Hosting a Baby Shower

Celebrating the arrival of a new baby with style and ease

Mar 6, 2007 Tiffany Wigington

Hosting a baby shower can be exciting and stressful. Invitations, themes, cakes and centerpieces are what set baby showers apart!

Hosting a baby shower can be exciting and stressful. With a little pre-planning, the event can be a momentous occasion.

Begin by discussing with the mother-to-be her ideal shower and who she wants in attendance. Baby showers are traditionally hosted around the seventh month of pregnancy; however, adjustments should be made according to the mother's needs. For example, the expecting mother may request a certain time so that an out-of-town guest can attend.

Setting the date

This is especially important if you plan to reserve a banquet room, facility or caterer for the shower. Many facilities ask for at least a month's notice. If you are hosting the shower in your home, this will give you enough time to secure extra seating, order a cake and plan out food arrangements. Keep in mind that hosting a party at your home can stress out family pets, so make arrangements for their comfort before the shower.

Themes

Decide what type of baby shower you want to give! Traditionally, baby showers are themed according to the gender of the baby or by the bedding the parents have chosen.

Alternative themes include:

• A Memory Shower: Guests bring items that resemble favorite toys, books or clothing from their childhood. As the host,you place old photos of the parents as centerpieces, provide small cards where guests can write their memories.
• Holiday Shower: Guests bring items that the baby will need at all the upcoming holidays, and each guest is given one holiday in their invitation. Decorations would include pumpkins for Halloween, Easter eggs, etc….
• Sports Shower: Encourage guests to bring items that represent different games parents can play with their new baby as they grow. Decorations could include sports apparel, equipment, baubles and board games.
• Alphabet Themed: Each guest brings an item representing the alphabet letter or letters they received in their invitation. Decorate with items representing the letters of the alphabet.
• Book Theme: Have guests bring their favorite childhood book as a gift. Decorate with books!

Themes provide a fun atmosphere and is a conversation starter for the attendees. Decide if you are going to share the theme with the mom or if it is going to be a surprise!

Invitations

Once the time, location and theme have been decided, send your invitations. Invitations should be sent at least three weeks in advance, but no more than five weeks.

• Give the mom-to-be plenty of time to make a list of family and friends she would like to invite. Invitations can be traditional or handmade.
• If you are planning a theme, one suggestion is to find paper at a local store that complements the theme, and print the invitations from your computer.
• Save the invitation addresses and print labels for mom to use on thank-you notes.
• Decide if you want people to RSVP, or reply by email.
• Include a map to the location and a contact number where you, as the host, can be reached.

Centerpieces and Cake

A few weeks before the shower, decide on how to present the cake and what decorations are required. Ideally there should be separate tables for the gifts, a guest book and the cake. If not, store the cake out of the way until it is time to serve it.

Welcoming decorations help guests find your home. Inside, plan on a main centerpiece that welcomes guests, such as a diaper cake, flower arrangement or childhood photographs of the mother-to-be. Easy decorations include balloons, table confetti and banners.

When ordering a cake, keep in mind the number of servings required and the theme, if any. Cakes could also represent the gender of the baby. Small, cupcake-sized individual cakes can also be a great alternative!

Before the shower

Make room for the party! You may need to rearrange furniture for seating. Clean the tables you will be using and pull the chairs away to make more room.

Make sure there are enough supplies for guest comfort: plates, napkins, utensils, and toiletries. You may also light a few baby scented candles to set the tone.

Shower Kick-off

As host, your role is to help the invitees be relaxed. Introduce people, or perhaps even get them to write down advice or memories for the mom-to-be. Let them know where they can help themselves to refreshments and help encourage them to take part in the festivities.

With these tips in mind, you're sure to throw a fantastic shower!

The copyright of the article Hosting a Baby Shower in Entertaining is owned by Tiffany Wigington. Permission to republish Hosting a Baby Shower in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.