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Your New Baby Has Arrived! Celebrate With a Sip and See Party

Introduce your bundle of joy with these ideas. Plus, tips for success

Published on: May 16, 2016

Sip and see parties are all the rage. Never heard of them? Typically hosted two to eight weeks after baby's arrival home, this Southern tradition is a low-key party or open house that gives family and friends an opportunity to meet baby. They're ideal for when this baby wasn't your first so you may not have had a shower.

These get-togethers are also a great way for parents to show off their new wonder without having to host guests for an extended period of time. Plus, the focus is squarely on baby (let's be honest, that's who everyone wants to see anyway). 

While you can certainly go all out, keeping things simple can be best — you've got a newborn after all! Serve champagne or an easy cocktail along with some light snacks. Then mingle with guests and give them time to say their proper hellos to the little one. Keep the flow like an open house, with guests coming and going as they please during the allocated time period.

Just as with baby showers, there are millions of sip and see themes and ideas. Click through for a few of our favorites.


Photo credit: Party Box Design

Baby brunch

Party Box Design offers some inexpensive ideas for great party food. Schedule the party during brunch and serve up a cereal bar with bottles of milk. Grab some fresh bagels from the store along with different flavors of cream cheese. Serve mimosas with extra bubbly champagne.


Photo credit: Playground Parkbench

Sip and see spread

Playground Parkbench also supports the brunch sip and see theme. The egg strata can be made the night before to really make things simple day of. Add a fruit platter paired with a simple sangria or cocktail for extra deliciousness.


 

Photo credit: The Cake Blog

Bottoms up!

The Cake Blog's "milkaholic" theme is a modern, sophisticated and playful take on a sip and see (emphasis on the "sip"). Guests wrote messages on diapers to keep the fun going long after the party. ended.


Photo credit: Celebrations at Home

"I mustache you to attend our sip and see party..."

Celebrations at Home threw a delightful mustache-themed sip and see for a friend — yes, mustache-themed. A particularly cute touch:  the doughnut holes, skewered and placed on top of milk shots. The whimsical garlands and flagged straws lent levity to the celebrations, too.


Photo credit: Party Patisserie

Sweet sips and sees

Party Patisserie’s sweet tulle covered balloons add a soft touch to any sip and see. The site's easily tutorial walks you through the steps for this great decoration. Jars filled with layers of pudding and topped with whipped cream are also perfect for any gathering. Add wooden spoons for an extra DIY touch.


Photo credit: Fawn Over Baby

Book time with baby

Fawn Over Baby gave the always-popular book theme a spin with this vintage take. Handmade pinwheels decorated the event while a stack of wrapped book displayed the day's menu. Throw your own story book party and ask guests to bring books for the baby with a special message inscribed. 


Photo credit: Fawn Over Baby

Additional sip and see tips: 

  • Display pictures from the first few weeks of the parents, baby and any other awe-worthy additions.
  • Set up a well-wishes station with notecards and pens so guests can leave sweet notes for the baby and/or dispense parenting advice.
  • Create a DIY bar so guests can serve themselves while the hosts mingle.
  • Keep your camera nearby to capture photos of everyone with the guest of honor.

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