A baby shower is a way to celebrate baby and the expectant mother. A baby shower is also a way to support the new parents by giving them gifts that will be useful and cut their expenses. Most baby showers only feature the mother, but involving the father is becoming more common.
In today’s world where party trends continue to change quickly, every baby shower celebration will always contain a few common features.
In the beginning stage of planning, choose a venue with the ambiance that suits the preference of the parents. The venue of the shower should be reflective of the personality of the parents. But, before the party can be planned, there are a few things you should know.
Let Your Budget Guide You
The budget of the party can dictate the feel of the party. This will be key for the rest of the planning. To save on expenses, you can make your venue be the home of the parents, grandparents or the person hosting the party.
No matter what venue you choose, you will need tables, chairs, dining utensils, and decor.
If you have a higher budget and are planning a more formal, elegant party, then you will need to plan for linens for the tables as well. Depending on how many you need, they an be a bit expensive.
The fun part of the shower is the decor. This is another way to show off the personality of the parents. Are they fun and adventurous, sleek and conservative, or bold and flashy? Use their style to choose a theme of the baby.
A traditional baby shower for a boy, would have boy themed decor like nautical, puppies, farm animals, or a blue colored them. These baby shower decorations will include centerpieces, utensils, balloons, and even the cake.
For a girl you will do the same, but in pinks. The common themes for girls are flowers, hearts, lambs, bunnies, dresses, and bows.
Even if you know the gender, you don’t have to stick with traditional boys and girls colors. A huge trend right now for girl showers are navy and blush. These colors are being used in upscale, elegant showers.
Sweets and Treats
On the day of the celebration, different pastries and various foods should be prepared with the help of caterers or, if on a tight budget for the party, you can do it yourself.
Most showers don’t serve full meals. They mostly offer finger foods and cutely decorated treats. Finger foods can be veggies and fruits with dips, cheese, tea sandwiches, and pinwheels. Sweets can be candy, rice crispy treats, cookies, and cake pops.
The cake is usually a prominent piece of the shower, both for decor and food. You can choose a sheet cake, a tiered cake, or even opt of cupcakes. Tiered cakes are usually much more expensive.
Gifts For The Party
Raising a child is expensive. One real reason to have a baby shower is to receive gifts from family and friends to help support the cost of the child. Be sure to have the gift registry complete before the invites have been sent. This will allow guests time to get a gift that the parents have asked for. In creating a gift registry, you may need to prioritize your baby's necessities such as a modern knot beanie, a pair of comfy socks, or a bodysuit set, then add few plush toys and other general options for your guests.
If the list isn’t complete before the invites are sent, guest may not realize there is even a registry, and they may choose any gift they want. This may not be a bad thing, but parents may miss out on things they need.
What to Do at the Shower
Try to think outside of the box. How can you make this shower different or maybe just more memorable or special? This comes down the mother. She may like to be playful and have some of the traditional games, like baby bingo played at the party.
If she is a more sentimental type of woman she may like her party to be more thoughtful. You can have a book for the baby where the guests write memories of the parents or can put hopes and wishes for the baby.
Be sure to use the personality of the mother to set the tone of the shower.
Prepare Party Favors
A parting gift or a token is an easy way of thanking your guests for attending the baby shower celebration. The good thing about this is it does not have to be lavish. One way to prepare for party favors is to stick to the theme of your party. Something as small a little bags of candy or chocolate are perfect. You can even send them home with a cute cake pop. You should also consider your guests when preparing the tokens. Think, short and sweet.