Being blessed with a new little family member is a source of great happiness for every family. This new member of the family brings immense joy and good vibes in the household. Even the news of a pregnancy gets the whole family in the mood of a celebration. Now, since you are here reading this article today, I can guess that someone very close to you is about to bring a little person into this world and you want to throw the would be mom a grand party. So, in this article, I’ll tell you how to arrange the best baby shower ever!
Are you new to the concept of a baby shower?
Celebrating the arrival of a newborn in the house is an old tradition that has been followed for a long time. Although many new functions have been added to it in different cultures, yet the basic celebration remains the same.
One such celebration of announcing the expected arrival of a little family member is the baby shower. A baby shower is generally a celebration where the mom-to-be is showered with lots of blessings and gifts from relatives and friends. This is organized typically 1 to 2 months before the baby is born, or you can say on the 7th or 8th month of the pregnancy of the mother. All relatives and family members, along with close friends, get together to celebrate this happiest moment of the family.
If you are the one tasked with arranging this special occasion, then I must tell you that organizing a baby shower is certainly not an easy piece of job to accomplish but still it is not that tough either. All you need is a perfect plan of conducting the proper baby shower and that’s all!
To arrange a baby shower, you must consider the following points carefully so that you can arrange the best baby shower!.
1. Date and time for the baby shower
Before conducting any of the functions, you must consider the date and time when it has to be undertaken properly. A baby shower should be held 7 or 8 months after the pregnancy. It is better hold the shower as soon as possible so that the mother won’t get into trouble as is common the last months of the pregnancy. You can conduct it on holidays so that maximum relatives and friends could be present at the occasion. The day time is most certainly preferred for the baby shower because then it can be extended long. The date for the baby shower should be confirmed as the first step because it has to be printed on the invitation cards and after the printing is done, it cannot be changed.
2. Budget Allocation for the baby shower
For any of the ceremonies or functions to be planned and conducted properly, it requires a precise budget estimation. It depends on how much you wish to spend on the specific services and receptions in the baby shower. For a baby shower, you can allocate the budget as per the theme, venue, number of guests, and the food you have included. You must consider the budget very seriously because every upcoming part of the shower relies on it.
From arranging the destination to sending a card, everything requires a proper budget allocation. So, the prior thing to do is to allocate a budget for every sector and try to keep it a bit extra than the required so that if there would arise any emergency, it can be met instantly. Other than this your budget will also decide the kind of theme you can afford and the venue to be preferred as well the number of guests who can be accommodated. So, as soon as you decide the date of the baby shower, make sure the next step is budget allocation.
3. The theme of the baby shower
Baby shower nowadays is conducted based on several fancy themes. Themes can be whatever you can imagine would look cute but it does not have some mandatory rules. The most used and trendy theme is the ‘baby theme’ where everything is arranged as per the babies requirement. The decoration is made up of toys or cradles. Baby pictures are posted everywhere. The full view looks like a welcoming of the baby.
Another most appreciated theme is that of flowers whereby everything is decorated with flowers, and the view is that of an admirable garden. This generates a feeling of joy and happiness inside the mother, which positively interacts with the unborn baby inside.
It is always preferable to keep the theme gender neutral as most of the mothers do not want to know the gender of the baby before it’s born.
4. Venue for the function
Once the theme is decided for the baby shower, you must look for the perfect locations where you can conduct it. You can choose different venues for performing the baby shower like your own home, garden, or park. It depends on your budget and if you have opted for a medium budget, your house backyard would probably be the best option. It would be fit for accommodating all your guests as well.
But, if you have arranged a flower-themed baby shower with enough budget, you can go for a garden or park. A park would be a beautiful and reliable place for organizing a baby shower with any of the themes as it can be quite flexible according to your needs. So, fix a venue as per your theme and budget and mention do not forget to mention it in the invitation cards.
5. The guest list
While arranging a baby shower for the mom and the unborn baby, you must have a clear vision about the number of people you are going to invite. The guest list should be properly finalized. You are obviously not going to invite all the significant amount of people who were present in the marriage.
The people going to attend the baby shower includes close friends, relatives, and obviously family members. Those people must be invited with whom the mother is most comfortable and is anxious to meet. This creates a positive vibe for the mother, which is good for the little one inside her. The guest list should be perfect and correctly updated. You can never miss the essential and close peoples from the guest list. So, take time to prepare the guest list because it will affect many other things like food arrangements, sitting arrangements, venue, etc.
6. Invitation methods
Once you are done with the guest list, it’s time to send invitations to the guests to cordially invite them to the baby shower. There are several ways to send messages to your guest. The most preferred method is sending invitation cards to the people residing nearby. The invitation card should be appropriately themed, which by appearance should clearly depict a baby shower invitation and should be very polite.
Other methods of inviting people include sending an e-card, which is generally preferred for the guests residing in faraway places. The e-card also should be like the real card depicting the baby shower. You must accurately include the date, time, venue, and your name on the invitation so that there won’t be any confusion among the guests. You can also prefer calling the guests one by one and personally inviting them to the baby shower, which will be a bit more polite and welcoming.
7. Food arrangements for the baby shower
The primary thing in any of the functions is the food. After the functions and ceremonies of the shower is over, a refreshing something must be served to refresh your guests. The food that you include in the menu of the baby shower ceremony must match with your theme. Moreover, you should consider or allocate a fixed budget for meals and other refreshments. The food items should be ordered as per the number of guests invited, so that any kind of wastage is prevented.
The food should be tasty but straightforward because your guest does not expect much since it’s not a wedding ceremony. A simple meal with a simple dessert and drink would be enough. Some additional snacks can be included, such as chips, candies, or chocolates for refreshing the guests while enjoying the ceremony. So, you don’t have to bother about the menu a lot, a simple one will be fine, and yes don’t forget the cake.
8. Plan entertaining games and events for the baby shower
The baby shower should be a fun ceremony so that everyone can enjoy it. Never let it get all boring or annoying as just cutting the cake and having food only. To make the baby shower a happy and joyful event, you can add some games and fun play in between the ceremonies. You can also add some special surprises for the mother and the unborn baby.
Engaging all the guests in games is the best option to make the baby shower more memorable as well as enjoyable. You can play many sports such as truth and dare or some other kind of enjoyable games. Some types of competitions would also be fun such as painting, singing, or dancing as well. Moreover, you can play some paper pen games and also can tell some stories for fun or some jokes to laugh at. Thus, including some entertaining games and events will enhance the enjoyment of the baby shower ceremony significantly.
9. Allocate small prizes for the guests
Along with several games and fun competitions that you have organized, you can also arrange some small prizes for the winners, which will make it look more realistic and make it more enjoyable. You can arrange the title as per your budget since it is not a prize for a big competition, and it is reliable to offer a minor bonus as well.
10. Return gifts to the guests
The guests coming to the baby shower always bring with them lots of blessings for the mother and the unborn child and a gift for them as well. So, in turn, you should also arrange some return gifts for your guests as a token of love. If you have a minimum budget, you can even offer a rose as a token of appreciation to the guests. The thing that matters here the most is your politeness, not the price of the gift. You should be thankful to your guests for attending the baby shower ceremony and making it more enjoyable and happy.
11. Thank you notes for the people attaining the baby shower
This is the most relevant job you must do after the baby shower is over. You should send a thank-you note to all the guests who attended the baby shower. The ceremony only gets enhanced and more enjoyable with the presence of guests and they add several fun moments to the occasion. So, it’s your prime duty to thank your guests after the successful completion of the baby shower for their kind presence and blessings as well. To do so, you can send a thanksgiving letter to all the guests or can call them personally thanking them for coming.
Apart from all the important things listed here, you can also plan a surprise for the mother. A surprise cake with unusual and attractive designs could be an awesome surprise. Other than this, some special memories collection videos or pictures presentation also might be a happy moment for the mother. This kind of surprises planned for the mother will not only make her happy but also will have some positive impacts on the unborn baby. So, including such surprises within your budget will add up more fun to the baby shower ceremony.
Final Words
A baby shower is not a simple or an ordinary ceremony. It is a ceremony whereby you celebrate the upcoming arrival of a new member in the family. So, it should be memorable and extraordinary for the mother as well as the guests invited. Arranging a baby shower would be a piece of cake for you if you have perfect planning which must include all the essential things as mentioned above. Never forget any of these points while arranging a baby shower to avoid all unpleasant circumstances.