Party Recap
For our son's 1st birthday party we embraced the traditional Korean "dol", or 1st birthday party. Jack is 1/4 Korean and while at the party was dressed in his uncle's Korean "hanbok", the same outfit worn by his uncle 37 years prior. We were on a budget and hosted the party at our house, cooked all the food, and made all the decorations. I saw someone else's "doljabi board" (the board that outlines a tradition where the birthday boy picks an item to represent his future) and was inspired - I loved the design and copied it in Photoshop, then used that to design the rest of the party. We stuck with a blue and brown color theme, and incorporated Korean writing where possible. Over 40 adults and 15 kids showed up - our house was packed! But it was full of some of our best friends and it was such a treat to celebrate this big day for Jack.
Party Highlights
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Desserts
Ricecakes and cupcakes.
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Activities / Games
The traditional Korean "doljabi" where guests voted on Jack's future, and then he was dressed up in the Korean hanbok outfit and picked his fate in a ceremony.
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What People Ate
Everything from pastas to cheeses to ricecakes and cupcakes. There was a blend of Korean and American foods.
10 comments
Sarah I wrote:
so what did he pick during the doljabi?? :) :) I lived in Korea for four years and LOVE Korean traditions.
Marie P wrote:
It was so much fun! He was able to make 3 choices (I have no idea why he gets 3, my mom and aunts said he just does). He picked, in order, the computer mouse (tech whiz), maraca musician), and stethoscope (doctor). He touched the money but never picked it up, so he was just teasing us with that one. ;) So here's my story for it: in college he starts off as a Computer Science major. Then he meets some girl who thinks he should be a rock star so he dabbles in music for a summer. Then he dumps that girl and re-focuses back on his future and goes to medical school and becomes a doctor, making his mom and dad very proud!
Sarah I wrote:
love it! :)
Jane K wrote:
I love all the details of this party! I'm starting to plan one for my 9 month old. Can I ask you where you got the birthday invitation?
Marie P wrote:
Thank you, Jane! I ended up designing the invitation on my own via Photoshop Elements. I did borrow the idea from someone else's invite for another party that I had seen, so the original concept wasn't my own. I simply tweaked what they did and designed it myself. You are welcome to do the same!
Jane K wrote:
Thanks Marie! It's simple, elegant... it's just lovely! I may just have to do that! Thanks for sharing all the wonderful photos, it really gives all the other Mothers out there great ideas! I hope you had a relaxing Mother's Day weekend!
Karen D wrote:
I Love the way you customized everything. How did you do it?
Marie P wrote:
Thank you! I borrowed some of the pics of items from Googled images, and then did the rest in PhotoShop Elements.
Jon R wrote:
How did you acquire this hanbok?
Marie P wrote:
It was actually my brother's, so it has been passed down. This site may have some rentals or connections for you: http://www.littleseoulsparty.com/
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