Birthday party help!

Sage is going to be one in 3 months!!!  I am pretty much going stir crazy with all this damn snow and cold so I've starting the beginnings of party planning.  Now the dilemma.

Both families live 2 hours away.  I wanted to do one big party and go all out.  There are a lot of family in PA where we currently live, and not a lot of family in NJ.  I know most of the NJ crowd would like to do two separate parties, and the PA crowd wants to do one big party.  If we do two I can invite a lot more of my friends from NJ, since a lot wouldn't want to drive 2 hours away for a party, and I don't blame them.

SO one party or two? Two parties means double the cost, but she does only turn one once.  What do you guys think?  DH doesn't care and everyone is telling me "do what you want" but IDK what I want lol.

TIA!

If you live in PA you can host that party in your home.  Is there someone in NJ that can host a party in their home?  Try to reduce the double the cost thing.  And the decorations and theme stuff you can use the same stuff for both parties.  I mean if you're having 2 parties to accommodate the people in both places, you don't have to worry about too many people attending both, right?  Sage will only turn 1 once ya know and everyone in her life wants to share in that and get a piece of her deliciousness!  I say go for it... have 2 parties.  She'll love it and you'll make a lot of wonderful memories.

for PA we were going to do a park depending on how the weather is this April.  So that is free, if we think it's going to be crappy we may do it at the Y and rent out a room, since we are members there.  in NJ my mom's house is big and she said we could use that, or my grandmas senior community has a clubhouse that is free to use.  I was worried about the food and cake and all that but I am making it all. 

Honestly, a 2 hr drive is not that bad if it's a few people, especially if they all take one car.
My cousin lives in NJ 3 hours away from her entire family. We all live here. She expects us to all make the 3hr trek every year. All 20 of us.
Is there a way you can rent a firehouse near you or maybe even halfway? If you have a big enough room for the whole day, I think everyone would enjoy visiting with each other. Kinda like Christmas lol.
I have packed up B-day parties before and traveled to make it more conveinient for others. It has it's pros and cons. But if you do have it locally, be sure to give the distant relatives at least 6 weeks advance notice.
Good luck.

1... you have the baby.. why should you travel... if they want to be part of the party they can drive to you :)

We did one big party for tristan at the park. My aunt reminded me that "what you do for the first you have to do for the second". Keep that in mind if you plan on having any more kids. Keiran's not even here yet and I am kinda worried about what I'm going to do for the poor kid in February.

I always have to throw 2 parties for mine cause they also live a few hours away. I do one bigger one that's more expensive and the other just simple but still cute. It's worked well for us.

I'd just do 1 - You said it - she only turns one once so let everyone travel a bit! They did it for your shower didn't they? :) We are doing 1 big one and people are coming from hours away.

Where were you thinking about doing Amelia's?  You're lucky you are almost gaurenteed warm weather in May. April is weird, although May can be weird sometimes too..