Inside a Fabulous Berks Baby Shower Bash

A Baby Bash to Remember

Wanderlust. It might be the best word to describe the inspiration behind the theme for my daughter, Mia Russo’s, baby shower for her soon-to-be-son, Luca. Mia has always enjoyed airplane rides, cruising the Caribbean and trips to the beach. Welcoming a new baby stirs up emotions so similar to the excitement of traveling to a new place, anticipating the adventures that await us.

Designing the Big Event.

To bring the travel theme to life, I began where many creatives go for inspiration: Pinterest. Using keywords, I was able to narrow my search and begin to curate my vision. A recurring theme I saw for travel-inspired baby showers was the use of globes. Some used them in a modern way, some in a more rustic way and some went vintage. Ah vintage, now that’s more my style! I decided that globes would be the main focus, paired with vintage books, suitcases, model airplanes, as well as accents of wood & burlap.

Tip: Consider – who is the party for? What do they love? Hone in on a theme and then use a couple of objects that complement it!

Money is Always an Issue.

As with any event, it is important to set a budget for decorations, food and your venue rental. For the venue, we wanted a simple-yet-fun menu, an ideal location for attendees, and an accessible entrance for those with disabilities. After looking at 3-4 places, one checked all the boxes: the beautifully remodeled Building 24 Kitchen and Bar in Wyomissing. With its lightly stained wooden shiplap, steel beams and history in Berks County, it made perfect sense to utilize their facility. It would match our vintage travel theme, fit our budget and accommodate our needs.

Coleen Newell, Building 24’s event coordinator, was helpful and excited to be a part of the celebration. I was able to come into the space and capture some images to get a feel for the ambiance and layout where we’d be hosting and entertaining our 50-person guest list. We settled on a brunch-style offering along with a dessert bar.

Decorations were sourced from my local Goodwill, Hobby Lobby, Ross, on Facebook Marketplace, Marshalls and Amazon. There were some items that were unavailable at stores and local shop owners were able to help with those. We found beautiful vintage suitcases at consignment store Nothing’s New in Shillington, and some were loaned by Brenda Huey of AAA Reading-Berks travel.

As a photographer and graphic designer, I could make all the signs for the shower; however, time is a precious commodity, as a time saver, I decided to utilize what Etsy had to offer. Voilà! Tons of on-theme templates that are easily editable and at an affordable price point. These signs are an integral part of the event. They give instruction and add to the whimsy of the day! The entrance sign gives the room direction; the guest “Baggage Check-in” allows attendees the chance to sign the glass globe with well wishes for the baby, and as a thank you at the end of the event, the “Baggage Claim” is where guests picked up their travel take-home gift.

Most handmade elements were curated from finds at the Dollar Tree. If you haven’t looked lately, they have a fantastic craft section. I was able to purchase burlap banners, craft paper, fabric squares, markers to write on glass and so much more! These handmade elements were a labor of love and no doubt added to the look!

Tip: Don’t discount your local discount stores! You can discover great finds at thrift shops, consignment stores and at bargain-brand department stores, too.

A Little Help from Friends.

Part of bringing the travel theme vision to life included creating sketches of the dessert bar and tablescapes. This provided a visual aid to determine what, if anything, was needed to complete the design. It also allowed me to share the vision with my vendors. When you are designing an event, it’s important that you delegate where you can. I take an “all hands on deck” approach. Even my son helped to make the paper airplanes suspended in the balloon arch.

I enjoyed partnering with local vendors including Unforgettable Events, Le Petit Macaron Shop, Boards & Bougie, Dutch Maid Bakery and Sweet Street Desserts made for the perfect dessert bar. Cupcakes, cake pops, chocolate-covered pretzel sticks and a cake with a “Welcome Baby Luca” custom-made topper from Etsy were, forgive the pun, the icing on the cake!

Celebrating Mia, Caleb & Baby Luca meant family and friends could take a little trip with us as we all enjoyed the ambiance, the brunch and the sweet ending to a beautiful shower. We could all agree that wanderlust and babies bring out the best in us!

Tip: Attending a shower but don’t know what to bring? There’s likely a registry for that. New parents are big on making lists of what they think they may want or need for the new little one. Purchasing from the registry is thoughtful and helpful!