My best childhood friend Inga was about to have her first baby, and I was beyond excited for her! We both grew up in the quaint Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth, Washington, just two hours east of Seattle. Growing up, we did everything together - from riding our bikes down to the city pool together for a day of swimming, to zipping around her family’s orchard on their Honda Trail 90, to countless sleepovers, makeovers, & hour-long conversations on the phone. Inga is a true gem of a friend, one who is always doing so much for everyone else, so I jumped at the chance to design and help throw a baby shower for her!
Inga and her husband, Benji, are both of German descent and had agreed on the name Jaeger for their baby boy. I loved how they pulled in their German heritage, and decided that a Bavarian-themed shower seemed fitting for this joyous occasion. With just under a month to plan, Inga’s older sister, Josie, and I got to work on it right away.
Josie designed the baby shower invites with a blue-and-white diamond pattern, like the one often seen on an Oktoberfest flag, and we decided to use that same pattern throughout the party, as the colors were fitting for a boy. Right away Josie and I both agreed that we should host the event at their mother Siegi’s house, as she lives in a beautiful custom-build European-style home; it was the perfect backdrop for the theme. The rest of the planning fell into place rather quickly, since the theme easily helped pave the way for the rest of the details.
Friends and family gathered together on a warm autumn afternoon for a lunch celebration.
On the menu were a variety of German beers, delicious bratwurst, hot salted pretzels, and a German potato salad made by Inga’s grandmother, Antje. On the table below the hanging pretzels were a variety of local mustards, as well as a delicious beer cheese.
My favorite addition to the food table was the traditional Oktoberfest Harvest Bell. Made entirely out of wheat, this large 2’ x 3’ ornate bell was originally used as decor on a wooden wagon pulled by draft horses that Siegi and her husband, Jim, operate in the local Oktoberfest parade. It was now the focal point hanging above the food table - one that everyone admired.
The guest tables were set using Siegi’s beautiful European china featuring a delicate blue floral pattern.
We used almost all of the items Siegi had on hand for the decor, and they truly couldn’t have fit the theme better! White birch rounds lined the center of each table, and we placed candles and old amber bottles filled with wheat atop each round. We tied each bottle with ribbon Siegi had brought back from a visit to Germany. It felt so sweet to use the grandma-to-be’s personal items for the party.
Probably one of my most favorite item of Siegi’s that we used for decoration was the child-size lederhosen. I can just imagine little Jaeger in it, walking in the local Autumn Leaf parade with his grandma!
When possible, I love to add handmade elements to any of the celebrations I design because it adds such a personal, special touch. For this baby shower, I sewed the tan linen napkins and blue table runners. Using card-stock that matched the runners, I made darling drink flags announcing, “It’s a boy!”. The pretzel stand was made by my husband out of copper piping and salvaged wood.
I sewed two canvas banners: on one Josie beautifully wrote out “Prost” to hang above the bar, and Jaeger’s initials were added to the other banner. This sweet banner made for a great photo prop and also as a special keepsake for Jaeger’s bedroom.
Last but not least, I made “Wishes for Baby Jaeger” cards for each guest to fill out, which kept the guests entertained and offered wonderful advice.
It turned out to be a wonderful celebration for my dear friend, one with lots of handmade elements, traditional German dishes made by family, and lots of love for sweet baby Jaeger!
All calligraphy, chalk cart, and the designs on the canvas banners were done by Josie, of Chalk Chic Mama.