If you have the task (or perhaps the honor!) of planning a baby shower for a loved one, then you’ll probably go through a few different emotions. You’ll be ecstatic to start with; then you’ll be worried about getting it right. However, if you plan in advance, then you should be able to pull off a beautiful party and enjoy it at the same time.
Choose The Place
Picking the right location is the best thing to start with. Once you know where you are going to host your baby shower, you can arrange the date, the décor, and who to invite. So the location has to be at the top of the list. Places to consider include your home, or the home of the mom-to-be, a restaurant, a local hall, or even an outside venue such as a park. It will depend on the time of year, and how many people you’re hoping to invite, as well as the entertainment you’re planning.
Décor
If you buy your invitations and your decorations in bulk, you’ll save a lot of money, plus it means you’ll have more than enough to decorate the party venue. Look online for some great deals but remember to buy the items in plenty of time so that you aren’t worrying that nothing has arrived the closer you get to the date of the big day. You’ll need to allocate time on the morning of the baby shower to decorate, as well as to be ready for when guests arrive, so don’t leave yourself short.
Games
Party games are always a big hit at a baby shower, and if you prepare them in advance, you can fill in as much time as possible when people aren’t eating or enjoying the other entertainment that you have organized. It’s easiest to stick to games that only need you to hand out a pen and some paper; then you don’t have to add lots of equipment on top of all the other things you have to get ready. You could run a quiz (factsd.com has a lot of information on its site that is perfect for quiz questions), play Baby Bucket List (guests write down one thing that the new mother needs to do in the first year of her child’s life), and Name That Nursery Rhyme. There are many more.
Food And Drink
If you want to save money then making the food yourself is the best option. Buy in bulk again for the best bargains and see if you can enlist some help in the kitchen. Even if you’ve never cooked before you can still make sandwiches and put fruit, cheese, crackers, and other finger food onto a central table for everyone to pick on. Alternatives include ordering take out or hiring caterers. One thing that you really should include is a cake. This could even be a special baby reveal cake (the sponge inside is made either pink or blue, depending on the baby’s sex) if you have the parents’ permission to let everyone know.
Tammie~