Baby Showers Made Simple
February 20, 2008 – 8:01 amTrying to throw a baby shower is far different than thinking back to the ones we attended or even the ones that were thrown for us. We have to consider what the mother to be wants and does not and make sure we plan the shower in a timely manner. This article will cover the basics of a baby shower.
The first question you may have may be just who can throw the shower? The answer really depends on how traditional the shower will be. If the guest list or the mother to be is on the conservative side than the shower should be thrown by close friends as traditionally when a shower was thrown by a family member it gave the appearance that the relatives of the mother to be were trying to get others to give the family gifts. However today that is mostly a non issue. Therefore the shower really can be thrown by anyone wishing to bring everyone together for this celebration.
The invitation list must be decided early on. Close family and friends for both the mother and father to be should be invited. A traditional view of a baby shower is to keep the lit intimate, less than 25 people, in order to allow the guest of honor time to spend with each guest. However when big families and lists of close friends are involved this may not be possible. Make sure before you finalize the list you allow the mother to be to go over it to make sure that no one was left out and that everyone being invited is someone she is comfortable sharing her special day with.
In the ever changing world of baby showers one thing that might need to be considered is throwing a modern co-ed shower. This would allow both the men and the women to celebrate together in one place. If this is the way you want to go you may want to reconsider the decorations, the food or the activities to best suit everyone’s tastes.
If the couple wants something in between the traditional and the modern you might consider two parties, one a traditional baby shower and the other a dinner or activity for the men. The woman’s shower would not be affected by the men’s festivities but the new father to be will still be able to celebrate in his own way with his male family and friends.
The next thing that should be determined is when exactly this party will take place. A good time for the part is between the sixth and the seventh months. This will ensure that most likely the mother to be will not go into labor before than and after the party to expecting parents will have time to organize all their gifts, finish getting the nursery ready and be able to determine what they still need to purchase. Invitations should be sent at least 2-3 weeks in advance for in town guests and 4-6 weeks in advance for any out of town guests.
As far as the actual invitation goes the design can be just about anything. If the parents do not have a particular theme or favorite characters or designs a plain white or generic baby shower invitation will be fine. However if the parents do have a theme for the nursery or there is a theme for the shower, that theme can be used in the invitations. The invitations need to include the following information: The guest of honor’s name, when and where the shower is being held, the hostess’s name and number, a date to RSVP by, a map to the shower, a theme if any, and all places the parents are registered for gifts at if any.
Now that all preparations have been completed it is time to look forward to the shower. A baby shower can run anywhere from 2-4 hours, but should not be any longer. The beginning is usually when the hostess and the guest of honor will thank each guest for coming. During the period of everyone’s arrival is usually time for people to mingle. After everyone is there some sort of food is usually served, either a sit down meal like a brunch or a variety of finger foods and desserts. After the food you may choose to play a couple of games, but of course this is not mandatory. Finally, the guest of honor gets to open her presents. As the hostess besides providing the party and the food, you may also want to buy door prizes, prizes for the baby shower games and party favors.
Now you can start planning your own baby shower.
Tags: Babies Toddler
Related Posts
Print This Article :
