A baby shower is the family's first opportunity to gather people and introduce their child's life. Its primary purpose is to provide emotional support to the mother and bring different items that she or the family will need to take care of the baby as gifts.
Whether you're a new parent or want to help prepare for the baby shower, here are a few helpful ways to get started.
Set a Budget
Before you start with anything, setting a budget should always be your primary concern. Preparing a set amount of money you're willing to spend allows you to allocate budgets to other things you'll need for the event, such as the location and the food. You can DIY everything instead of hiring an event planner to save money.
Moreover, one way to determine your budget is to consider the number of people you want to invite. A famous event planner, Sabrina Hill, mentioned that if you have around ten people you want to invite, you can splurge a bit with $500. However, having around 50 people with the same budget can be tight so you might reconsider. Once you determine the number of guests, you can figure out your budget.
Find the Best Venue
To choose the best venue, consider the number of attendees, the season, the time, and the budget. If you’re from Australia and plan to spend more, Smoked Garage offers three different types of venues you can choose from, and each has its distinct qualities that can make your baby shower magical. The venue also offers its own set of menus that you can coordinate with them, making everything easier since you no longer need to worry about other things.
In places that boast beautiful beaches, such as Bali and Boracay, you can instead consider holding a beach party for your baby shower. It would be memorable for your family and guests. However, if you want a relatively small, intimate party, you can celebrate in your backyard, a relatively popular venue for baby showers. Though you might need to work on several things by yourself, you don't need to worry since the scale is much smaller.
Think of a Theme
Preparing a theme for your baby shower also allows you to get started. It's one of the primary steps in planning for a baby shower because it helps you know how you would want your party to be.
The baby's gender usually inspires the theme. For baby girls, mermaid or fairy themes are usually popular. Meanwhile, jungle and nautical themes for baby boys. However, animal and nautical themes are also great if you prefer a more gender-neutral party.
When thinking of a theme, it's crucial to consider your budget to prepare the best of the baby shower's theme within your price range.
Prepare the Program
A baby shower isn't complete without a program, which will make the party enjoyable and more memorable. There's no solid flow of events you should follow, but the common events are usually part of a baby shower.
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Welcome the Guests. To officially commence the baby shower, the parents usually welcome the guests through a loving speech, sending their thanks for their presence.
- Games. Depending on how long you want the game to last, a baby shower usually contains two to three games for the guests to enjoy. The games are usually related to babies, like the Don't say baby game, diaper raffle, suck it Up, etc. You can prepare a variety of games, and you can be creative about it.
- Opening of Gifts. Guests are encouraged to bring gifts to the baby shower. Gift items should be something that can help the baby. If you like, you can open these gifts in front of the guests as part of the baby shower program to thank the gifter.
- Advice to the Parents. As your guests give you the gift, you can let them give you advice as a parent to make your event more memorable for everyone.
Consider the Menu
Preparing for a menu can be one of the most challenging parts of planning a baby shower. To give you a few tips, consider preparing the parents-to-be's favorite food or a menu plan consistent with the theme. Aside from that, you should also think of the time of the event. If you've set for a lunch party, you should prepare a lunch-appropriate menu or snacks for after lunch, just after one p.m.
Don't shy away from wine, especially if the parents enjoy it. You can consider preparing DIY cocktails on top of the all-sweets buffet, safe for pregnant mothers so that your guests can enjoy them. You can also prepare fruits and finger fruits to let your guests enjoy some foods as the program flows out.
Choose Baby Shower Favors
Baby shower favors aren't essential, but it's a sweet gesture to bid your guests farewell with a token as they head out. It doesn't have to be significantly big or expensive, but something like a potted plant, scented candles, sweet treats, and the like is enough for a thoughtful choice.
You can also give out something like a party bag where the guests can collect any food they want to bring home from the party.
Final Thoughts
A baby shower is the perfect opportunity to celebrate your baby's life. You don't have to be too extravagant about it. A simple DIY event is usually enough. Nonetheless, these tips above will help you make the particular day memorable. So, take notes and start listing how you would want your party to be.