Excited to get to plan more boyish parties, Shawna Rioux of Effervescent Occasions dreamed up this Smashing Construction First Birthday Party just as soon as her little boy was born. Construction parties are all about gettin’ down and dirty — and this little birthday boy did exactly that! On top of a giant tire and wearing the cutest knit hard hat & suspenders, Brady tore into his orange pylon cone smash cake with the fervor of a bulldozer! Way to go little man! ;)

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Dump truck party invitation, road sign first year photo banner+  a wheelbarrow birthday present container
• Orange pylon smash cake + an amazing hard hat topped industrial style cake with road signs & tire bottom layer
• Refueling station drinks table with black & yellow striped paper straws + gas pump juice boxes
• Snow covered tire powdered donuts, hard hat, pylon & tire cake pops + construction truck & tool cookies

PARTY DETAILS as told by Shawna…

When I gave birth to my son, I was so excited to now be able to plan boy themed parties. I knew from the minute I started thinking about his first birthday that I wanted it to be a construction theme. I had so much fun planning this party and the vendors were so supportive and easy to work with. It amazes me how much support I receive from my family and friends when I get knee deep in planning my parties. My husband is always there to help with suggestions and selections and my dad is my builder. The tool boxes and “Road Closed” signs were a definite match made in heaven for my son’s 1st birthday and custom made by Pa-Pa.

The morning of the party our house was full. My siblings were all helping out and my parents were making sure my little ones were looked after. Friends came over early to help set up and it was really a team effort putting all these details together. My son is so loved and the amount of effort and work that went into this party just shows just how many people adore him. I spent a lot of time on the invitations and with the help of one of my close friends who enjoys crafting just as much as I do, we pulled it off. The banners used throughout the party were also done by yours truly and my favourite one of all was his milestone hangers. To be able to show off the changes he has made over the past year was not only special to me but also to all those who have watched him grow the past 12 months.

Vendors from all over came on board and without their help this party would not have been as amazing as it was. The major part of this party was the photography and I always use the same photographer as his work is always out of this world. Matthew Clemente has such an attention to detail and knows exactly how to capture it all. When I look at the photos I know that without the donation of the large tractor tire the cake smash pictures would not have been as amazing as they were. The cake smash cake was beyond amazing and oh so yummy. We had held off giving my son icing until the big day so we could really capture “His First Cake!” He was so focused on the cake he wouldn’t even smile for us.

The cake smash outfit was put together by two vendors (1 for suspenders and 1 for tie and bloomers). The set was the main detail for the photos and he looked so darn cute as you can see. After the cake smash, we took him straight to the bath and then once clean wrapped him in his super soft and adorable custom towel. What a special touch to see my smiling little man wrapped up in cuteness!

The printables from the party were all custom designed for the party and Heather did an amazing job on them. She was super amazing to work with and was there whenever I ran into printing issues. The food table would not have been complete without the small details like the pylon salt and pepper shakers and pallet coasters. The kid’s obvious favourites were the cookies and cake pops which were a great addition to our party. However, I must mention the cake! Oh, the cake!! It was stunning and more than I could have ever asked for. The Cake Whisperer really amazed us with her talent and hard work she put into this cake. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for perfection!

Details such as the crocheted and cotton tools, hats, and boots were just too precious to leave out and I had to dress both kids up for the party. The matching shirts that were made for Brady and Riah were pure perfection and something they will wear again!! My daughter who is a princess at heart was decked to the nines in her matching construction headband and necklace. We made this construction theme fit for a princess! Elastic Snap belts, crayon roll ups and bibs were handed out to the children in their tool boxes as favours and everyone adored the work that went into all three products. I was truly blessed to find such great Etsy vendors to work with and I would ask for all their help again if I needed it.

After the party started winding down and the presents were open it was time for our birthday boy to take a nap. With his custom minky construction blanket and wall letters above his crib he was tucked into his bed and he quickly fell asleep. This party was more than any mom could ask for for her children and although I designed it all, there were a lot of people involved in the success of this party. I really hope other moms will take a look at our sponsors’ sites and order their products for their next parties. You truly will not be disappointed with any one of the businesses who worked on this party!!