A Dog-Gone Cute Boy's Puppy First Birthday Party

If people were like pups that enthusiastically bark over something really exciting, there’d be a whole lot of barking going on over this darling boy’s puppy themed first birthday party!

This “paw-ty” was such a delightful idea, chosen by the guest of honor’s mom because of his love of puppies.

Planned by Kamille Martin and Michelle Betts of BettsMade and photographed by Katie Norrid Photography, you’ll fall in love with the preppy aqua and brown decorations, adorable puppy inspired treats, birthday cake and activities.

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Hosting the party mid-morning at Greystone Stables allowed for a simpler menu as most guests weren’t quite ready for a big meal and there was plenty of space for lots of wiggling.

Guests were welcomed to the venue with a witty sign: “Come. Sit. Stay”.

Inside, a sawhorse style dessert table was set up with colorful décor in pops of white, aqua and brown.

A few of the notable embellishments include the tassel garland festively hanging from the table front, a darling “pawty” banner strung on the wall overhead, an oversized, wooden bone propped up on the tabletop, and the cluster of color-coordinating balloons.

I love the focal point of the table created from a fabric covered board with the guest of honor’s name—ART—in big, bold letters. Don’t you love how pom balls were used to create fun polka dots?

And of course, the darling framed photo of Art beneath it was the perfect way to pay tribute to the little man of the hour.

Refreshments included a sweet doghouse cake and cupcakes embellished with super-cute fondant bones and paw prints, both by Barb’s Bakery.

I love how the cupcakes were served in a 3-tiered tin stand. It reminds me of metal dog dishes, with metallic brown tinsel added for festiveness.

Michelle’s Cookies whipped up perfectly sweet-looking sugar cookies in puppy, bone and paw print shapes.

I bet guests couldn’t wait to bite into those! Donut holes completed the dessert table offerings.

Coordinating plates, napkins, cups and striped paper straws added a punch of color to the table.

Nearby, a fun chalkboard style print highlighted some important facts about Art’s first year—such a great way to memorialize important details.

A separate beverage station served hot chocolate and water. Notice the mini marshmallows displayed in a metal dog bowl—ha!

And of course, sprinkles for the hot chocolate were in the party colors.

When it was chow time, little guests had a seating area designed just for them. Kidlet sized chairs were fastened to a table readied with individual dog dishes and chocolate milk boxes.

The DIY centerpieces with puppy themed picks, in vases filled with color-coordinating pom pom balls, look quite fetching!

The guest of honor’s high chair was decked out in the cutest bunting, with paper lanterns hanging all around.

The well-planned activities were…spot on…for this age group. There were several stations to keep little ones busy and well entertained. I love the dog bone signage, marking each area.

First, there was a dog adoption station. Here, each guest got to choose a stuffed dog. There were cute chevron boxes for toting around the pups, and adoption certificates to make pet ownership official.

Next, there was a grooming station. At this station, guests were able to brush their dog’s hair and give it a pretend bath. Then, at the tag station, the children chose a collar for their new dog and made a dog tag for him or her.

At the fetch station, balls and bones were available so kids could play fetch with their new puppies.

And last was the doghouse. A kid-sized doghouse, complete with a large dog bowl, was the perfect photo op for capturing a picture of each guest with their new puppy. How fun is that?