So let’s start at the beginning: Invitations. Every perfectly planned party needs to start with a show-stopping invite. Did you know that all of our wedding invitations on our online store can also be adapted for a birthday? Just pop us a comment when ordering your invitations that you would like it for a birthday. See our whole range of invitations here. We also have a range of cute themed kiddies invites – whether you are throwing your little one a pizza party or a Coco Chanel soiree then don’t fret we have you covered! If you have something special in mind and can’t see what you are looking for on our online store then please email us at info@secretdiary.co.za for us to design an invitation as unique as you are. For us, the sky is the limit and we would certainly love to assist you with any of your ideas, no matter how crazy they are!

So now that you have the invites done and dusted it’s time to think about party decor. Don’t you dare bring out that cheesy card shop happy birthday signage, rather have us custom make you personalised bunting and banners. We have a wide range of decor items on our online store from quirky cupcake toppers, themed napkins and personalised cake boxes to foil balloons, funky straws and pretty pom poms. Enquire with us for any further paper decor items, we would love to whip something up for you.

Oh no, the party is almost over – it’s a fun idea to give your guests a party bag to continue the party at home. We make custom gift bags and boxes – from fancy personalised screen printed tote bags to quirky themed boxes. We even can fill them with goodies for you with customised gifts and snacks. Chat to us about suggesting some awesome goodie bag fillers unique for you.

Boho Flair ‘Happy Birthday’ Cake Topper

Little Safari Explorer

Little Builder

Princess Party Tote Bag

Nowadays it has become a popular event worldwide for expecting parents. Guys are also getting involved in the fun by throwing ‘nappy parties’ for the dad-to-be (however these usually include a braai and lots of beer!). More than the showering of gifts, it has become a celebration of impending parenthood, with experienced friends and family members sharing advice, lots of cake and silly games.

So who should throw the shower? Well anyone but the guest of honour, all she has to do is to wear her harmony pregnancy necklace and accept as many thoughtful gifts as possible! Usually a close family member or friend. So we’ve put together a simple 5-step guide to help the lucky planner in this task:

1. Choose a location, a date and a theme. First, you need to decide where the baby shower is to be held, whether in a cafe or restaurant, a picnic in the park or just at home. It is generally a good idea to check the date with the mama-to-be to make sure they are available (unless of course you are throwing a surprise shower, in which you should ask their partner or someone close to them).

When looking at themes, the internet has tons of inspiration for unique and special baby shower themes. However here are a few of our favourites to get you inspired:

Cat’s Cradle – for the cat lover out there. Cute little jars of milk, balls of yarn and baby cradles! The rest of the photos can be found here.

Go, baby go! – a fun theme for a baby boy, with cars, trains and planes. A lovely shower in this theme can be found below and the rest of the pictures here.

Laduree Paris – A more classy theme, with a Parisian twist for the elegant mom-to-be. This stunning baby shower can be found here for loads of inspiration.

Welcome to the world – A travel inspired baby shower with vintage suitcases, luggage tags and globes to celebrate the precious cargo that is on his/her way! Full post found here.

She’s going to Pop – Andy Warhol Pop Art shower for the bold, bright, fun mom. Some great ideas can be found here.

2. Invitations, invitations, invitations. It’s time to invite the guests. It is always a good idea to check with the mom-to-be who she wants to invite to her baby shower, just in case someone who she really wants to be there gets missed off the list. You can start thinking about the wording, you need to include:

– Who

– What

– Where (if it is at someone’s house then include the address too)

– When (date and time)

– RSVP date and contact person

– Ask your mom-to-be if she has registered for a gift registry and include these details in the invitation.

The best way to invite guests is with good ole’ fashioned printed invitations. Make sure to pick an invitation in your chosen theme to set the tone for the event. Printed invitations should be sent out 3 weeks in advance to the shower, to give guests plenty of notice. If there are time or budget restrictions for the event then an e-vite will also suffice. We have a selection of baby shower invitations on our online store or if you have a specific theme or invitation in mind then we would love to custom design something for you. Here are few of our favourites that we have done previously:

3. Choose the food and drinks. Finger foods are always popular and do not need much on-the-spot preparation. Cold tartlets, pizza slices and mini pies are winners; fill up space with fruit platters, chips and little bowls of popcorn. A centrepiece for the food should be the cake table, which can be styled with cupcakes and other sweet treats. Don’t forget to style the food with flags, cupcake toppers, glass toppers, custom swizzle sticks, banners and tags and bring in elements of the theme. This is a cost effective and fun way to bring some decor themed elements to the party.

4. Let’s play a game. What would a baby shower be without some silly fun and games? Of course, they are not everyone’s cup of tea but they do break the ice. Plan ahead and choose a few games and activities to break the ice and keep guests entertained. We have tried to find a few fun game and activity ideas from around the internet and found these and these for your inspiration.

5. Last details. Check you have enough crockery, glassware and chairs. Hire some if need be or ask around to borrow from friends. Start thinking about floral arrangements, hiring decor items and music playlists. Leave the paper decor and gift favours up to us. We can design custom banners, bunting, gift boxes and bags, signage, tags and much more. Enquire with us and let us know your requirements and we would try our best to fit them! We have a few ready to order pieces on our website but the best way would be to go custom for the stationery so we can best fit your theme.

Quick tip: Don’t forget to thank guests for coming. A digital thank you card is a perfect way to do so which we can design in your theme.

Planning a baby shower shouldn’t leave you feeling stressed-out and flustered. We hope these simple steps help you wrap up the details so that you can focus on sharing the special day with your guest of honour!

Still need to sort out your stationery? Get in touch here!

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to a few very special people in my life: To our amazing studio manager Vinette who took care of our first and our awesome Secret Diary team for the insane amount of work they put into this awe inspiring event and all the beautiful stationery they created. As well as my super Mom for all her hard work with the catering and drinks as well as general input for the whole event. Then to Nico Laubser from N Styling and Events for the beautiful furniture he so graciously loaned us for the day, as well as the lovely flowers he arranged for the tables. Nico, your talents with flowers and decor always supersede all my expectations! And last but not least,to precious Maggie from Edible Art for my amazing nautical themed cake which was both a work of art and delicious down to the last bite! To all of you THANK YOU a million times over! It was an unforgettable day I wont soon forget!