The beginning steps of parenthood are always rough. You’re needing to learn everything at such a quick rate, and know all of this right before the baby’s due date. On top of that, there are doctor appointments, get-togethers, and lots of planning. One of the major planning events would definitely be the baby shower. This is your guide to help you navigate the baby shower and all of the planning that goes into it. From the décor to choosing the date, this is going to help you create the perfect shower that you’ll never forget!
Why have a baby shower?
Babies are expensive, even before they’re out in the world, they’re already costing their parents a lot of money. So what could be done about this? Having a baby shower of course! It’s a nice little way to celebrate your little one coming into the world. You get to see your friends and family, and they’ll help out by chipping in for gifts. This can include clothes, toys, or even furniture such as cribs for twins. While baby showers can be a little bit tiring to plan out, they are definitely worth it. The parents get to have nice gifts for their little ones, a great time to socialize, and just perfect for getting to celebrate as well!
Begin by choosing a time and date
Usually, baby showers are held one month before the baby's due date. So around four to six weeks would be the perfect option. So you may want to try to set the date right around when you get the general idea of a due date. Why? The earlier, the better, as you want to ensure that people can make it. Getting the chance to plan out everything early is going to increase the likeability of getting everyone you invited.
Pick a spot
Picking a spot is considered to be one of the more difficult parts of the entire baby shower planning process. There are plenty of things that need to be factored into such as your budget, the number of guests you plan to invite, the weather, the activities, and of course what will be available. If you plan on having a venue, you’ll need to ensure that it can be available for your ideal date. But of course, if you’re having the shower at home or somebody else’s home, it makes it all the easier.
So what are some ideas to consider for the perfect venue for a baby shower? Some ideas you could think about could be:
- The local park
- A destination such as a workshop or crafts to keep the guest busy
- A party venue for large groups of guests
- Going out to eat such as in a restaurant or café, is very common for parties
- Home, of course, home is going to be the most comfortable place to have a baby shower
Overall, what really matters is being comfortable and ensuring that your guest will be comfortable too. All of these (minus being at home) will fluctuate in price and responsibilities for the party planning.
Choose a theme
Some baby showers will have a theme, usually, the theme is very child and baby-friendly. This could include themes such as
- Farm animals
- Jungle
- Fairly tales
- Transport
Overall, the theme is meant to fit how you’re wanting the nursery for your child to be, but it’s not mandatory either. Some families choose to have a theme for the baby shower, while others may choose against it. It’s really up to you.
Create and send invitations
For many, invitations are considered one of the best parts of planning the baby shower. You get to create the guest lists and create themed invites for your guests. Before you begin the invite process you should first look into the guest list. Be realistic with yourself about what you can afford. Can you afford a lot of guests? Can you afford to fit this large number of guests into a venue? You’ll need to figure out how traditional you’d like for the shower to be as well. The traditional baby showers are strictly for women only, but the times have now changed. If you want all genders at the party then that’s completely acceptable too.
When it comes to the invites, you have two options. You can either send them the old fashion way or even through email. Sending them via email is going to be significantly cheaper. With traditional invites, you’re either having to buy the cardstock, hire someone to make them, or even go through the trouble of making them and printing them out. This doesn’t include the amount for envelopes and postage either. With e-invites, you can quickly make something on websites such as Canva and then directly send it to your guest list online. This also makes it easier for your guest to take a look at your gift registry.
Create a registry
Baby showers are all about helping out the parents-to-be by buying some of those must-needed things that babies are going to need. The parents will create a registry as this is going to let guests know what will be needed. There are plenty of gift registries floating around, some for specific shops while others can be from various shops. It's helpful to just look at the different websites that are floating around to see what helps you.
So, is there any registry etiquette? Sort of, you don’t want your registry to be filled with over-the-top expensive items. You need to keep everybody’s budgets in mind. So have a range of different price tags. So there is something for everyone on the guest list to afford for you.
Pick out decorations
For many, getting the chance to look into decorations can be one of the best parts of having a baby shower. But there are some things you need to consider. Do you have a theme for your baby shower? Will it be easy to find what you’re needing in order to have nice decorations? Will the venue allow the décor? Also, what did you have in mind for the décor? Some things you may want to keep in mind are:
- Balloons
- Banners
- Signs
- Streamers
- Music
- Cutlery
- Plates
Food is also something you’re not going to want to forget about either. Sometimes, food is also a part of the décor and the theme itself. This can include food that is a part of the theme such as a cake for instance.
Don’t forget about all the food and refreshments
What’s a party without food, right? As mentioned above, food is considered one of the decorative pieces for a party, so how food is presented is going to directly affect the appearance and maybe even the atmosphere of the party. So there are a few options about how this could go:
1) If you’re having your party at a restaurant, it’s rare that you’ll be allowed to bring any outside food. So keep this in mind
2) Other venues will have food, but may not have cutlery, cups, or plates to offer. So you’ll need to take care of this yourself
Another thing to keep in mind is people’s diets, such as what they may be allergic to, or some of their lifestyle dieting choices such as veganism.
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