A Minnie Mouse 1st Birthday Party with a Twist

We had the unique situation that our daughter’s first birthday also fell on our 10th wedding anniversary. We always talked about having a small, 10 year vow renewal ceremony, never dreaming it would also be on our baby’s birthday! So how to plan around these special occasions? I couldn’t find anything online about a dual vow renewal and baby’s first birthday, so I made up my own rules. And, if you’re here to read about all things orange and blue, the ideas I used could easily be interchangeable with Gator-related items! Read on for all the details:

Photos by Lisa Lotter. Outfit by Tickle Pants.

Photos by Lisa Lotter. Outfit by Tickle Pants.

lisa-lotter-lily-minniebirthday-girl-minnie-mouseSince we had our wedding on Disney property at the Buena Vista Palace hotel, it was the perfect opportunity to revisit where we said “I Do” and this time, celebrate Lily’s birthday!  We love Disney of course, which is why we chose to be married there in the first place. And what better way than with a Minnie Mouse-themed party?! The venue called for classy decorations, so rather than focus entirely on the character image, I focused on the colors: pink, black and white and the polka dot pattern and went from there.

In my book, all those little details add up to a big bang, so I focused on small little touches that brought the theme together. I am a scrapbooker, so I had a lot of supplies already to work with, and just had to buy a few items to tie it together. Needless to say, Michaels, Joann’s Fabric and Hobby Lobby were my friends.

And it paid off… BIG TIME! While we were setting up, the hotel staff kept coming in to see the decorations. And when they left, more came because the others had told them about the party. A few asked where I worked and if I did event planning as my job. What a compliment! The best compliment of the day though was from Lily herself… her eyes lit up when we walked in and she kept pointing at everything. And at the end of the day, she thanked us in her own way (see end of post).

TIP: Little girl’s birthdays that take place the first quarter of the year are in luck! It was the perfect time to find pink decorations because of Valentine’s Day. Since Lily’s birthday invitations went out right before Valentine’s Day, I was able to get pink heart postage stamps at the Post Office that matched nicely. I also saved a lot of money on pink candy for her sweet table since it all went on sale on February 15!

 

Invitations

Address label I designed in Photoshop and printed on Shutterfly.com

Address label I designed in Photoshop and printed on Shutterfly.com

I custom-designed the invites and matching address labels in PhotoShop and then printed them through Shutterfly‘s print your own feature.

 

I designed her invitation and then printed them on Shutterfly.com

I designed her invitation and then printed them on Shutterfly.com

Decorations

I wanted to add color to the tables in an inexpensive way. Rather than renting linens, I went to Joann Fabrics and bought some polka dot fabric to use as table overlays! It was the perfect way to infuse the polka dot pattern into the decor. I also bought a large piece of pink polka dot fabric and used this as a backdrop for a photo prop station.

Balloons and polka dot table overlays completed the look.

Balloons and polka dot table overlays completed the look of the party. Pink polka dot photo backdrop is in the background as well as a music area where Lily’s Grandpa and Uncle played some tunes on their guitars for us.

Balloon bouquets and a Minnie Mouse balloon figure brought height, color and a festive touch to the room. Orlando Party Store delivered the balloons, and they are just awesome to work with! I placed the balloon weights into small metal black and pink tins I found in the $1 bins at Target, added a logo’d sticker to them, tied some polka dot ribbon, inserted some pink tissue paper and…instant centerpiece!

Minnie Mouse Balloon figure from Orlando Party Store. Their work is amazing!

Minnie Mouse Balloon figure from Orlando Party Store. Their work is amazing!

We hung up her photos from her monthly pictures. I bought polka dot ribbon, and found some cute Valentine’s clothespins at Michaels that I added Mickey Mouse rhinestones to. It was a fun visual to show how much she’s grown.

Hang your baby's monthly photos to show his/her growth over the year.

Hang your baby’s monthly photos to show his/her growth over the year. Photo by @batikdesign

We made sure to bring her high chair since that would be a focal point for cake and gift photos. A chair tutu and fabric/tissue pom poms from Hobby Lobby rounded out the decorations.

TIP: Place a sheet on the floor for easy clean up post-cake smash! And in this case, it protected the carpet that wasn’t ours.

 

Baby’s 1st Birthday Outfit

minnie-mouse-first-birthdayTickle Pants on Etsy designed her whole outfit including onesie, tutu, socks, bow, diaper cover and party hat.

Welcome Table

On the welcome table, we had a guest book I created on Shutterfly that alternated between Lily’s photos and our wedding photos. We also had Mickey and Minnie ears for guests to wear (purchased from Etsy). I placed these in a Mickey-shaped basket I already owned.

Guest book I created in Shutterfly.

Guest book I created in Shutterfly.

I put up a bulletin board filled with some of her photos from the past year. I had already created the photos at Polaroid Fotobar (see this post), and they worked nicely!

photo-board-minnie-mouse-party

I included framed photos from her 1st birthday photo session and also designed a stats sign in PhotoShop that I then printed at Office Depot.

The Welcome Table had a guest book, photos, a stats sign, and Mickey/Minnie ears for guests.

The Welcome Table had a guest book, photos, a stats sign, and Mickey/Minnie ears for guests.

The Welcome Table had a guest book, photos, a stats sign, and Mickey/Minnie ears for guests.

The Welcome Table had a guest book, photos, a stats sign, and Mickey/Minnie ears for guests.

Minnie Mouse signs: I printed out the sayings and adhered those to cardstock which I then adhered to small white greeting cards. I then added polka dot washi tape. I bought a Mickey Mouse punch, added 2 small pink rhinestones as a bow, and adhered using a 3D glue dot.

A Minnie Mouse party isn't complete without ears!

A Minnie Mouse party isn’t complete without ears!

Food

We went for kid-friendly foods such as burgers, hot dogs and chicken fingers. Salads and fruit rounded out the food. I made themed food signs to tie together such as Hot Diggity Dogs, Pluto’s Potato Salad, Le-Minnie-Aid, and more.

minnie-mouse-food-signs-partyI wanted to have glass milk bottles for guests to sip out of. I watched for when Starbucks frapaccinos went on sale and followed these instructions to remove the labels. I then stuck on labels I designed that I bought at Michael’s, tied a ribbon around the bottle neck, bought some retro polka dot straws… and instant fun decoration! Plus, I can reuse the bottles for future kids parties, and just swap out the labels.

Milk bottles...Photo by @batikdesign

Milk bottles…Photo by @batikdesign

Minnie Milk bottles and fun straws!

Minnie Milk bottles and fun straws!

Sweet Table

This was fun to put together! I used my scrapbook supplies to make little tags and they turned out great! I custom-designed a Sweet Shop Sign, and bought pink/black/white candies. I bought pink paper bags from Michael’s for guests to use to fill with the treats and added the same logo’d sticker to those that I used on the milk bottles and on the centerpiece tins.

Minnie Oreos: My friends and I followed these directions and made these adorable cookies!

Dipped Marshmallows: Dipped into Melts candy, and then dipped into pink sugar. I bought a Styrofoam circle and added Minnie Ribbon along the edge to display the marshmallows.

Mickey Mouse chocolates: I looked everywhere for a candy mold and could NOT find one. A very helpful Disney cast member suggested to use the silicon Mickey ice cube tray. It worked perfectly!

And of course… the cupcakes!!! Sweet! by Holly are the BEST cupcakes around. As a three time winner of Cupcake Wars, there was no question as to who would be providing the cupcakes for Lily’s party. We had them design a small smash cake for her as well. It was all so delicious and Miss Holly and her team were fabulous to work with.

Minnie Mouse Sweet Table!

Minnie Mouse Sweet Table!

Apothecary jars sataggered on risers covered in black linen added dimension to the table. I used polka dot fabric overlays to bring color to the table as well.

Apothecary jars staggered on risers covered in black linen added dimension to the table. I used polka dot fabric overlays to bring color to the table as well.

 

Guests filled paper bags with treats. The plastic bin I found in the Target $1 area and I created a little sign for it.

Guests filled paper bags with treats. The plastic bin I found in the Target $1 area and I created a little sign for it.

Lily's Sweet Shop Table

Lily’s Sweet Shop Table ~ Photo by @batikdesign

Minnie Mouse cookies. Photo by @Batikdesign

Minnie Mouse cookies. Idea by Cooking Classy. Photo by @Batikdesign

Cupcake Wars winner Sweet! by Holly

Smash cake and cupcakes by 3x Cupcake Wars winner Sweet! by Holly… so delicious.

Minnie Mouse Cupcakes by Cupcake Wars winner Sweet! by Holly

Minnie Mouse Cupcakes by Cupcake Wars winner Sweet! by Holly

Happy 1st Birthday sweetheart.

Happy 1st Birthday sweetheart.

Favors

I bought frames for guests to decorate with stickers. I designed an insert and printed off copies through Shutterfly and inserted those into each frame.

minnie-mouse-photo-favors

Guests could then take their photo against a backdrop and insert those photos into the frames after the party.

Goofy'ing around with our friends! I downloaded the Mickey props and printed them out, and adhered them to dowels. We borrowed a ton of fun Mickey ears from our friends who are cast members. Photo by @batikdesign

Goofy’ing around with our friends! I downloaded the Mickey props and printed them out, and adhered them to dowels. We borrowed a ton of fun Mickey ears from our friends who are cast members. Photo by @batikdesign

Vow Renewal

vow-renewal-1st-birthday

With our Rabbi after we were pronounced husband and wife (again).

So how did we incorporate our vow renewal into the big day? Well, first we wore our Minnie and Mickey wedding ears we had since our rehearsal dinner 10 years prior. Then, our Rabbi joined us for a brief recommitment ceremony at the gazebo where we were married. It was beautiful to share the day with our daughter this time. Ironically, the wind was blowing just as much as it was on our wedding day. Our kiddush cup broke before the renewal ceremony so we actually had to drink our wine out of one of the milk bottles haha!! Our Rabbi had Lily join us and we blessed her. At the end, we kissed and then Lily kept giving us kisses– her way of saying thank you for such a special, fun day. That’s why we’re laughing/crying so much in these photos!

The hotel recreated the dessert we served at our wedding... white chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce... yum!!

The hotel recreated the dessert we served at our wedding… white chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce… yum!! Photo by @batikdesign

The hotel made this special bride and groom desserts just for us. <3 The Buena Vista Palace was amazing 10 years ago, and has remained such!

The hotel made this special bride and groom desserts just for us.

kiss1

kiss2kiss3

SUPPLIES and VENDORS

  • Party Location: Outback Verandah at Buena Vista Palace hotel
  • Birthday Girl Outfit: Tickle Pants on Etsy
  • Balloons: Orlando Party Store
  • Cupcakes and cake: Sweet! by Holly
  • Mickey and Minnie ears: Uniqueboutiquebygami on Etsy
  • Mickey Mouse ice cube mold: Mickey’s Pantry at Downtown Disney
  • Dollar Store: Black picture frames, Valentine’s stickers (hearts) for frames
  • Target: Plastic bins and metal pails, pink tray for Oreos
  • Michaels: Pink paper bags, clothespins, Mickey rhinestones, rhinestone tags for candy table, styrofoam circle, marshmallow sticks and melts, small pink “L”
  • Hobby Lobby: Pom poms; polka dot ribbon of assorted sizes used on bottles, pails, cake stands, candy labels, to hang pom poms, to hang monthly photos; chair tutu; large “L”, stickers for my Minnie wedding ears, bulletin board
  • Joanns Fabric: photo backdrop, table overlays
  • Birthday stats sign: Downloaded Chalk styles here, downloaded various fonts, designed in Photoshop, and printed at OfficeDepot
  • Queen & Co: Washi Tape used on small signs and as a closure for the sweet bags.
  • Shutterfly: Printed items such as Sweet Shop sign, monthly 5 x7 photos, guest book, invitations, address labels, and photo inserts.
  • ProOne Video: Our videographer 10 years ago, and now our friends, they took video of our special day once again.

Supplies for Sale

I am selling many of these Minnie Mouse party supplies… Send me a message to inquire.
Update: Supplies have been sold.

Like what you see, or have a question?! Please leave a comment and follow me. 🙂

Then and Now

Then: A couple… and Now: A family…

8 Comments on A Minnie Mouse 1st Birthday Party with a Twist

  1. Cassidy Watts
    July 2, 2014 at 10:36 pm (10 years ago)

    I just love all of your great ideas! I have been looking at sites for weeks. Im using same colors & etsy outfit. Do you still have your party supplies? I would love to buy some! You were also very informative and helpful!

    Reply
    • Jaclyn
      July 2, 2014 at 10:50 pm (10 years ago)

      Thank you Cassidy! I do have the supplies still. Email me at Jaclyn@growgators.com and let’s coordinate 🙂

      Reply
  2. Marcia
    August 20, 2014 at 10:30 am (10 years ago)

    Absolutely beautiful and love your entire idea. I am doing a Minnie bday party for my daughter. Where did you get the skirt from? It is beautiful. Did you make it? If so, can I buy one from you.

    Reply
  3. Jaclyn Rhoads
    August 20, 2014 at 10:48 am (10 years ago)

    Thanks Marcia! Her outfit with skirt was from Tickle Pants on Etsy. She books up really quick if you are interested (not sure when your daughter’s party will be).

    Reply
  4. angie
    March 21, 2015 at 3:16 am (9 years ago)

    such a creative lady. I had a question, do you know if the person who did ypur daughters outfit still works? I tried to click on link but it said page not found. Wondering if link is expired. Thank you

    Reply
    • Jaclyn Rhoads
      March 22, 2015 at 6:05 pm (9 years ago)

      Thanks Angie! Looks like Tickle Pants is on vacation and has removed her Etsy store inthe meantime (Check out her Facebook page message: https://www.facebook.com/ticklepants).
      I highly recommend Lil Abbe on Etsy as well. We just used her for her 2nd birthday outfit. She is booked through August 2015 I think at this point.

      Reply
  5. Tiffany
    August 16, 2015 at 3:14 pm (9 years ago)

    I absolutely adore that outfit! My daughter is turning one in October & I must know where you bought it from!

    Reply
    • Jaclyn Rhoads
      August 17, 2015 at 10:57 am (9 years ago)

      It’s from Tickle Pants on Etsy. https://www.etsy.com/shop/TicklePants She has a wait list usually so don’t delay in ordering! I think she may have gone through some Disney-licensing issues, and may not carry this exact one anymore. Happy Birthday to your daughter!!

      Reply

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