One-derful Celebration: Giannina Gibelli and Blake Horstmann Mark Son Heath’s First Birthday in Style

• Blake Horstmann and Giannina Gibelli rejoiced in their son Heath with a ‘One-derlust’ birthday festivity
• The recent mother organized the entire event herself, with aid from her spouse, orchestrating the 40-guest occasion at their Colorado residence
• The duo informs PEOPLE about the party and insights from their initial year as parents

Blake Horstmann and Giannina Gibelli arranged a unique festivity for their son’s first year.

The Bachelor in Paradise celebrity, 35, and the Love Is Blind contestant, 31, united family and friends at their Colorado residence to honor son Heath Orion’s first birthday. The “One-derlust”-themed event commemorated the journeys the trio has undertaken since welcoming their son.

Gibelli shares, “He has been traveling ever since he was a month old, and he hasn’t stopped since. He’s been on over 35 flights. He’s been to Europe, Mexico, three different continents already. And so it felt perfect.”

Even though they initially planned to seek assistance with party arrangements, Gibelli assumed the responsibility when they couldn’t find someone who aligned with their vision and schedule.

“That already made it incredibly special, as I selected every single detail. These are keepsakes we’ll cherish forever. We dedicated all of last year to getting pregnant, having a newborn, and renovating the house simultaneously. So this party served as a bit of our housewarming since many of our friends hadn’t visited since we renovated the backyard and the house. The entire backyard was a small homage to Heath.”

The decorations for the gathering “focused on four distinct regions — Mexico, Paris, New York, and Morocco.”

Gibelli expresses, “Morocco, he was actually conceived in, so we included that. Mexico, Heath has visited a couple of times. We got engaged and then went to Paris, and we recently visited New York, where he had a fantastic time. So it felt appropriate and was fabulous.”

Horstmann admired his fiancée’s creativity, segmenting the home and backyard so each of the four regions was represented.

“She executed the theme impeccably. She arranged macarons for Paris, margarita items for Mexico, donuts for New York… and numerous different flowers,” he remarks. “It was all very precise.”

“We had airplanes, inflatable airplanes in our pool, and I acquired a small fountain for the pool. I purchased a six-foot Eiffel tower for him next to the fountain, which will be in the garden where he plays a lot. There’s a swing set and playpen there, and he adores it.”

Horstmann shares, “My favorite part was probably the hot air balloons in Morocco. She had a miniature hot air balloon hanging from the ceiling, which was really nice since we went hot air ballooning in Morocco. And I particularly liked the little passports we gave to all the kids; they collected stickers from all the places. It was charming and truly made it special.”

Gibelli felt proud seeing the final outcome, stating it “looked child-friendly but also celebrated us as a family.”

They were encircled by family on the special day, with Gibelli’s relatives flying in from Florida and Horstmann’s family also partaking in the festivities. The Bachelor Nation favorite invited several friends, all relatively new parents themselves, with their young ones in tow.

“Most of my friends have toddlers, probably all under 3 or 4. Thus, there were numerous children here, to say the least. I think at one point, there were probably eight children present, eight to 10 kids coming in and out. Many of them also have one-year-old children, so we’re all navigating parenthood together. It was wonderful to bring everyone together because as parents, we rarely find time to socialize. Therefore, it was a lovely reason to gather everyone, and everyone truly made it special.”

The birthday boy not only received a plethora of gifts but also found joy in socializing with other little ones throughout the day.

Gibelli mentions, “We live in Denver, so the house needed to come alive, and he sensed that something was happening. We were bustling around, and he’s been going through a significant growth spurt. He dozed off until 1:30, woke up in his little three-piece suit and knew something was happening, although he doesn’t realize it’s for him, of course.”

She continues, “Yet he was so delighted; I could see he simply loved all the colors and the decor, playing with the balloons. He’s been eager to interact with children, hugging all the grandparents, and it was heartwarming. He had a wonderful time. Throughout the past year, we’ve been surrounded by family, and I feel he always welcomed everyone. He wanted to be with everyone. And he didn’t have a meltdown or anything.”

“I was concerned if it would be overly stimulating for him, but honestly, it wasn’t,” Horstmann adds.

“At his age, he just adores other children. He’s captivated by older kids who walk and run around. He was simply trying to keep up with everyone. And during the gift-opening, all the children had a blast; they sat there playing with the toys, opening gifts while he played with the children. It was wonderful to observe him interacting with children his age.”

The initial year of parenting can be challenging for any couple, but they have discovered mutual support as a mechanism to navigate the sleepless nights.

“For me, the most gratifying aspect has been witnessing G as a mother and observing how much Heath adores her and how much she adores him,” shares Horstmann. “There’s nothing like the mother-son relationship and connection; it’s truly special.”