I have worked on many events for other expecting mothers in the past, but never thought I would be preparing and slaving over my own baby shower. People that know me, know that I love detail, decorating, coming up with new ideas and reusing old ones. This was a project that I had been mentally preparing for since I found out that I was expecting. Although I love to help make brides the center of attention on their special day, I love to be behind the scenes and knew that I would struggle being the prospect at my shower. I decided to make this event more like a backyard party, lots of flowers, lots of games, lots of distractions for guests.
The florals that I chose to decorate this party with were bright and fun with a whimsical twist. I wanted to create the laid back feeling with a woodland theme, but still fit for a baby shower honoring my little girl. I chose to go with hot pink roses (deemed Pink Floyd), pink alstroemeria, dianthus (to mimic the look of moss), white hypericum berry, with splashes of pink wax flower and a white micro pom. The dusty miller and sword fern were collected from the venue, which happened to be the backyard of a close family friend. The wood slats for the centerpieces were cut from fallen trees, and even made an appearance for the handmade toad stool cupcake tower! My goal of keeping this party beautiful and oh so budget friendly was entirely accomplished.
I incorporated as many DIY aspects into this shower as I could, I wanted it to be full of activities for guests that could be used as sentiments for my daughter to grow with. Rummaging through the attic of the new home my partner and I recently moved into was step one to my DIY party planning. I was able to dig up some old empty frames that I was able to repurpose into a photo booth. I took three frames, fastened them together and decorated them with preserved moss, birch accents and fresh flowers to match the decor.
I have decided to adhere a cute, floral printed paper to the back of the frames where I will glue the photos taken from the shower on to it to create a photo board. This was one easy way to engage my guests and to create a memorandum to show my daughter just who helped celebrate her oncoming arrival. Now of course, the fresh flowers will parish, but the preserved moss, birch accents and printed memories will be forever admired.
Other DYI aspects of this shower included a onesie decorating station, a future advice box and a “friends & family tree”, where I had people put their finger prints on a painted tree to simulate leaves. This project was a lot of fun and turned out beautifully! All of the activities were labeled and showed off using old wood slats found in the attic, some of which were decoratively painted and can be used for future events.
All in all, it turned out to be a beautiful day full of laughs, which I could not have asked for anything better. It really pays to do something yourself if you want it done right, but still there is no shame in asking for help along the way. I have learned through this process that I am very particular and love everything and anything about detail. Maybe party planning is also in my future! So if you are looking for a little help and want to make your event a day to remember, no matter how casual or extravagant, contact me and I would love to assist!
Cheers!
Adria Lowry 