Anna Maria Richards
Planning a baby shower can be fun, but it can also be challenging, almost like planning your best friend’s wedding.
As the host of the baby shower, probably again for your best friend, you want everything to be perfect, from the guest list to the games you play and the presents you bring for the mother-to-be and her coming bundle of joy.
Baby shower etiquette is very real, but barring that, planning the shower should be easy, right? Not if you don’t know the basics and have a checklist to get things done. With that in mind, here is a complete guide to planning the perfect baby shower for your mother-to-be with as little stress as possible.
First, The Basics
The first thing you need to do is get back to basics. Where do you want to host the baby shower? The country club? A restaurant? Your house? The mother-to-be’s house? Once you’ve determined where to throw the baby shower, it’s time to work with the expectant parents to finalize the guest list. Unless the shower is a surprise, you’ll finalize the guest list yourself.
When you schedule, the shower will usually be up to the mother-to-be. You want it after the first trimester, so she is showing and has her registry set up, but before she’s so far along and close to delivery, she tires super easily.
Make Sure All Guests Have Access to the Registry
After you send out the invitations, or maybe at the bottom, include a link or the site where the mother-to-be has created her registry. Don’t forget to order quite a few large gift bags for presents you’ll give the mommy at this time as well.
If your guests are unsure what to get the mother for the baby shower, you can point them in the right direction with the registry. However, if they want to go off script with their gift, there are many excellent books on pregnancy, motherhood, and even books for the baby itself that most expectant mothers would love.
Set the Menu and Plan Games
Once everything is set into motion and the invitations are out, you’ll want to start setting the menu for the party. There is no limit to the food options for a baby shower. You’ll probably want to go simple with the food so that you’ll be able to enjoy the shower with your friends instead of being stuck in the kitchen. You can also have the party catered, which is a great option, especially when cleaning up afterward.
Plan for quite a few baby shower games. There are quite a few ideas online and in parenting magazines that you’ll want to take advantage of, so don’t be afraid to browse. Anything that makes the mother-to-be happy and comfortable is a win for sure.
Don’t Forget the Baby Shower Favors
While baby shower favors for the guests aren’t expected, it is good baby shower etiquette to give them to the guests. It’s a super nice gesture to offer the guests and thank them for coming on their way out the door. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Ideas include scented body wash, sweets, potted plants, or even a pretty gift bag of candy from the dessert bar.
Another option is having the guests create their own DIY-style baby shower favors during the party, such as potpourri sacks or decorated sugar cookies. There are many possibilities for baby shower favors, and you can be sure your guests will appreciate the thought and the little gift as well.
Baby showers are a way to congratulate and honor a mother-to-be as she waits for her newborn to appear in the world. Make sure that the party you throw your friend is memorable by following the guide above.
