How to Plan a Baby Shower

Planning the Perfect Baby Shower

As long as you’re organized, flexible and do a decent job of getting the word out, putting together a baby shower can be an easy, hassle-free business. Here are a few things to consider when planning the party.

Choosing a Baby Shower Location

Consider what the mom to be would appreciate most? Is she a home-body? Does she like getting out for lunches with friends?

1. At home. It’s private, comfortable, intimate – ideal for such a personal event. You have free reign in the kitchen and everyone knows where the bathroom is!

2. At a restaurant. All you have to do is call ahead with the number of guests and you’re set. Try and accommodate everyone’s taste preferences when choosing a restaurant, but the mom-to-be’s favorite cuisine should be priority.

3. At the office. Everyone’s jammed at work, but carving out an hour to celebrate a colleague’s new baby is worth the break.

4. Destination. Outings to spas, gardens, crafts markets are popular for destination baby showers.

Baby Shower Theme

Before getting to work creating invites and decorations, it helps if you can organize these around a theme. The theme should reflect the mom to be’s personality and preferences and can also be centered around the new baby. For example if you don’t know the gender you could do a ‘bowtie and butterflies’ theme or a safari theme. If you know it’s going to be a girl, then a pretty in pink fairy tale theme with a castle diaper cake could be great!

Inviting and Invitations

If you’re sending out baby shower invitations, consider the chosen theme and what the mom-to-be like in terms of design and wording.. The number of people you invite depends on the space, the time of day and the relationship the mom to be has with the person. If you’re not sure, ask some of the other friends in your circle.

Food and Drink

Baby shower refreshments need not be elaborate. A simple buffet is easy to pull off, especially if you choose and order the food ahead of time. Ask about food allergies or special dietary needs, and also how the mom to be feels about alcoholic drinks served during the party.

Baby Shower Games

Kick things off with a few ice-breakers. Have everyone bring baby photos of themselves to display and play a round of who’s who. You could include baby shower games played around trivia, races with eggs, candy bars in diapers – a classic! – and testing guests’ knowledge of the animal baby names.

Baby showers usually wrap up after a few hours, but the memory of this occasion will last a lifetime for the mom to be.