Are you hosting a baby shower party for a friend or family member. Baby showers have significantly changed over the last 5 years and have gradually become more and more elaborate and well planned.
When hosting a Baby showers for the expectant mother it gives them a sense of security and warmth in the fact that their friends are coming together to support her by giving moral and financial support in a very emotional time. In today’s society, it really isn’t strange to find family members, groups of friends or even your church friends and pretty much anyone except the expecting mother helping to arrange the baby shower.
Inviting the Guests Who should you invite? Usually, the guest list will only include those nearest and dearest to the expectant mother. It wouldn’t hurt if she gets a first look at the guest list so that she can suggest who should be invited. If you are planning a surprise baby shower, you will have to do a little research on who should be attending instead of running the list through the expectant mother.
Traditionally baby showers for the second born child, are a much smaller gathering where the amount of guests is usually kept down to the closest family and friends to the mother-to-be. Firstborn baby showers however are a little different and they tend to have a larger guest list since it is, after all, the mother-to-be’s first child.
When planning the baby shower and making the decisions on who to invite you need to take into consideration that this is an intimate occasion so you should try to make the gathering one that has many of the expectant mothers intimate friends and associates.
There are many ways today to invite your friends and family to the pending baby shower party such as email or phone. However the more acceptable and traditional way is to send out invitations or letters, this has the effect of setting the atmosphere of the party and in some cases is the only acceptable way to invite your guests.
Traditionally All Female But Guys Are Welcome A baby shower party has in the past been traditionally a female only affair. In saying that it is also not strange to be invited and participate in a mixed shower party for girls and guys. This of course firstly depends on whether the guys wish to attend and also whether the shower host and mother-to-be wish to cater for the attendance of guys at the party. After all their intention might be to just have an intimate “Girlie Party”. At the end of the day it is acceptable to have guys at the party but it will come down to the preference of the host.
Choosing The Baby Shower Venue Many baby shower parties are hosted in such places as formal halls, restaurants and even your own backyard. If the truth be told you can actually host a baby shower party anywhere you choose as long as the expectant mother is comfortable and there are amenities for your guests to use. Be warned however that you really need to arrange the location weeks before the shower is scheduled to start to ensure that you will not have crowds using the the same venue which could possible spoil the day for all attending.
When to Throw a Baby Shower The most common time for the baby shower to be hosted is one or two months before the expected birth. The baby shower is the perfect time to show your support for the new arrival and to get those baby things that she may not have had time to purchase yet. You really need to make sure that you time the baby shower right as it it is not advisable to host the party to close to the due date, and not to early as this can take away from the excitement of the party and the distraction of pending birth which is the intention of the baby shower party.
Baby showers are a pleasant surprise to expecting mothers. It takes a lot of the stress of expecting a child off of their minds and provides a means for friends to show support and concern (and of course, baby gifts) to expecting friends.
A properly coordinated baby shower will be greatly appreciated and forever remembered by the mother-to-be and even the appreciation of the father long after they have delivered their children.
