Often, the first step in planning a baby shower is picking a theme. Even picking a color theme can make your planning easier by narrowing down the choices! Blue for a boy and pink for a girl are traditional, but of course any palette can be charming.
Fun and creative baby shower themes
Tea Party: A chic alternative to your standard baby shower, guests can dress in formal attire and enjoy a sophisticated sit-down party with real china, fresh flowers, and elegant food.
Book Shower: All the guests are invited to bring their favorite children’s book! You can include something fun like a stuffed toy or game that matches the subject of your book. A great way to start baby’s library!
Mommy Shower: Focus on the mom-to-be instead of the baby! This is a great idea especially if she’s already got a lot of the baby paraphernalia she needs. Guests can bring gifts for mom such as gift certificates to her favorite (grown-up) store, fashion accessories, books, etc.
Scrapbooking Shower: If the mom-to-be is a scrapbooker, have all the guests bring something meaningful, useful, or funny to include on her scrapbook page. It can be something written, like a story, poem, letter, or parenting advice. It can be photos or other objects that recall a fond memory. Lots of creative options!
Noah’s Ark: A fun theme for the mom expecting twins–guests bring 2 of everything!
Nine Months: Everyone is invited to come to the party nine-months pregnant! Stuff your top with pillows so the mom-to-be won’t feel self-conscious… it’s a great ice-breaker too if your guests don’t all know each other!
Freezer Party: If mom is expecting a second or third, she may not need all the stuff that new moms need. Instead, each guest can bring a freezer-friendly meal to be put away for later! Now the family has a home-cooked meal to eat even when mom does not feel up to cooking.
Baby Shower Invitations
Once you’ve got an idea or theme for your party, the next step is picking out invitations!
E-mail or Snail mail: Email is the economical choice, but it’s always fun to send and receive real paper invitations. There are so many lovely colors, patterns, and designs to choose from!
Plan Ahead: Give your guests a few week’s notice. This will hopefully prevent them from scheduling something else on that day, and give ample time for gift shopping!
All the Info: Make sure to include all the important information such as date, time, and location, who it’s for and RSVP instructions. Include registry information if the mom-to-be is registered anywhere. If you’re having a theme, let the guests know so they can plan/dress accordingly!
Baby Shower Planning
Here are some helpful guidelines and tips for planning a shower!
Hosting: Although traditionalists will say that a non-family member should throw the party (so it doesn’t look like anyone’s begging for gifts) it’s really OK for anyone to be involved in the planning.
When: Showers are usually held near the end of the pregnancy, when excitement about the new arrival is peaking. Having a baby shower after the baby is born is fine too, especially if the sex of the baby is being kept a surprise.
Guests: Consulting with the mom-to-be is definitely best when putting together a guest list. You don’t want to leave out anybody important! Baby showers are traditionally a women-only affair, but co-ed parties are becoming more popular… especially if Dad wants to be part of it.
On the Agenda: Showers usually consist of some sort of refreshment or meal, an activity or silly game, socializing, and gift opening. You can offer prizes for the game winners, or party favors for everyone. A theme can make the planning a lot easier to pull together!
