The jury is hung, in the case of the first birthday party: beautiful ritual, or waste of money and time?
According to the ABC, a ‘no expenses spared’ birthday party for a one-year-old is likely to cost somewhere in the $500-$1000 range. Which sounds like far too much, considering half of the guests can barely eat solids. When you break individual costs down, however, it’s easy to reach that figure pretty quickly.
Custom-designed cake: $150 – $300
Kids’ food: $75 – $100
Adult’s food: $150 – $200
Balloons and decorations: $100 – $150
Children’s entertainer: $200 – $250
Total: $600 – 1000
The bill racks up fast. And that doesn’t even include alcohol, which a lot of families like to include in the celebrations. Or a venue fee.
Gone are the days of the humble Woolies Cake. Birthday cakes are handmade and custom designed with finesse and forethought, a centrepiece for the occasion. Caterers are called in. Magicians are booked. Photographers are hired.
All for a little recipient who will never remember the day.
Listen: Do you really need to put all the effort and money into a first birthday party? Holly Wainwright and Christie Hayes speak to a Mum who has just thrown one, on our podcast for brand new parents. Post continues after audio…
Saengtip Kirk, mother of one-year-old Hugo, has just traversed the ‘First Birthday Party’, and emerged on the other side. Unscathed.
As she tells Holly Wainwright and Christie Hayes on Mamamia‘s Year One podcast, “I booked a little spot in the park… a really nice secluded little spot that didn’t have a lot of wind.
Top Comments
About to celebrate my second child's first birthday in South Korea. Here 1st birthday is traditionally a significant event and one of the traditions is that the baby will choose an object that 'predicts' their future (eg stethoscope for doctor, pen for scholar etc) we will have 50+ guests, a buffet, a photoshoot, a special table display with fruit and cakes, but all the guests bring a gift of money which will cover the outlay likely with a bit over to put in our son's bank account. In return we take money gifts when friends marry or their babies turn one, etc. I think it works out nicely.
Woolies cake? I don't know anyone who ever had a supermarket cake Australia a kids birthday. It was always a cake from the women's weekly cake book.