BABY SHOWER PLANNING
Baby Shower Planning, a Step-By-Step Guide to Hosting a Successful Baby Shower
 Hosting a successful
baby shower comes down to planning and organization. The following timeline and
step-by-step planning guide will help you organize and prepare a successful baby shower,
stay in control during the baby shower party and ensure the mommy-to-be has the time of
her life.
To print out a Baby Shower Planning
Checklist, turn on your printer,
click here to bring up the
checklist, when the checklist comes
up, click the "File --> Print Option" in your browser).
Also, for an example of the itinerary on how to plan a baby shower in order of
events, click here!
If you are planning on
going away for the baby shower, here is a great
travel checklist to use that
also includes if you are traveling with little ones.
Have a Baby-Que
A fun idea is to have families come to the baby shower as well as
couples and have a cookout or what we call Baby-Que. Play
baby
shower games such as "name the family member" (where you ask
questions that no-one may know about the mommy-to-be and daddy to be and
their families) to see if someone knows who the question is about (i.e.,
Who was in a rock band in college, Who graduated with honors, who wanted
to be an astronaut). Cook up some hot dogs and hamburgers while
listening to your favorite tunes. This is a less formal baby shower but
lots of fun for everyone (and no baby sitter is needed if you have
little ones). Thanks to Melanie for this great baby shower planning
idea!
Baby Shower
Co-Ed Parties
If you are having your baby shower with both men and women, we have some
great baby shower co-ed tips for you by
clicking here.
 Creating the Baby Shower Guest List
The first step to planning and hosting a successful baby
shower is to create a guest list. Creating the initial guest list will help you get an
idea of how many people will be ultimately be invited to the baby shower, which is the
biggest factor in what your shower budget will be.
It's always a good idea to find out if mommy-to-be is going
to have other baby showers hosted for her by another family member or friend. Talk to the
mommy-to-be's family members about the other shower dates and invite list. Other than her
family members, you do not need to invite people that are attending the mommy-to-be's
other showers unless you want to.
Make sure you have up-to-date addresses and phone numbers for
everyone. Type out your guest, including addresses and phone numbers. You will be able to
use the potential guest list to keep track of RSVPs and give it to the mommy-to-be so she
has everyone's correct address to send Thank You cards.
Budgeting for the Baby Shower
We suggest that you determine your baby shower budget early
in your planning process. It will determine the location of the baby shower, its menu,
decorations and more. If you have a smaller budget, don't worry - you have options:
If you have a smaller group, your home or someone else's may
be a good option. Location and food are typically the biggest costs, so if you're able to
host the baby shower at a home, you will save a significant portion of your budget that be
reallocated to food, decorations, etc.
If you have a large guest list, you may want to look for
co-hosts because you're likely going to need to host the baby shower at a restaurant. Good
co-hosts can be other close friends of mommy-to-be or her family members. Family members
may even just contribute money. Once you have a budget, you should make a list of all of
the baby shower costs.
Choose a Baby Shower Theme
Decide what type of theme you want for the baby shower. It
will set the tone of the party and may impact where you host the baby shower, as well as
its menu and decorations. Baby shower themes can be as simple as blue or pink if you know
the sex of the baby. It's important to consider what mommy-to-be's style is and what theme
she will like. You might also want to take the guest list into account.
Click here to
visit our baby shower themes page for help in deciding the best theme for the
mommy-to-be's baby shower.
Determine the Baby Shower Date
You will want to host the baby shower on a Saturday or Sunday
between four to eight weeks before the baby is due. With baby's due date in mind, decide
on a few dates that you can host the baby shower. Contact important guests, especially out
of town family, to make sure they are available on dates you have in mind. Remember that
Friday night and Saturday baby shower parties are usually more expensive than Sundays if
you are having it at a location other than a home.
Choose Baby Shower Location
The number one rule is to make sure that the baby shower
location is large enough to accommodate your guest list. No matter if you have the baby
shower at a home, restaurant, hotel or rented space, make sure everything is planned and
it will be an excellent shower!
You will save a considerable amount of your budget if you
will be hosting the baby shower at a home. However, you will spend money on plates,
napkins, cups, eating utensils, and possibly table rentals.
If you will be hosting the baby shower at a restaurant, start
looking for locations early. You will want to call and even visit locations to make sure
it will accommodate your group, works with your theme and serves food that mommy-to-be and
your guests will enjoy. Make sure you also consider whether the location you choose will
match your shower theme and allow you to decorate it.
Order Baby Shower Invitations
At least 8 weeks before your baby shower, you should be
finalizing your baby shower guest list. After sending out the
baby shower invitations, if
you have not received RSVPs from some invited guests, call those who have not yet
responded. When you begin to look at baby shower invitations, remember that your
invitations should:
-
Match your theme
-
Include its location, date, time, your phone number and the
RSVP date
(which should be about seven days before the baby shower).
-
Include a map to the event location
-
Send invitations five or six weeks before the event.
Choosing the Baby Shower Menu
Baby showers have lots of menu options. You can serve
appetizers or a full meal.
If you're hosting the baby shower at a restaurant you will
need to work with someone at the restaurant on the menu. If you're unable to visit the
restaurant, which we suggest you do if you haven't been there, ask them to fax you their
party menu. The restaurant may be able to provide food in a sit down setting or put out a
buffet, and they may even be able to help you match the menu to your shower theme.
If you're hosting the baby shower at a home you can choose to
cater, make your own food, or a combination of both. If you are having the baby shower
catered, ask the caterer to fax you a menu. Again, you will have the option of setting up
a buffet or cooking a sit down menu. Just leave room for cake!
Click here to visit our
baby shower menu page for tips on choosing the right menu including the Top 10 Easy Finger
Foods for Baby Showers.
Buy Baby Shower Decorations and
Supplies
You're going to want to buy balloons, streamers and other
decorations. But if you're hosting the baby shower at a restaurant, find out what
decorations they allow.
If you're not hosting the baby shower at a restaurant, you're
also going to need plates, napkins, cups and eating utensils. Make sure you have enough
napkins and forks for appetizers and cake as well as making sure you have cups for both
hot and cold liquids. Visit our Baby
Shower Decorations section for more information!
Baby Shower Games and Prizes
Baby Shower 101 has assembled a most comprehensive collection
of baby shower games on the Internet. Visit the
baby shower games page for lots of great
baby show game ideas.
Tips: 1) Be sure you have writing utensils for everyone, 2)
Wrap games prizes and 3) Make sure to have extra prizes in case of tie games.
Buy Baby Shower Party Favors
The baby shower party favors are one of those nice touches to
finish off your successful baby shower. Party favors can go with the theme or not. Some
popular baby shower gifts include:
-
Fill-able baby bottles
-
Jelly Belly It's a boy/girl candy
-
Mini pacifier sweet tarts
-
Baby feet Lollipops
-
Personalized candy bar wrappers
Favor Favor Baby has
hundreds of inexpensive
baby shower
favors available!
Cyber Shower
For those that may live too far out of town to make it to the baby
shower, a great new idea for this millennium is to have a Cyber Shower.
Invite your baby shower guests that can be in person and decorate one of
your rooms with baby shower decorations. Make sure to have a webcam
(which are very inexpensive) and a laptop to make this happen (as well
as the guests that will be participating from another location). Play
baby shower games and eat just like if you were with the mommy-to-be in
person. When it was time to open gifts, you could open them with her
looking on which is a cool experience from anywhere in the world! Thanks
to Pat for this excellent idea!
Baby Boy Circumcision - Recently,
Christina Aguilera told Ellen Degeneres about her son Max's circumcision
where she stated that, "It was a very sweet experience. We had a lot of
close friends come over and experience the bris with us. But we're such
a non-conventional couple - we put
penis balloons up everywhere!". This is a very funny idea for those
who are non-conservative as it is a novel idea! You can get these and
other fun novelties from the site at
www.bachelorettepartyfun.com.
Welcome Baby Shower
There are many reasons why some mommy and daddy's to be prefer having a
baby shower after the baby is born. Welcome baby showers are becoming
more popular where a party is thrown after the mom is out of the
hospital and has time to recuperate. Throwing a welcome shower is fun as
you will already know what gender the baby is as well as the name.
It is fun to have the baby at the shower
(even though most of it for them will be sleeping). It is important to
make sure the mommy-to-be is involved as she may be a little tired and
stressed at having people over if too soon after the birth. Baby shower
gifts can still be given prior to the Welcome shower by mailing them or
dropping them off if they are functional and can be used when the baby
comes home. Some friends and family like throwing both a baby shower
before the baby is born as well as a welcome shower after to make sure
they parents have everything they need and to get them the
baby
supplies they may still be missing in the house.
Father To Be Party
Throwing a baby shower does not only have to be for the women or co-ed.
Have the guys get together for a Beer and Diaper party. When the women
are having the shower the father-to-be can host a bbq at his house and
he can provide the hot dogs and the baby shower guests can bring their
own beverages and diapers. It is nice because they usually receive
enough diapers to last about 6 months! Thanks to Kim from Vermont for
this baby shower planning idea!
Come-'n-Go Baby
Shower
This is a great idea if you are having a lot of people or having it at a
work party. The come-'n-go baby shower would consist of having the food
ready, decorations up and having a baby shower host who opens the party
at a certain time and states that everyone should come between the hours
you set for the party. People can come visit with the mommy to be, drop
off any baby shower present they would like to give (optional) and then
eat and go. Usually, baby shower games would not be played and there can
be a set time to open baby shower presents (unless the mommy to be wants
to open them as they come in prior to the baby shower guests leaving who
brought the gifts). The mommy-to-be can also not open the gifts until
the party is over and open them with family or the friends that want to
be present. In today's day and age, the baby shower Come-'n-go parties
are becoming a hit.
BABY
SHOWER PLANNING - PAGE 2 These are only a few items we suggest. Visit our
Links pages
for other great ideas for baby shower favors.
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