Behind every successful event are hours of meticulous planning – from decor to menu to activities. The process for my “Adventure Awaits” baby shower was certainly no exception and I can’t wait to share how beautifully it all came together.
Shortly after finding out that we were pregnant, I couldn’t help but begin planning the baby shower. I knew I wanted it to be both elegant and fun and that creating a special and memorable event would be time consuming and require some difficult decisions. So, this post identifies and addresses each of the critical decisions for creating a truly beautiful baby shower.
Decision 1 | Theme: Adventure Awaits
The first of many decisions was the theme for the event. After a little research and pinteresting, I decided on “Adventure Awaits” as a nod to our diverse cultures, love for travel and of course our anticipation and excitement for the future. I found it to be particularly appealing from a decor perspective because of Bugsy’s love for history and antique maps and how those elements would lend itself to an overall refined look.
Custom Wooden Adventure Awaits Sign 
DIY Banner
Decision 2 | Venue: Scarpetta New York City
Finding a great space in New York City can be a daunting task due to both cost and availability, so I knew that locking down a special venue early was critical. Scarpetta New York City immediately came to mind because of its location (close to home and easily accessible to guests), floorplan (front bar allowing for a welcome reception and separate more formal dining room for the main event), decor (lush green accents and sleek furnishings) and food (yes, I needed their signature spaghetti on the menu). Because the restaurant does not serve brunch or lunch on Saturdays, I was able to book the entire space for the event, which perfectly accommodated our party of about 60 guests.
Scarpetta New York City 
Front Bar 
Lush Green Decor 
Elegant and Sleek Main Dining Room 
Decision 3 | Decor: World Travel and Adventure Elements Amidst Rustic Garden Florals and Muted Blues and Greens
To create a look that complemented both Scarpetta’s interiors and the Adventure Awaits theme, I opted for lush green florals with touches of white and baby blue. BKLYN Bloom florists executed my vision perfectly, from the table centerpieces to my chair garland to accents on both the welcome sign and cake. All paper elements – from invitation to menu to game cards to table numbers to favor tags – incorporated greenery and world/map motifts. For a rustic element, I stained and hand lettered all wooden signage, including the welcome sign. All other signage was custom ordered through Etsy or handmade from paper. To inject a bit of fun and color, I enlisted the help of Balloons to Go to create among other items, the perfect muted blue, green, gold and white balloon arch. Finally, as favors, we carried the travel theme with a compass wine topper and airplane bottle opener.
Subtle Blues & Greens 
DIY Signage 
Customized Escort Cards 
Vintage Maps & Eucalyptus Accents 
Adorned Menus 
Garden Florals 
Floral Accents & Balloon Decor 
Custom Balloon Banner 
Favors & DIY Decor 
DIY Pinwheels and Garden Florals 
Custom Cake & Cupcakes 
Custom Wood Signage 
DIY Signage with Eucalyptus Accent 
Admiring the Details
Decision 4 | Stationery: Etsy
Working very closely with a vendor on Etsy, I custom designed a digital invitation that incorporated all of my design themes – lush green florals and world maps, which we then expanded into a full suite, including game cards, menus, advice cards and thank you cards. I then printed my custom digital files on Simply to Impress (invitations and thank you cards) and Vistaprint (menus, game cards).
Custom Made Invitation 
Game Cards, Escort Cards & Menu 
Custom Menus Accented with Eucalyptus
Decision 5 | Menu
Every successful event requires a great menu offering and a baby shower should be no exception. We began the event with a welcome reception serving champagne, wine and cocktails in the front bar. A three-course lunch followed with a modern, elevated Italian menu, including Scarpetta’s signature spaghetti. Finally, for dessert, we went all out. Scarpetta made the most gorgeous three-tier lemon and vanilla celebration cake with gold foil accents, along with a few of their signature dessert items. Additionally, through the love and efforts of my Sis, Juliebean and best gal friends, there was an endless amount of decadent and gorgeously decorated baked goodies and candies for guests to enjoy at the shower or to bring home.
Lemon and Vanilla Cake by Scarpetta 
Homemade Cupcakes by Sis 
Custom Personalized Cookies 
Cakepops & Chocolate Covered Pretzels by Juliebean 
Sweets Table
Decision 6 | Personalization & Activities
I’m a firm believer that what makes an event memorable are the elements that make it personal and keep your guests engaged. It is easy to plan a beautiful event – florals, finances and good taste will generally get you there, but making it memorable requires a bit more effort and the investment and excitement of your guests. To inject a bit of our personalities into the event and to keep our guests interested, we created a photo guestbook with fun on theme photo props, a display of family and baby photos, and a roster of fun games to be played (including
Who Knows Mommy Best, which was hosted by Bugsy after his suprise arrival at the shower).
Photo Guestbook & Props 
The Kids Loved the Instax! 
Games for the Guests 
Baby Photos Display 
Bugsy Hosting Who Knows Mommy Best 
How Big is Mommy’s Belly? 
Mom & Dad-to-Be
Decision 7 | Event Photography: Joey Wang
For someone who cherishes photos as much as I do, I wanted to be sure that all of the special moments and elements of the day were professionally captured. Through a fellow blogger, I was introduced to Joey Wang and am so glad she was available to photograph the shower. Her body of work speaks for itself and the photos from the shower are absolutely gorgeous – intimate and documentary.
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