AJ's Wild One First Birthday Party

Sage's first birthday was soft, sparkly, and feminine, so for AJ, I went in the complete opposite direction. We celebrated Anthony James's first birthday with a red, black, and white "Wild One" party inspired by arrows, plaid, and playful woodland details.

AJ is nine now, which makes looking back at these photos feel even more special. Of course, he doesn't remember his first birthday, but I love that we saved all these little details to show him — the things he loved, the words he could say, and how excited we were to celebrate his first year.

I handled most of the decorating and setup myself, and this is still one of my favorite first-birthday themes I've ever created.

The Wild One Backdrop

I created a dramatic red-and-black backdrop that completely transformed the room. I added oversized red and black-and-white paper fans, then placed our black highchair and a striped play tent in front of it.

The tent carried the theme through the room while also giving the kids another little place to play. A large black faux-fur rug finished the setup and made the entire area feel cozy despite the darker colors.

AJ's Highchair

This highchair is special, and has been part of our family for years. It was MINE first, then Sage used it, and for AJ's party, I painted it black to match the theme.

I decorated it with a burlap "Wild and One" banner and strips of black, white, gold, and arrow-print fabric. AJ also had a small red-and-gold "one" crown for his pictures.

Seeing him sitting in my old highchair made the setup feel even more special.

The Birthday Boy

For AJ's pictures, I kept his outfit simple: no shirt, black pants, and a cream-and-gold plaid bow tie.

It was such a small detail, but the bow tie with his big curly hair ended up being one of my favorite looks from the entire party. He looked completely adorable — and slightly unimpressed by all the work happening around him — which made the pictures even better.

His First-Birthday Milestone Board

We displayed a large chalkboard-style milestone sign filled with all the little details about AJ at one year old.

He was 22 pounds and 30 inches tall. He loved his family, his big sister Sage, his elephant, being held, being tickled, and listening to "Wheels on the Bus." The board also included the words he could say, his favorite foods and books, and all the new things he had learned to do.

The milestone board was fun to have at the party, but I appreciate it even more now. Nine-year-old AJ gets to see exactly who he was at one, and it brings back so many details I might not otherwise remember.

The Cake and Custom Cookies

The desserts brought all of the party details together. The three-tier cake featured black arrows and simple black-and-cream detailing, along with a small "Wild One" topper.

The custom cookies incorporated red plaid, teepees, arrows, AJ's initials, and the number one. Some said "Stay Wild," while others featured phrases like "AJ Is a Wild One."

I displayed the cookies alongside a custom illustrated portrait of AJ and two miniature teepees. The cookies were honestly some of my favorite details from the entire party.

Brunch for Everyone

Because the party was earlier in the day, we served a full brunch spread with bagels, muffins, chicken biscuits, fresh fruit, and other easy breakfast foods from Chic Fil A.

Brunch worked especially well for a first birthday because there was something simple for everyone, including the children. It also felt more relaxed than trying to serve a formal meal.

The Mimosa and Hot Chocolate Bars

I wanted the adults to have a few fun treats of their own, so we set up a mimosa station with champagne and orange juice, along with a hot chocolate bar.

The hot chocolate station included several cocoa flavors, different kinds of marshmallows, whipped cream, caramel and chocolate sauces, and Baileys for the adults who wanted to spike theirs.

It was February, so the hot chocolate bar was perfect for the time of year — and it ended up being one of the most popular parts of the party.

Entertainment for the Older Kids

Since AJ has an older sister and plenty of older friends and cousins at the party, I hired a face painter and balloon artist to entertain the older children.

This was one of the best decisions I made. The kids had something exciting to do while the adults ate and talked, and no one had to spend the entire party trying to keep a group of bored children entertained.

If you're planning a first birthday with children of different ages, adding an activity specifically for the older kids makes such a difference.

AJ's First Year in Photos

Across the room, I hung a photo from each month of AJ's first year using red twine and small clothespins.

It was inexpensive and easy to put together, but it became one of the most meaningful decorations at the party. Everyone could stop and see how much he had grown over the course of that first year.

Looking at that banner now is surreal. At the time, a full year felt like such a big milestone. Now, somehow, he's already nine.

The Party Favors

For the favors, we had personalized tins featuring the same illustrated portrait of AJ used on the dessert table. Each tin was wrapped in cellophane and finished with a wooden tag that read:

"Let the wild rumpus continue! Thanks for celebrating Baby AJ."

We also prepared kraft gift bags filled with goodies for the children. Even the favor tags and bags coordinated with the party, which helped the theme feel complete from beginning to end.

Looking Back

AJ is nine now, which makes looking back at these photos feel even more special. Of course, he doesn’t remember his first birthday, but I love that we have all these little details saved to show him—the things he loved, the words he could say, and how excited we were to celebrate his first year.

I'm also glad I didn't feel pressured to use the soft colors normally associated with a first birthday. The red, black, and white palette was fun, different, and completely perfect for him. And somehow, that tiny bow tie and all that hair made the entire look even better.

This is the second post in my first-birthday series. If you missed it, take a look at Sage's Winter Onederland. Next, I'm sharing Jax's gold-chain, hip-hop-inspired "Big One" birthday — and that one may have been the wildest theme of all.