Planning and
organization are crucial to hosting a successful baby shower. Below
are some important topics to consider when planning:
1) Who will host the shower?
The person that plans and hosts the shower can be anyone, but is
usually someone who is close to the new or expecting mother.
Normally, a close friend or family member will do all the
preparations, but sometimes the new mother will help as well,
particularly with the guest list. Sometimes a small group of
friends can plan the event together.
In the event of a surprise baby shower, planning must occur more
carefully and invitations should be sent out in secret. In this
circumstance, people who are not as close to the new mother will be
involved in acquiring supplies and getting the word out.
2) Who should be invited?
Be sure to invite all the mother's friends and family to the event.
If planning a surprise party, make sure that everyone you tell
helps spread the word. A close friend or family member may know
most of the mother's friends, but it can also be helpful to ask
co-workers and other friends to make sure that no one is left
out.
Also, men are increasingly being included in these parties. An all
women's shower can be different than a shower with both men and
women, so the planner should consider these things as well.
If other young children will be in attendance, then make sure to
plan events for them too. Not planning for children is a common
oversight that adults make when planning parties of this nature.
Baby shower games are a fun way for both children and adults to
celebrate.
3) Where and when should the shower occur?
The party should be held at a location that is comfortable to the
new mother. Oftentimes, the most common place to host a party is at
a friend's or family member's home. In this case, the mother will
not have to worry about cleaning up afterwards.
Sometimes, the party is hosted at the mother's place. This can be
convenient as well because the mother doesn't have to go anywhere.
Friends of the mother can help with the clean up afterwards.
For larger baby showers, banquet halls or other locations can be
rented. Other places include parks, restaurants, catered dining
rooms, or anywhere else that might be appropriate. It is okay to
plan things differently as long as the mother and everyone else has
a good time.
Most baby showers occur several weeks before the baby is due.
Sometimes showers occur after the baby is born, which allows the
guest to see the new baby. When to have the baby shower is entirely
based on the preferences of the host and the mother.
Most showers occur on the weekends. Saturday is a popular day for
these parties. They can occur in the afternoon or evening,
depending on various factors, like people's schedules and how much
you want to spend. Generally, dinner parties are more expensive
than hosting lunch.
4) What activites should be planned?
There are many games and activities that can be planned in advance
to make a baby shower memorable. Baby themed games are a fun way
for everyone to celebrate a new baby. Do a search for "baby shower
games" on the internet and you will find many games, some of which
you can purchase and some that are free.
A short speech of congratulations is also a nice surprise for the
new mother. If such a speech occurs, it is usually from a close
friend or family member. A good time for congratulations is before
eating lunch or dinner.
Finally, make some time before, between, and after events for
everyone to mingle with the new or expecting mom.
5) What kind of food is appropriate?
The food at the party does not necessarily have to be baby-themed,
although that can be a nice touch. The most common baby-themed food
is baby shower diaper cake. Your local bakery can also make other
items like cookies and pastries in the shape of baby blocks,
pacifiers, rubber ducks, and other baby items. Or you can make them
yourself. Most importantly, make sure to pick food that everyone
will enjoy.
If you are hiring a caterer, then be sure to ask them about their
ideas and experiences with baby showers. They may have some
creative ideas that you may not have thought about.
6) Decorations and party favors.
Your local party supply store will probably have plenty of
decorations for your baby shower. Specifically themed decorations
can also be purchased online.
Buying party favors for your guests is always a nice way to say
thank you for coming. These gifts for your guests can range from
themed candies to more expensive keepsakes, including personalized
items. Special prizes can also be given out for game winners or
other people who have been important in the mother's life and
during the pregnancy.
7) During the party.
Greet the guests when they arrive and have others help out if
necessary to make sure everything runs smoothly. And finally, don't
forget to have fun after all the planning and preparation.
About the author:
Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother
topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For more articles on baby
showers, check out
mybabyshowerfavors.com/articles.
When
you are planning a baby shower, there are a lot of details you have
to finalize, including choosing the baby diaper cake and picking a
location. You'll need to gather refreshments, compile a guest list,
and handle the decorations. Of course, another factor in your
massive list of responsibilities is the baby shower words on those
invitations. That means you want to hold off on putting together
the shower games, so you'll be able to prepare the appropriate
invitation wording whether you are having a formal or an informal
celebration.
Baby Shower Invitations for Formal Events
With a formal shower, you're going to want to take care to reflect
that tone in your choice of baby shower words. A good way to start
these formal invitations is with a phrase such as "You are
cordially invited to a baby shower" or "The pleasure of your
company is requested at a shower." Follow that line with who the
shower is going to be for: the new baby if he or she has already
entered the world, the parents-to-be, or the mother-to-be. When you
are writing out the wording, be sure to use everyone's full name -
that is standard when you are working with formal invitations. Once
you reach this point of the wording, you should add in the details
of the party, such as the location, date, and time of the baby
showers. You also need to have all of the words written out
completely. For example, if the shower is being held on the August
30th at noon, you would write it out as "the thirtieth of August at
twelve o'clock noon." Remember not to use any types of
abbreviations.
At the end of the wording, you'll need to write out the full names
of the hosts of the party. Also, this is a good place to add the
RSVP information at the bottom of the card unless you are going to
be using a separate response card.
Baby Shower Invitations for an Informal Party
Formal invitations aren't needed if you are having a small, casual
shower. However, that doesn't mean you can just call or email
guests. You should still send out invitations and you will need to
be careful with your baby shower words. However, you do have more
flexibility with what those cards can say. For example, you could
begin the message with "Susan and Jeff invite you to celebrate the
approaching birth of Morgan and Matt's new baby at a special
shower." Of course, you'd follow this up with celebration
details.
Don't forget that if you send out informal invitations you need to
plan a casual shower. That means you keep the refreshments simple,
the guest list smaller, and the location more private. Just
remember that the shower will be a fun experience whether it's
formal or informal.
Gifts & the Baby Showers Wording
Finally, you also want to leave off some things from the baby
shower words. The main thing you do not want to include is any
information about gifts or the gift registry. When you mention
gifts on the invitation, guests feel as if you expect them to buy a
present in order to attend. That makes the party seem less like a
celebration and more like a plea for cash and prizes. That doesn't
mean you shouldn't have gift registry information handy when guests
contact you with questions about what to buy.
About the Authors: Sarah Porter and Patti Paz have written several
articles about
Personalized
Baby Shower Invitations, Sample Baby Shower Invitations,
Wording, Verses and Sayings, Fun Baby Shower Party, Creative Baby
Shower Games, Diaper Cakes for Baby Showers, Types of Baby Showers,
All About Hosting Baby Shower, Hosting Surprise Baby Shower, Free
Shower Invitations, Baby Invitations for Baby Shower, Baby Shower
Words and many more for CardsShoppe and Express-Invitations.
When
you’re holding a baby shower one of the most important items that
you’ll serve is the baby shower cake. Cakes should be the highlight
of the food lineup and should be served with a selection of
desserts, finger food and cookies. Cakes can come in all shapes and
sizes, including baby cakes, diaper cakes and bootie baby
cakes.
When you’re planning what type of cakes to prepare for the baby
shower you’ll find many baby shower cake cookbooks from which to
make your selection. If you know the baby is a girl you can
decorate the cake in a pink style. The same goes if the baby is a
boy, in which case you’ll want to focus on blue or green
colors.
Baby shower cakes can be either one large cake, or you can make
several smaller individual cakes which can be created for each
guest that is invited.
The main focus of cakes is of course the expectant mother. Baby
cakes make a great centerpiece that will bring a smile to any
expectant mother. Diaper cakes also continue to be popular and are
easy to make and assemble.
When you’re planning which cakes that you want to make you can be
as creative as you like. There are cookbooks available that feature
some great ideas for cakes that you can adapt to fit your baby
shower theme. If the theme of the baby shower is the alphabet you
can find cakes that highlight this theme. There is no limit to the
types of cakes that you can choose from for the shower.
Many times the cakes themselves create the theme for the shower.
This is because the cakes can be the focus and centerpiece of the
entire party. You can plan all the decorations, food and themes
around the type of baby shower cake you decide to feature.
When you’re looking for baby shower cake recipes you can find
cookbooks in the recipe section in your local bookstore or library.
You can also find a selection of recipes for baby shower cakes and
diaper cakes on the internet. If you can’t find the exact cake that
you have in mind for your baby shower you can make any adaptations
that you need to modify the cake to your liking.
Cakes should be as fun and creative as possible. There may be times
when you want to hire someone to make the perfect cake. But keep in
mind that half the fun of a baby shower is doing things yourself.
Using your imagination, and a little help from cookbooks you can
come up with the most amazing cakes imaginable.
There are many different types of cakes that you can choose from or
that you can use as a starting base for your own baby shower cake
ideas. Baby Shower Diaper cakes can often be paired up with edible
cakes. This way you have the fun of a cake made from diapers and
the deliciousness of an edible cake that everyone can enjoy.
Distinct Deliveries is an online merchant which offers not only
Baby Shower Diaper Cakes, but much more.
Distinct Deliveries.com offers baby baskets, baby announcements,
baby books, shower cakes, baby jewelry, engraved items, plush
items, baby shower items, gifts baskets, chocolate & candy,
baby gifts, book packages, flowers & plants, bath & body,
fruit packages, gourmet & snacks, seasonal, pet gifts,
specialty gifts, monthly clubs.
Some themes you might want to use include:
1. Sports theme for boys
2. Princess cakes in pink for girls
3. Jungle animals for boys
4. Fairy theme for girls
No matter what type of cake you take into consideration your final
choice should somehow reflect the theme of the baby shower.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Randy is owner of
planning-a-baby-shower.com
where you will find further tips on baby showers and baby shower
games.
Loading...
Planning and
organization are crucial to hosting a successful baby shower. Below
are some important topics to consider when planning:
