Hannah’s Teddy Bear Picnic

This sweet teddy bear picnic could be my favorite party I’ve ever done. It was the girliest, sweetest, dreamiest, most perfect little party for our two year old. Hannah is the sweet and cuddly baby of the family, and this party could not have been more fitting for her.

We had her party in my parents’ backyard. My vision for this party was a literal teddy bear picnic. I wanted vintage teddy bears and baskets scattered around and a long picnic table. Southern Sleepovers Alabama provided the picnic setup and teepee and The Modern House Huntsville provided the white bounce house. Both were a dream to work with. I’ve worked with Southern Sleepovers in the past, and she is just the best (see Raley’s Rapunzel sleepover for more of her work).

I spent months scouring antique shops and thrift stores for picnic baskets and vintage looking teddy bears for this party. It really was so much fun to prepare for this. I ended up having more baskets than I actually needed, but you can never have too many teddy bears.

Since the party was in the backyard, I wanted to create a pathway that made it obvious that guests were to come around back, not to the front door. So I set up a sign with balloons, then created a walk way using hay bales and signs with the lyrics to the “Teddy Bear Picnic” song, and arranged baskets and bears on each one.

For the picnic table setup, I did simple mason jars with baby’s breath, country roses, and eucalyptus (all from Trader Joe’s) and classic kids books tied together with fabric. My mom had some old Little Bear books from when my siblings and I were kids. They were perfect for our Little Bear’s party.

The bear plates and napkins were from Meri Meri and the pink and white scalloped plates underneath are from My Mind’s Eye

For food, instead of doing a whole food table, I decided to make little goodie bags for each of the kids. In each bag was some teddy bear trail mix, applesauce, a cup of grapes, a bear shaped oatmeal cookie, and a juice box. I love this option if you are having an outdoor party and don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up a whole separate table for food.

For dessert we had cake from Suzanne’s bakery. The cake topper was a digital file from Bloss and Bee on Etsy. I stuck some extra plates, napkins, and forks in a little basket next to the cake. I think this little spot turned out adorable.

For the adults, I made little charcuterie cups and oatmeal bear cookies.

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For drinks, I transformed our white lemonade stand into a more rustic looking drink stand and attached a chalkboard sign at the top. Can you tell that it’s made out of bulletin board paper?

I love the white bounce houses! The Modern House Huntsville was so great to work with. They brought the house early that morning and came to pick it up (in the rain) the next day. With the house, they brought a rug to go in front, the sign with the rules on it, and a basket for shoes. My parents got Hannah this pink Minnidip inflatable pool, which doubles as a ball pit. It was great for the little ones to play in!

Our friend Kelley (Kelley Whitworth Photography) came to snap some pictures of Hannah before the party. It seems like the little ones always know something is different at birthday parties, and they don’t quite know what to do or how to act. She wasn’t quite herself that day, I think because there was just so much going on. She typically is very photogenic, but wasn’t having the pictures that day – she was constantly on the move. Kelley was still able to snap some good ones though!

Our little bear had a fun second birthday! , After the party was over (and a nap), we were finally able to get some pictures with her (deflating the bounce house helped with that.) We are thankful for all our friends and family who came to celebrate with us.

Hannah’s romper: Bodoke Kids
Hannah’s bear ears: Amazon
Hannah’s socks: Amazon
Picnic setup and teepee: Southern Sleepovers Alabama
Bounce House: The Modern House Huntsville
Cake: Suzanne’s Bakery
Bear plates and napkins: Meri Meri
Pink and white scalloped plates: My Mind’s Eye
Flowers: Trader Joe’s

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Hannah’s Alice in Wonderland 1st Birthday
Raley’s Rapunzel Birthday Party with Southern Sleepovers
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Audrey’s Neverland Birthday Party