Sebastian's 1st Birthday | Boho Rainbow Picnic

I can't believe our little Sebastian is already 1 year old...where has the time gone? He has brought us so much joy in a year full of unexpected and difficult events (truly being our little rainbow!) that it only seemed right making his first birthday extra special. And turning 1 is a pretty big deal, right?!

Since Sebastian is still too young to choose a theme, I had the honor and picked something I had my heart set on for a while - a Boho Rainbow Picnic. I've always envisioned having his party in Daan Park (Taipei's largest park, often compared to New York's Central Park) and having a tent or two decorated with balloons as a backdrop. I added my favorite, boho-inspired color scheme in the mix, ran with these ideas, and before I knew it, had my dream 1st birthday party planned for our sweet boy.

DECOR

I had a few colors picked out such as blush pink, mustard, terracotta and peach (with a hint of blue) that set the tone for the party, and I stuck to these when picking out decorations. The teepee tents served as the backdrop and I decorated them with a mixture of different style and textured cushions and blankets, rattan furniture, and different sized balloons. I saved a LOT of money by using things from our home (luckily our color scheme is exactly the same!) and also borrowing a few from Liesl's, so ended up only having to buy balloons, food trays, and one of the teepee tents.

STATIONERY

I had the stationery for Sebastian's party designed by my dear friend and talented South African illustrator, Roelien (Unrouxly Illustration) including the invitations, post cards for the guests, and also a rainbow poster with Sebastian's name on. It was such a special addition to the party and added the perfect touch, also giving the guests something they could take home to remember Sebastian's 1st birthday.

Shop Sebastian's Outfit here

FOOD

A 1st birthday isn't quite complete without a "smash cake", so I had one made for Sebastian by the pastry chef of my favorite cafe in Taipei - Sugar Pea. It was a white velvet cake with a rainbow design on, and just the right size for our birthday boy to smash and enjoy. Unfortunately the rainbow couldn't stand Taiwan's humidity (no surprise!) and melted away before it was Sebastian's turn to enjoy his cake. Lesson learned - if you're planning to have a party outdoors on a warm spring day, eat the cake (and take pictures) first!

We also had vanilla cupcakes from The Cupcake Shop (My absolute favorite cupcake shop in Taipei), and custom made cookies by the talented @quebancake, made to look exactly like the designs on the invitations. Aren't they just too adorable for words?! Jars filled with South African sweets and chocolates were a sweet surprise for all our South African friends who came to the party, and was a special ode to Sebastian's heritage. We also provided a welcome drink for each guest - a delicious and refreshing Grapefruit Gin & Tonic

We had so much fun celebrating Sebastian's birthday with our friends here in Taipei, and I'm so grateful for the lovely weather we had (We all know how unpredictable and miserable the weather can be here!). I highly recommend choosing the park as a party venue; not only does it create the perfect ambience and a beautiful backdrop for taking pictures, but it's also a lot more affordable than having a party at a restaurant or café where they easily charge more than a 1000nt per person minimum spend.

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you're planning a birthday party or baby shower here in Taipei and need help planning your event (choosing a theme, sourcing decorations, deciding on vendors, photography etc.) I'm happy to help! Please contact me at hello@astylealike.com and we can set up a date and time to chat.

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VENDORS

cake - Sugar Pea cookies - Queban Bake cupcakes - The Cupcake Shop stationary - Unrouxly balloons - Super Party

OTHER RESOURCES

teepee tent - Shopee blankets - Zara Home cushions - H&M Home trays & basket - Ikea

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