How to organize a baby shower?
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For several years now, the trend has been towards baby showers to celebrate a future mom and the upcoming arrival of her baby. Are you looking to organize a baby shower for yourself, your sister, or your best friend, but lacking inspiration? Find all our tips and ideas in this article to organize a baby shower that your guests will remember for a long time!
What is a baby shower?
Concept straight from the United States, a baby shower is a prenatal party organized in honor of an expectant mother and the upcoming arrival of her little one. This Anglo-Saxon expression means « baby shower » in reference to the shower of gifts received by the expectant mother. Indeed, it is customary to give her all the necessary equipment for her baby. While this celebration is a true institution across the Atlantic, in France, it has become significantly more popular in recent years. Thus, it brings together the future mother’s loved ones for an afternoon of a delicious buffet, games and activities about the birth, confidences, and beautiful gifts.
Who is organizing the baby shower?
Traditionally, the baby shower is organized by the best friend, the mother, or the sister of the expectant mother, sometimes in the utmost secrecy to give her a lovely surprise. Nowadays, some pregnant women decide to take matters into their own hands and organize their prenatal party themselves, or even hire an event planner to handle all the preparations. With the baby shower, anything goes as long as it resembles the future mom.
Who to invite to the baby shower?
Until recently, the prenatal celebration was exclusively reserved for women close to the expectant mother, especially her close friends; probably because it is easier to open up and share confidences. However, in recent years, it has become increasingly common to attend a mixed baby shower where the future dad, the future grandfathers, and male friends are part of the event.
How to organize a baby shower?
The baby shower is an excellent opportunity to delight an expectant mother by creating a special moment surrounded by the people she loves.
Thus, there is not just one way to organize a birth celebration; it should be unique and reflect the personality of the future mom However, some details need to be considered for the party to be successful.
1. The date and the location
The first step is to determine the date and location of the event. The baby shower is usually celebrated between the 7th and 8th months of pregnancy . Indeed, the birth is near, but the expectant mother is not yet too tired to fully enjoy the celebration. Recently, we have seen the emergence of postpartum baby showers organized a few weeks after the baby's arrival. The goal remains the same: to celebrate the arrival of the newcomer, but the advantage lies in being able to introduce them to the whole family and friends.
Usually, the birthday party is organized during an afternoon, as weekends often turn out to be the best option to gather all participants. If you are organizing a baby shower for an expectant mother, make sure to first check her availability. In the case of a surprise party, playing the card of a fake invitation always works! ;)
Regarding the location, several options are available to you! Whether you are planning the baby shower for yourself or for a friend, hosting it at your home or at the future mom's place can be a wise choice. Indeed, everything is already on site, including the gifts which won't need to be transported. If needed, you can organize the event at a relative's house or even in a privatized café. If you are planning the baby shower in spring or summer, it is also possible to hold it outdoors for a garden-party atmosphere. When choosing the location, consider the number of guests and the activities that will be offered, as this will help you determine the space you will need.
Once you have determined the date and location of the event, you can invite the guests. To do this, prepare an invitation. If you have chosen a theme (we will come back to this later), you can tailor the invitation accordingly. If you are crafty, you can of course make it yourself. For example, you can cut out a shape of a diaper, a baby bodysuit, or a bottle from a cardboard sheet, then add your personal touch by decorating it by hand. You should note the following points on the invitation: the date and location of the party, the theme, information regarding the gift list, a request for confirmation before a certain date, and your contact details.
2. Our theme and decoration ideas
Choosing a theme for a baby shower can be very practical. Indeed, it will serve as a guiding thread and will be reflected in the invitations, decorations, and even the buffet. To find the perfect theme, think about the universe that suits you or the future mom. It can be a color, a style, a character, a place, or even a fairy tale. More traditionally, you can also opt for the famous blue if it's a boy's baby shower or the classic pink for a girl's baby shower . Our advice: let your imagination run wild!
Here are some trendy baby shower theme ideas these past years:
- The bohemian theme for a soft and natural ambiance: you can suggest a refined decoration, rather understated in white, beige, and pastel tones while adding some plant touches.
- The jungle theme for a tropical adventure: focused on lush vegetation, you can opt for gold, white, or yellow/orange tones to contrast with the green. In safari style, you can also add some decorations representing wild animals.
- The white and gold theme to replace traditional blue and pink: gold has been the trendy color for a few years! Paired with white, symbol of purity, it’s the theme to choose for a chic and gender-neutral baby shower.
- The unicorn theme for a fairy-tale side: very trendy at the moment, it adds a very festive touch to the baby shower. Opt for pastel colors such as sky blue, purple, pink, or orange. The artistic touch will be in a cake or macarons shaped like unicorns.
Once you have determined the theme, you can extend it to various types of decorations: a balloon arch, personalized banners and pennants, tableware, the gourmet buffet, etc.
3. Our menu ideas
Since baby showers usually take place in the afternoon, sweet treats are often the highlight of the buffet, also called the "sweet table." Of course, it should be coordinated with the chosen theme. To delight the guests' taste buds, you can offer cupcakes, cookies, donuts, meringues, a delicious cake, popcorn, various candies, or fresh fruits. Something to satisfy all the sweet lovers.
If the baby shower takes place early in the afternoon, you can also opt for a refined brunch, satisfying both sweet and savory lovers. If you're lucky enough to have an outdoor space and the weather is nice, you can also organize a friendly barbecue, of course, the meat should be well cooked for the future mom. ;)
4. Our game and activity ideas
Although conversations between you and the guests will go smoothly, you can suggest several games and activities to keep the party lively. We've found several ideas that will make you the star of the entertainment! ;)
DIY and craft activities to keep wonderful memories:
The guestbook where each guest slips a little note for the future parents
Customizing a white bodysuit or bib with paint or fabric markers.
The prediction notebook where each guest will write their guesses about the baby's birth date, weight, height, hair and eye color, or which parent they will resemble the most.
The animations that set the mood:
The diaper changing competition on a ball or a doll diapers
Tasting baby food jars where you have to identify the flavors with your eyes closed
Riddles of all kinds: estimating the circumference of the pregnant woman's belly, photos of guests when they were babies or having to recognize who is who, and of course the classic blind test.
The traditional photo booth to capture the celebration: simply gather a few accessories around the theme of babies and you're all set. If possible, you can rent a photo booth from a professional, or use a polaroid camera, a smartphone, or a camera will also do the trick.
5. Our gift ideas
As with wedding ceremonies, it is customary to give guests attending the baby shower a small keepsake gift. It can be treats in a small jar or beautifully wrapped chocolates.
In the United States, baby showers are synonymous with gifts galore. In France, gifts are usually given to the expectant mother and the baby after the birth. But to make a special gesture, it is quite possible to give a small something. This can be related to pregnancy, for example a photo session to immortalize the rounded belly or a more symbolic gift like jewelry. If the birth list has been shared, you can pick an idea from it. Otherwise, find all our ideas in our article: « What newborn gift to give ». For a more original and handmade gift like the traditional one diaper cake also called « diaper cake » .
Discover our tutorial:
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As you may have noticed, planning a baby shower is no small feat! Several details need to be considered and organized, so it’s best to start at least six weeks before the scheduled date to be ready for the big day. The celebration will go by in the blink of an eye, so consider capturing it by taking lots of photos. Later, it will be a real pleasure to relive this wonderful day. :)