My daughter turned six years old last week and she wanted to have a Mary Poppins Tea Party. She has been obsessed with the movie and the Mary Poppins costume she received for Christmas. Listening to the two children wander the house singing “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” the last few weeks has been my favourite.
We always have so much fun planning, decorating and baking for their birthday parties. There are so many memories made throughout the course of all of the preparation, and since they pick the themes for their parties themselves, they really reflect who the children are at this precise age. All of this means that capturing photos of them, the details and their party are all very important to me.
For the first few years of party throwing I would be madly putting the final details and food together until the last second and then carry around my camera for the rest, so preoccupied with trying to capture the perfect photos and moments that I never had time to enjoy the party, my child, and our guests. It wasn’t ideal.
One year I had finally had enough and just wanted to be present with my child at their party. This ended with me tucking my camera away and not capturing a single image of Georgia’s adorable Madeline obsession/party, or her in her little costume I’d made for. By sheer luck I took one image of her the next day, but that’s all I have.
It was a tough lesson to learn, one that fills me with as much regret as being behind the camera and distracted did, but at least now I know: Photos and the power they give me to remember these special moments are just as important to me as being present in my life and participating in the memory making.
I’ve learned how to balance these two important things, and I want to share with you how I record the memories as I make them, specifically with children’s parties.
HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR CHILD’S PARTY AND BE PRESENT
1. Prepare Ahead of Time
I know it’s not always easy, but try to have absolutely everything completed and set up at least an hour before the party. This is a great strategy to have extra time to photograph, but also to feel calm and ready to welcome your guests. It’s a game changer!
2. Photograph Your Child Ahead of Time
With those few extra moments before guests arrive and your child all dressed and ready for the party, take photos of them with all the details around the party.
The two most important things for me to capture are my child with their birthday cake, in front of any backdrop I may have created, and either in front of a number that displays their age (I love both balloons and 3D cardboard numbers) or holding their fingers up to show how old they are. Since I don’t have text on the pages of my photo books, this picture is important to me so we can easily look back and remember what age they were.
It’s also important to let their little personality shine through in these images instead of forcing them to smile and look at the camera if that’s unnatural to them. The whole point is to remember exactly what they were like at this age, so let them be themselves and you’ll treasure these photos forever.
3. Capture the Feeling of the Day
Since you already have most of the important photographs taken by the time that guests arrive, because the photos of your child on their birthday are the most important, you can enjoy visiting with everyone with peace of mind. I keep my camera in a handy spot so I can grab it when there’s something I want to capture that will really tell the story of the party and the feeling of the day, and otherwise I forget about it.
I’ll outline a short list of what I usually try to capture to accurately tell the story of the day, but the trick to remember with these images during the party is to only take a few photographs until you know there is one good one of that particular moment, then put the camera down and continue to enjoy yourself by being present. All you need is one good picture of each important moment, and that’s all. Aim for quality over quantity, then put the camera down and walk away. Here’s what I typically try to capture a few photos of during the party:
Party games
My child enjoying their guests
A group photo with their friends
Everyone singing Happy Birthday
Blowing out the birthday candles
Their expression when they open an exciting gift (it’s not about the gifts in this scenario, it’s about remembering how they expressed excitement, so one good photo of the entire present opening is more than enough to tell the story).
As a day-dreamer by nature, being present and living in the moment is something that I have to be very intentional about and work at consistently. Nothing brings me more joy or fulfillment than doing this and really living in the now, especially with my children who grow far too fast. I hope this post helps you to find yourself being more present for the big moments while also capturing enough photos to help you look back on these times once your child is grown. Memories of present moments are truly a gift.
Party Sources
Balloon Garland - From the lovely Laura Dunford
Vanilla Cake and Icing Recipe - Sugar Geek Show
English Scone Recipe - Fifteen Spatulas
Paper Tea Cups & Saucers - Amazon
Paper Plates, 9 inch - Amazon
Mary Poppins Paper Dolls - Etsy Download
Cupcakes - Crave Cupcakes
Cream Puffs, Eclairs, Pink Rolled Cookes - Superstore
Tablecloth - Gathre
Mary Poppins Costume - Disney Store
Forever Nuts Tea - David’s Tea
Games we played
Musical Turtles
Pin the Bowtie on the Penguin
Spoonful of Sugar Race
Tea Party Menu
Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Cucumber Sandwiches
Turkey and Pesto Sandwiches
English Scones with Cream, Jam and Strawberries
Miniature Cupcakes
Miniature Eclairs
Cream Puffs
Lemon Tarts
Strawberry Wafer Cookies
Tea & Lemonade