Elephant Themed First Birthday Party

First birthdays are a special celebration for any family, but first birthdays in Chinese culture call for a huge celebration, because infant mortality rates were high among their ancestors. Although this not a major concern nowadays, first birthday parties have evolved into fun, sentimental celebrations with family and friends. That’s exactly what the day was for one special birthday boy and his family, so they marked the occasion with an Elephant Themed First Birthday Party!

Oliver is such a happy and sweet little boy and his mom and aunt, along with their team at Papertini, were thrilled to plan an amazing elephant themed birthday celebration for the sweetest little boy!

Oliver’s mom decided to host the party at My Kitchen Restaurant in Forrest Hill, N.Y. and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Since the food at the restaurant was mostly Italian-American, they incorporated their Indonesian-Chinese cultures through the desserts and favors.

In the sea of French macarons and cake pops, they opted to serve black rice pudding with coconut sauce in cute vintage glass milk bottles, coconut filled pandan rolled crepes, lapis surabaya (a standard cake for Indonesian parties), pineapple tarts and various candies including traditional Chinese, Indonesian, and Japanese sweets that Oliver’s family enjoyed when they were kids.

In terms of decor for the party, inspiration came from Oliver’s invitation from Minted. They decided to do a chevron and burlap mix without going rustic and it turned out just perfect! The adorable elephant character paired with fun and modern chevron and polka dots really turned out to be a great mix. Instead of doing chalkboard signage, they opted to go with a simpler Kraft paper wrapped canvas that they accented with wool pom poms and paper bunting. They also used Kraft cardboard letters from Paper Source to spell out Oliver’s name. So cute!

The super cute elephant piñata served as a cute piece of decor before the kids got a hold of it. After lunch, Steven Burchard of Magical Memories Entertainment did a great job entertaining the kids with a cool magic show and fun balloon animals. At the end of the party, the family held their “red envelope” gifting ceremony. It is one of the most common Chinese customs (presenting monetary gifts in red envelopes). Red and gold are 2 very important colors in the family’s culture and represent good fortune. The birthday boy had so much fun celebrating his first birthday that he fell asleep during the ceremony. That’s okay though – Oliver had a big day filled with great friends and family, delicious food and desserts, and lots of fun! What a special day for a special little boy. I’m sure the family will hold onto these precious memories forever!

Credits & Resources

Venue: My Kitchen Restaurant // Photography: Photo & Me Photography // Event Design, Styling, Props, Decor: Papertini Floral & Event Design // Invitations: Minted // Cakes: Cakes by Christine NY // Cake Garland Topper: atCompanyB // Children’s Entertainment: Steven Burchard / Magical Memories Entertainment // Table Linens: Total Table Event Linen Rental //Elephant Piñata: Whack Piñatas // Cookies: Sweet C’s Bake Shop // Favor boxes: The Favor Box 

Plan a fun elephant themed birthday party with these fun party products:

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• Meri Meri Animal Parade Cupcake Kit
• Meri Meri First Birthday Party Invitations
• Meri Meri Animal Parade Party Bags – 8 Count
• Meri Meri Animal Parade Party Cups
• Number 1 Cake Topper Candle
• Blue Elephant Pinata
• Dress My Cupcake Red Chevron Cupcake Wrappers – 50 Count
• Dress My Cupcake Red Chevron Paper Party Straws
• Vintage Glass Milk Bottles – 12 Count
• Set of 3 White Serving Platters
• Set of 3 White Serving Platters With Riser
• Large Blue Cake Stand
• Ceramic Letter Candy Dishes or Number Dishes
• Paper Eskimo Light Blue Polka Dot Napkins
• Paper Eskimo Light Blue Striped Favor Bags
• Paper Eskimo Light Blue Paper Party Plates
• Paper Eskimo Red Dot Napkins
• Paper Eskimo Red Striped Plates
• Large 36 in Light Blue Balloons – 3 Count
• White Gable Favor Boxes – 12 Count
• Polka Dot Beverage Napkins
• Martha Stewart Modern Festive Garland
• Light Blue Pom Pom Party Decorations