Marley’s First Bee Day | Semi- DIY Party Idea

I can’t believe we just celebrated our daughter Marley’s First Bee Day and let me tell you..we had a blast. We were blessed enough to have her first bee day party at our church because that was the only big enough place and inside. Because you know, Florida summers are HOT! We were also on a tight budget and wanted to focus more on food and special decor touches. This semi DIY bee day party idea is doable and affordable. 

Related: Marley’s Birth Story, A Letter To My Daughter

Bee Themed Party Food

Let’s talk food! We originally wanted to do bar-BEE-que, with all the southern favorites but that would have cost us nearly $700 which is insane for a one-year-old birthday party. We opted for Publix subs, chicken tenders, and potato salad. Simple, affordable, and definitely summer vibes which is what we wanted. And of course tea, and lemonade.

DIY Bee Day Party Desserts

To stay on theme, I set out some honeycomb which one box made about 24 cups ¾ a cup full. The kids loved them! I also set out Oreos to resemble bees and got some Bit O’Honey Candies which the kids also loved!

I prepared the mini honey bee cakes, Marley’s bee day smash cake, and an extra Bundt cake myself to keep things under budget. For Marley’s smash cake, I used 2 four 4 inch round pans. Everyone was raving about the mini Bundt cakes and kept asking where they were from. The recipe was from the back of a boxed cake topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze. I used 3 boxes which made about 60 mini Bundt cakes. Not to mention, this 20 cavity mini Bundt pan was a life and time saver!

If you’re up for the challenge, prepare the sweet stuff yourself and they’ll never know the difference.

First Bee Day Party Decorations 

On to the good stuff! We did black tablecloths over the main tables and yellow tablecloths over the food table. I was able to find and add a 2 strand of sunflower garland and line the side of the food table. I placed about 4-5 sunflower heads on each table as a centerpiece. Over the dessert table was a through the months banner, that everyone couldn’t stop talking about. One of my professional photographer’s friends recommended an online photo printing site that quality and service are superb. I ordered my prints on Friday and my order was shipped Tuesday! Then added them to the banner. I also lined her highchair with a cute bee themed highchair banner.

One of my favorite things about the party was the customized bee-themed buffet tent cards made with my Cricut. I loved the additional bee-themed decor to give it more buzz. I’m also super proud of how Marley’s bee day cake topper came out which was made with my Cricut Explore Air 2. It only took me two days to get it perfect, but it was such a special touch. 

DIY Bee Day Party Favors

Last but not least were are the favors. What better way to keep the bee theme going than with what bees like the most, sunflowers and honey. I filled small empty jars with honey which came with small spoons for spreading. Next, I filled probably ½ cup of sunflowers into cellophane bags and wrapped them with twine. I plopped a sticker I made with my Cricut Explore Air 2 on top of each jar and bag. Also simple sweet touch for letting our guests know how much we appreciate them bee-ing there. 

Happy First Bee Day

This first bee day birthday party was super affordable and everyone was absolutely smitten with how everything looked. I almost felt like I shouldn’t take credit but it was just so darn easy. Overall, I’m well pleased with the way everything came out. And most importantly, we had such a great time filled with family and love!