For pregnant women, a
However, planning is where life throws a wrench in the works. Planning and organizing a
How to plan a baby shower: The basics
Let’s start with the basics, or the what, when, where and the how. Well, maybe not the what – that’s pretty obvious. As for the rest:
Date and time –
Venue – A lot of people choose to host a
Agenda – You’ll want a list of activities and a timeline, so there’s plenty to do during the event and nobody is bored. Opening gifts, eating, drinking and playing fun games will make up most of it, but you can add in other fun activities if you have the time and budget.
Budget – Come up with a tentative budget, and add up food, venue and other costs to see if you can stay within it. Your budget will depend a lot on these factors, along with the length of your guest list.
Gifts – You might want to create a gift registry for your party. If you do, send it out to invitees in the invitation itself. As for the favors, a simple gift card or gift bag that reflects your theme works – it’s simple and elegant, and won’t break the bank. If you make things such as chocolates or soap, you could consider giving those out as gifts.
These were some of the basics for your party. Now, let’s discuss the fun stuff – all the wonderful things that add flavor to your party!
Baby shower theme
This can be as simple or as intricate as you want to make it. Typically, themes are centered around upcoming events (such as Halloween or 4th of July), your interests, or the
Some fun choices include: Disney, bumblebee, friends, unicorns, butterflies, princess, glitter, teddy bears, and books.
You don’t have to stick to those, however! You can absolutely explore your own interests and choose something that speaks to you personally – such as a minimalistic theme, nautical, nature, beach, starry skies, sunshine, birds, pastels, pearl, or really anything!
Baby shower games
Plan plenty of fun games for the party, so your guests don’t have time to get bored. Here are a few games that you can play at the party:
- Guess Who?
- Pregnant Twister
- How Old Was She?
- Name That Tune
- Baby Shower Bingo
- Guess The Candy Bar
- Who’s The Celebrity
Baby ?
Baby shower games are typically centered around the
The usual
Two to four games are enough to break the ice and add some excitement to the party, and there’s usually only enough time for so many. Make sure you plan the games so all the guests can enjoy them, so plan around genders, ages, and accessibility needs.
Baby shower decorations
Your décor should reflect your theme, so make sure you pick a theme with that in mind! If you’re hiring restaurateurs, they’ll take care of this for you. For others, here’s some basic info.
Typically the décor includes flowers, ribbons and balloons. You can also decorate the tables and chairs and have more décor options, but those aren’t required. The décor can reflect the gender of your
Baby shower etiquette
Surprised? There are some unspoken rules of etiquette during
Kids are only allowed if the invite says so – While a
It’s okay to have a
Coed
Steer clear of sensitive subjects – This event is a fun time to celebrate the coming
Avoid tempting the hostess – The mama-to-be can’t have alcohol and certain other food items, so it might be a good idea to ask her before putting those items on the menu, so she isn’t tempted by everyone else!
Give a thoughtful gift – This is especially for the hostess – don’t half-ass it with the
Most of these seem like common sense once you hear them, so use some tact when planning the event (or if you’re a guest, while attending) and everything should go smoothly.
Invitation time!
Typically, female friends, relatives and coworkers of the mom-to-be are invited. How many guests you invite will depend on your circle and budget.
Note: If inviting any other pregnant women or people with specific needs, make sure your home or the party’s venue is accessible.
Creating the invitations is simple and fun – you can use tools such as Canva to customize beautiful templates, and then send them out digitally to your guests through their preferred media. While paper invitations are nice, they aren’t as eco-friendly or convenient, and you’ll incur printing costs.
Your invitation cards should include the date, time and location, theme, RSVP date, guest of honor’s name, host’s name, and the registry information. Also clearly state that the event in question is a
If creating a gift registry, include a link on the invitation, or use a service that sends the registry separately, via email. Choose the items on your registry carefully, so it spans a variety of budgets, and includes essentials and any other items you may want.
Planning the menu
If you’re hiring restaurateurs or caterers, they’ll take care of this for you. However, if you’re hosting all on your own, you’ll need to plan the menu – and for some, this is most daunting part of the organizing process.
However, just like with everything else, it can be as simple or as complicated as you are able to handle!
Typically,
Other than that you can serve cupcakes, cake, and anything else you’d like!
Keep in mind food allergies, dietary preferences or any other similar limitations your guests may have, so everyone can have fun at the party and there’s no risk of anyone getting ill.
Baby shower planning checklist
Checklists are a godsend – you can print them out, and they make planning anything super easy. So here’s a checklist for your
4-5 weeks in advance
- Set a date and time
- Pick a venue
- Prepare the guest list
- Choose a theme
- Create the gift registry
- Prepare and send out invitations
- Create the menu
2-3 weeks in advance
- Get supplies in order for the décor
- Buy prizes and favors
- Confirm reservations
- Finalize the menu
1 week in advance
- Order flowers
- Finalize the guest list
- Plan the games
- Plan the agenda, print it out
- Assign tasks to people, keep track
Day of the party
- Prepare food
- Put the décor in place
- Enjoy!
PS – Have someone help you and double-check juuust in case!