How to Prepare a Baby Shower Party
A well organised, fun baby shower is one of the best gifts you can give a mum-to-be. However, successful shower takes dedication and patience and a lot of planning. If you are planning a baby shower and don’t know how to prepare we have put together some expert tips to pull off a truly wonderful day.
To begin with, a baby shower takes time to time to execute well so give yourself about 6 weeks and a comfortable budget to plan one. If you will be hosting the party, even better as you have more control over all the details and execution. Make sure and rope in some other friends to help out so your not spread thin on the day. Plus, planning is half the fun so having friends involved will make it an enjoyable experience.
Baby Shower Preparation
Preparations begin with deciding who will host and who will be helping with the planning. How many people will be attending? Who will you be inviting? What will be the theme of the shower? It’s best to have a notepad and pen to get things organised right from the get-go.
Of course, the shower will be inspired by the mother to be and based around her interests. You will want to confirm the gender of the baby first if it’s already known. If not, a general theme from the nursery or the mother’s favourite colours will do. Also take the time to figure out how the mother-to-be would like to celebrate the day for example having a high-tea theme. This will determine things like the decorations needed for the venue or what style baby hampers to buy.
As early as ten weeks before the scheduled shower date you will want start making a checklist of everything needed. Now is when you need to start collecting the answer to following questions:
- Who will host the shower?
- What is your budget?
- Where will you host the party?
- Who will be attending?
You will also need to send out invitations early on, at least 6 weeks before the actual date. That way, people will have plenty of time to RVSP and will allow you to plan on what to prepare for the baby shower.
What to Prepare For a Baby Shower
The exact baby shower preparations will need to be well-timed to minimise the last-minute rush. The last thing the host or mother-to-be needs is stress on a day that’s supposed to be a celebration. As such, here is a suggested timeline that will minimise any stress or the possibility of things being missed or forgotten.
Six Weeks Before:
- Prepare the mailing list. Prepare the invitations, which ideally should be carded. However, you can always go for emails or other informal platforms for the closest friends and family. Mail the invitations with at least a month to spare.
- Plan for and start ordering decorations. Things like balloons, crepe paper, paper lanterns, amongst others should be ordered in good time for the party.
- If you will be using caterers, book one at this time. The same goes for a venue if you will not be hosting in your house.
- Check with the lucky mother-to-be on the status of the baby shower registry.
The baby shower registry is a collection of gift ideas the new parents would love to have or haven't purchased yet. The guests will be wanting to know what baby shower gifts to bring, so have it ready. It is a good idea to have the baby register details on the invitations so guests have plenty of time to choose which gift they will be bringing.
Two to One Week Before:
- If there will be games and prizes, plan these at this time.
- Organise for an official party photographer. This can just be a guest if not hiring a professional but by having one dedicated person it ensures photos are captured on the day.
- Book rental supplies if you will be needing them.
- Follow up on guests who haven’t RSVP’d.
- Confirm reservations.
- Decide on drinks provided for the party. If you will be serving alcohol try also having a punch or non alcoholic wine for the mother-to-be or anyone else who doesn't wish to drink alcohol.
- Organise a loose schedule for the party to keep things interesting.
- A week before the party, pick up non-perishable foodstuffs and drinks. This is also a great time to prepare the nappy cakes.
One Day Before/Day of the Baby Shower:
- Finalise with the venue and food preparations.
- Have a place for the gifts.
- Pick up the mother-to-be on the big day.
So there you go, these are the major things to think of when preparing for a baby shower party. Remember that it is all about the mother-to-be, so give her a day to remember. Delegate as much as you can to spread out the work load but most of all have fun. After all, it is a day of celebration. For all baby shower party supplies in Australia, shop online at Bespoke Baby and we will have them delivered promptly and reliably to ensure for a special baby shower.