Traditionally, baby showers tend to be organised by a friend or family member (rather than the expectant mother themselves). And so if your bestie is expecting a baby, then it’s the perfect opportunity to treat them to a wonderful day of good food, conversation and gifts that will genuinely help them in these early days of parenthood. If you don’t know where to start, here are some ideas!
Consider the guest list
Baby showers are traditionally attended by women. It’s not to say you can’t invite men if you want to, but if you want to stick with tradition then the guest list will be made up of the females in your friends life. Unless the baby shower will also double up as a surprise party then it’s a good idea to sit down with them so they can tell you who they’d like you to invite. From friends and family members to work colleagues and even neighbours, consider who should come and build the guest list.
Get the gift list in order
People tend to love nothing more than buying a gift for a new baby, the only problem is that lots of new mothers end up with repeats of the same items. For this reason, it can be really worthwhile building a gift list. You can do this easily on sites like Amazon, just make sure you select a number of items at different price points. From there, guests can choose what they’d like to purchase that suits their budget, knowing that it’s something that’s genuinely needed. Again, when you build the gift list it’s worth speaking to the mother and working out what she wants and needs and ensuring there’s nothing on there she already has. You can always add a few extra surprise items on there that are just for her too, rather than the baby. It could be fluffy slippers and a nightgown to keep her cosy through the last months of pregnancy and into motherhood. It could be a bottle of her favourite wine to enjoy after shes had the baby. Gifts like flower deliveries from Fig & Bloom are always a good choice, or perhaps a voucher for a restaurant so she can enjoy a meal with her partner.
Put the food together
Providing some food and drinks for guests is always any important element of any party. You could base it on a theme or style- for example everything could be baby themed. From cutely decorated cupcakes with pink or blue bows and sandwiches cut into themed shapes. To afternoon tea style if you want it to be an elegant affair, or maybe you could go down the cheese and meat platter route. A few bottles of fizz for the guests will always go down well, but don’t forget a soft drink alternative to the mother to be and any non-drinking guest.
Decorate
Pink or blue balloons (or a mix of both if the gender hasn’t been revealed), flowers, LED candles, bunting and other cute decorations will instantly transform any room making it look party ready. It doesn’t need to be expensive, you can pick up these things really cheaply from sites like eBay as well as hobby shops. You could even make decorations with your own kids on the run up to the party, things like colourful paper chains and other cute pieces of decor could be used. If it’s a bigger affair and you’re hiring a venue, party poppers and celebration sequins on the tables will all bring something to the event.
Play some games
It’s a party, so why not have a bit of fun? You could wager bets such as the weight of the baby, or the baby’s name if it hasn’t been revealed. There are tons of baby shower themed games on sites like Pinterest, and of course any silly party or table game could be a laugh. Anything that will get guests chatting and mixing is always going to be a good thing.
Have you ever hosted a baby shower? What advice would you give to anyone planning this kind of party?
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