby’s first birthday!
2. Party Llamas Birthday Invitation
Llamas are delightful, partially because they’re so full of personality– (probably like your little person!
Send out these invites for a fiesta themed party, or an animal theme. Either way, they’ll draw smiles.
Pick coral, tangerine, plum, or denim colors to adorn this adorable party llama. Your choice of backer options allows you to customize the invite how you want.
Oh! And don’t forget, I hear that llamas love cupcakes…
3. Owl on a Branch Birthday Party Invitation
by PurpleTrail
Another sweet animal theme full of personality – owls are awesome!
They’re flexible enough to fit in with wildlife, a Halloween theme if you’ve got yourself a Halloween baby, or even a books/reading themed party. We loved the simplicity of these invitations, and you can customize to your hearts’ content to make them your own.
Boys 1st Birthday Party Invitations
4. Where the Wild Things Are Invitation Card
by Erin Deegan
Who doesn’t love this classic book?
This adaptation is an adorable theme for your wild thing. It’s a great compliment to either a Halloween themed, book themed, or monster themed party. In any case, your recipients will love the nostalgia!
5. Jungle Creatures 1st Birthday Invitation
Who doesn’t love the possibilities of exploring the jungle? It’s all about imagination here, and all the adventures and fascinating things your little person will see one day. Adorable jungle animals gather on these invitations to invite your guests to join you in celebrating your little adventurers’ 1st birthday.
6. Moustache Themed Photo Invitation
by PurpleTrail
A hilarious and whimsical design to invite friends and family for a first birthday celebration. You’ll probably get a big smile out of them!
If you’ve got a little comedian on your hands, moustache themed invitations are awesome.
Girls 1st Birthday Invites
7. Aloha 1st Birthday Photo Invitations
by Joanne James
Visions of palm trees and the gentle touch of a tropical breeze are what we think of when we look at these lovely island-themed invitations. Pair them with a luau-themed party and treat your guests to a laid-back, island vibe – even if it is just in your backyard!
8. Butterfly Garden 1st Birthday Invitation
Naturally-inspired pops of color and real gold foil accents adorn these invitations with a butterfly garden theme, and we couldn’t be more enchanted. Personalize with your choice of peony, tangerine, bluebell, periwinkle, or glimmer shades. A butterfly garden is a magical place, indeed.
9. Unicorns Invitation Card
Speaking of magical things – unicorns will probably never go out of style. At least we hope not!
These invitations can go from fancy-pants when you add silver or glitter foil accents, to a little more demure (that’s what we’ve picked here). No matter what you pick, unicorns ROCK.
Tips for Less Stress
Most people aren’t going to expect a royal-grade event or immaculate invitations for your baby’s first birthday. Those people have staff for that, and also you’re exhausted!!
So don’t sweat the small stuff. Really. Do the best you can with what you’ve got and aim for unforgettable memories, whatever form those may take. At the end of the day, it’s about the pictures and the laughter.
First Birthday Invitation Wording
There are plenty of easy templates out there to help you word your invites brilliantly.
Don’t overthink wording. Here are a couple of examples:
Boy-Specific Wording
- “Our little man is turning one, join us for a party that’s sure to be fun!”
- “The first year has flown right by, join us to celebrate our favorite little guy!”
- “Your presence is requested: come help celebrate the first birthday of our little prince.”
Girl-Specific Wording
- “Our baby girl is growing fast, come celebrate with us and make memories to last.”
- “Roses are red, violets are blue. Our girl’s turning one, we want to celebrate with you!”
- “Our little rosebud blooms every day, let’s celebrate her first in a great big way!”
Everyone
- “First birthday is here with cake and balloons, please come to the party, it’s happening soon!”
- “Parties are great, there is no doubt. We’re throwing a first birthday bash, we hope you’ll come out!”
- “You’re cordially invited to our baby’s first birthday, please come and party with us!”
Helpful Tips to Save Yourself Some Crazy
When to plan baby’s first birthday?
Timing your baby’s first may be one of the most important things to consider. Every baby is different, so while yours may be able to party all day, others may need a nap in the afternoon to avoid the dreaded meltdown.
Here are a few thoughts:
- Schedule around nap times
- Keep it to 2-3 hours
- Consider meals and snacks besides birthday cake if you’re timing it when your baby boy or baby girl is likely to be hungry.
- To make things easier for your guests and yourself send out invites 3 – 4 weeks in advance with a set RSVP
Who to invite
- How many should I invite?
Big bash? Small gathering? Up to you of course. If you think you can successfully pass baby around to deal with big party stuff (and have some time without a baby on your hip) that might be a lot of fun. But if she’s a little shy or isn’t used to lots of action, maybe the fewer the better.
- How do I keep my guest list modest without offending anyone?
That’s always a sticky one, no matter what party you’re throwing. There’s always the option of two parties: one for family and one for friends.
If that’s too high maintenance for your taste, some etiquette experts suggest cutting your list down by category rather than individual person. For instance, omit everyone from the “mom’s club” list, or leave out anyone in the “mommy/baby yoga class” list. This will cut down on a lot of hurt feelings once everyone realizes no one from the group was invited, it’s not personal.
- What about other babies?
Meh. Again, up to you. If you think it’ll cause all the chaos and kill all the fun, maybe best to keep it to grownups. Then again, watching a bunch of babies hang out together is adorable if you’ve got the help.
Where to host a first birthday party
- The easiest location is at home. Unless Grandma or Auntie (or Grandpa or Uncle) wants to host, and the birthday boy or birthday girl is comfortable there
- A park party is always fun! Keep in mind the set-up and clean-up that’s involved
Alright, that’s all from us. One last word of wisdom – be sure to stock up on tissues in the future. You’ll need them in about 18 years when you come across her 1st birthday party pictures and reminisce, as you pack her off to college!
*Save THIS PIN to your Birthday Invitations board on Pinterest so you can always find it when you need to!*
