First birthday?

How big is big? Well, most 1-year-olds aren't happy about a huge party with 50 people all wanting to hug them and all the noise and stimulation that comes with it.

I celebrated "big" with my immediate family and my best friend (parents, in-laws, my husband's brother with his family, my two brothers, and my sister with her family). We had a nice big cake with her name on it and a single candle. I just stuck to her usual sleep routine. So even though the room was full, she still went to bed as usual. That's why I kept it at home. The party was during the day on a weekend so everyone could come. We had a really nice day. No themes or activities, this was enough for her. I'd only do themes and activities when she's a bit older and has a kids' party with her school friends.

The costs were for streamers, balloons, and a cake for about 15 people. So the costs were manageable.

My friend's little girl just turned 1. They celebrated at home from the afternoon onwards. There were quite a few people, but she really has a big family.
They had cakes and snacks. And in the evening you could keep eating fries.
The baby went to sleep at her usual time as well.
I don't know about the costs. But you can make snacks and cake as expensive as you want

Celebrated big here 2 months ago.
Nijntje theme, everything Nijntje:
Signs, flags, tablecloths, cups, balloons, big birthday sign in the garden, just like a birth announcement. Nijntje napkins, Nijntje party bags, Nijntje cookies, Nijntje gifts. Phew, so much Nijntje! Hahaha. Everything was nicely set up and decorated. Our gift was an electric Mercedes car. Did the cakesmash 2 months in advance, also with a Nijntje theme. Set up a pool, ball pit outside, tables and hooooope of food. Invited 50 people, and having all that at home was quite a hassle haha. Next year we'll do a themed party but with fewer people and less crazy.

What would be the added value of celebrating a 1st (or 2nd or 3rd) birthday outside? Not that the child would benefit from it or remember it. Seems like a waste of money to me, especially for themed parties (well, Nijntje is just a baby thing and you can easily find cheap stuff for it, but jungle parties, mega-parties, etc.).

It's only so that parents have less hassle.

And this also applies to older kids. I've heard from old friends that they only really remember the home parties at our place because they always loved them so much. But nowadays, it seems like everyone has to show off that they can throw expensive parties... I'm definitely going for creative home parties when the time comes. Decorating cakes/biscuits, scavenger hunts, etc. Just as fun.

Yeah, celebrating at home is really great at those ages, I think all ages are okay.

We're planning to celebrate his first birthday (actually, all of them) as a family. His first one at home, and for the second one, we'll take him to an indoor playground or zoo or something. Here it's also a tradition (in my in-laws' family) to celebrate the first birthday big. I'm not participating in that though. They did try to persuade me, but everyone should do it their own way. And if you want to do it big, that's up to you. That's nice too. Your little one in the spotlight. Later, when she looks back at the photos, she'll enjoy them again.

That I, or others, want to keep it small doesn't mean you can't do it big. Just do it your way.
Invite friends and play games you can do with a 1-year-old (you'll find tips on Google), enjoy some cake and have fun. Especially take lots of photos.

Super fun. The little one will love it. Enjoy her birthday to the fullest. It's nice to look back on it. Enjoy it together. Is this your first or do you have multiple children?

Here’s the first one too. For us, it took 18 months, so there was some stress. We want to celebrate his birthday as a little family. And when he turns 3, he can celebrate with friends. The first one is indeed very special. That’s why I want to celebrate it as a family. My sister-in-law doesn’t agree, but I’m doing it my way, haha. It’s also fun to go big. But I’ve been through a lot with my in-laws, so it makes it easier for me to just celebrate it as a family.

Have fun in advance! It'll surely be fun, big or a little smaller