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Baby Shower Hosting 101
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by: Dana Williams
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Are you ready to host the best baby shower ever but
don't know where to start? Baby showers are fun, but planning one can be
tedious. In this article we'll cover the basics to get you started.
So who should host the baby shower? Traditionally, only non-relatives are
to host a baby shower -- co-workers, church groups, etc.; however, it has
become more common and acceptable for mothers and sisters to host showers
too. The important thing is that someone take the initiative to host the
shower -- what a wonderful display of caring for a growing family and a
special way to help welcome a new life into the world. It is also perfectly
acceptable for more than one person to host a baby shower. It can be fun
for a group of friends to share the responsibilities and excitement of
planning and hosting this special event.
When it comes to inviting guests, you likely have some idea of those you
want to invite to the shower, but it is always a safe bet to run the guest
list by the mom-to-be to ensure you haven't left anyone out.
You can invite guests via a phone call or an e-mail (be sure they check
their mail regularly!), but the written invitation is still the most
preferable way to kick off a shower. You can even find baby shower ecard
invitations online. Just do a simple search online and I'm sure you'll find
one. No matter what type of invitation you use, be sure to include
pertinent information -- whether it regards a theme, a note of where the
mom-to-be has registered, a map or written directions to the shower, or any
special item you want the guests to bring for the mom.
Showers are normally given a month or two before the mom's due date. It's a
good idea to give the mom enough time following the shower to shop for
items she didn't receive, yet wants to have before the baby arrives. And of
course you don't want to hold the shower too close to baby's due date in
case he or she makes an early arrival!
Baby showers are normally held in the home of the hostess. If desired
though, you can certainly host a shower at a church fellowship area, a
favorite restaurant, or even at a banquet hall -- it really all depends on
what atmosphere you are looking for and how much money you want to spend.
If the shower will be held in a restaurant, make reservations at least two
weeks prior to the date. At one- week prior, one of the organizers should
speak with the manager to confirm the details.
The shower should last around one and a half to two hours. Things may wind
down early or they may likely continue on as guests chat together.
There are many variations on showers, but we have devised a general
"schedule" for baby showers. You can add/remove any part and re-order it to
your liking.
Greet Guests - serve light appetizers
After all or almost all guests have arrived, go around the room and have
each guest introduce themselves and identify how they know the
mother-to-be.
Play 2-4 Shower Games. It is good to play games at the beginning as
ice-breakers. Remember some guests may not know *anyone* but the
mother-to-be.
Let everyone go get whatever food may be available and then once everyone
has been served, the mother-to-be can begin to open her gifts. Be sure to
have someone write down each gift and who it is from. It will make sending
thank-you notes a lot easier.
People chat and usually leave a few at a time. Make sure the mother-to-be
gets to say goodbye to everyone and the hostess thanks the person for
attending. If the hostess has shower favors, they should give this to the
guests upon leaving.
About the Author:
Dana Williams is the owner of
Dana's Gift Basket Express, an online baby gift shop specializing in over
60 diaper cake and baby shower gift baskets. For more baby shower hosting
ideas go to http://www.danasgiftbasketexpress.com.
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