How to plan an ah-mazing baby shower!

Erin from //celebrateplay// joins us again with some ideas to help you plan a memorable baby shower.

...so you are throwing a baby shower for a Mumma-to-be, or helping to plan your own, and you want it to be AH-MAZING. We get that! Whether it be an intimate affair or a large gathering all you need is a plan with a spot of creativity and a sprinkling of personal touches.

Today I am sharing my top ten organisational and planning tips to help you start to create a baby shower that is pretty, practical and nothing short of amazing!

Let the planning begin!! 

TIP #1 //CHOOSE A THEME //

Choosing a theme is an ideal starting point for planning most events. It provides you, the host, with a sense of direction and helps dictate the budget when purchasing decorations, food, gifts, party favours and games. We recommend choosing themes that are versatile, meaning they can be mixed and matched to create themes in the future for birthdays, baby sprinkles/showers for subsequent children. 

Some themes we simply love for their versatility are:

BOYS
    • A-hoy, it's a boy
    • Planes, Trains & Automobiles
    • Colour and/or pattern theme
UNISEX
    • BaBEE and Mummy to BEE (bumblebee theme)
    • Rubber duckie (duck, water and bath theme)
    • Peas in a pod (multiple births theme)
    • Dr Seuss theme
    • Colour and/or pattern theme
GIRLS
    • Floral
    • Tutu Cuteness
    • Colour and/or pattern theme


    TIP #2 // CREATE A GUEST LIST //


    Chat with the Mum to be, ensuring to ask which guests she would like to invite. Then, make a list (traditional pen and paper list for snail mail invites and/or a digital list for e-invitations) with their names and addresses (residential or email pending type of invitation). Be mindful of your guests needs and make notes on this list as it will help dictate the choice of venue. After all, the venue needs to cater for your guests. 

    TIP #3 // CHOOSE A VENUE //

    When choosing a location there are many considerations, such as time of year, time of day, physical space, facilities, number of guests and budget. 

    Hosting in your home or a family or friends home is intimate and budget friendly. 
    If you have a big guest list and budget, consider hosting the event in a park, restaurant or function room. 

    TIP #4 // SELECT INVITATIONS //

    Once a theme has been decided, choosing invitations should be relatively easy. You may opt for digital invitations or stick with the tradition of paper invites. You may opt for a mix of both based on your guests preference/situation. At //celebrateplay// HQ, we have used Etsy’s digital instant downloads and printed the invites at our local print store or in some cases at home, depending on what our desired effect was. This year we have discovered Print and Party and have used their service. It has been an incredibly easy and stress free process and our digital files were absolutely perfect. 

    TIP #5 // CHOOSE A MENU //

    Deciding on the type of food/s to serve can be a slightly difficult process. Things to consider: time of year, time of day, physical table space, available appliances should you be hosting in a home, number of guests, dietary requirements and budget. 

    TIP #6 // CHOOSE GAMES //

    Every baby shower will be different and the sort of baby shower that you have will dictate the games that you would like to include. Size doesn't matter, there is something for everyone and baby shower games can be fun. Really!! 

    • Pick between two-six games, depending on the number of guests and type of party you are hosting.
    • Don't forget the completion of games can take longer with a larger crowd. If you are unsure of the time involved in your chosen game, have a couple of short games prepared as a back up.
    • Choose a variety of games to cater for all of your guests.
    • Have a timetable and a nominated person responsible for running the games
    • If not all your guests know each other, it can be a good idea to run a few icebreaker games. 

     Baby shower games - Bundle

    Image Credit - Photography by Delvene

    TIP #7 // CHOOSE DECORATIONS //

    Once a theme is selected, do a quick brainstorm of items needed for decoration. Have you got items in your home that will serve as table centrepieces (flowers, balloons, candles, books, baby toys etc) or does a friend or family member have an item that would suit your theme? Make a list of the items you need and allocate a portion of your budget to these needs. Be sure to check out discount warehouses, sales and wholesalers to snap up some decorative bargains. 

    And with some creative flair, think of decorations that serve more than one purpose e.g. Table centrepieces that could be used as a gift for guests or the mum to be.

     Baby shower table decorations - Bundle

    Image Credit - Photography by Delvene

    TIP #8 // CHOOSE GIFTS FOR MUM-TO-BE //

    A baby shower is a great time for soon-to-be parents to receive the gifts they need to help them get ready for parenthood. 

    Here are some of our favourite baby shower gift ideas.

    • BOOK CADDY - books presented in a caddy with each book, a label inside to allow for guest to write a special message.
    • KEEPSAKES - coin sets for the year bub was born, fingerprinted or personal lockets for Mum, popular dress up costume sets for the dress up box in years to come, educational plateware sets, personalised baby frames. 
    • EDUCATIONAL TOYS - felt board sets, Leapfrog toys, texture boards, toy rattles etc. We love the toys over at Everbloom Kids.
    • NAPPY CAKES - made with quality essential baby products in a unique, practical and beautiful design.
    • A BUNDLE BAG - a carefully curated bag full of goodies for Mum to enjoy in hospital. 

    TIP #9 // CHOOSE PARTY FAVOURS //

    Baby shower hosts clamour to find the perfect party favour gifts for their guests. Most people are looking for unique and budget friendly gifts. Here are some ideas:

    • BABY SOCKS filled with chocolates that match the theme with a gift tag showing baby sharing baby shower details
    • POT PLANT with a tag saying "Keep this plant and nourish me in honour of the soon-to be baby."
    • DECORATIVE SOAP bar with a rhyme on the label - "We showered (mum's name) in pink and blue. Now this 'shower' gift is especially for you".
    • FACEWASHER CUPCAKES - facewasher folded in liners to resemble cupcakes. 

    Party favours look great when closely linked to the baby shower theme.

    TIP #10 // PREPARATION FOR SENDING THANK YOU NOTES //

    One of the intriguing parts of a baby shower is watching the gifts be opened. All the ooohs and aaahhs as guests eagerly anticipate what the mum to be and baby will receive from their loved ones creates such a magical part of a baby shower. To help Mum remember who these gifts came from, jot down the name of each item on the back of the gift card as they are opened and revealed for show. This way when it comes to writing a thank you note, it can be specific and personalised to create that perfect heartfelt message of appreciation. 

    The other important secret with sending thank you notes is to ensure it is completed in a timely manner - we recommend before the arrival of baby. This is a busy time but life gets much busier after baby has arrived and writing thank you notes becomes increasingly difficult and as the time passes less relevant to your guests. 

    Erin from //celebrateplay//Erin is a Mum of two, wife and an Early Childhood and Primary School teacher as well as the former bizowner of Nappy Cakes by Erin and the current Founder and Blogger at //celebrateplay//. She lives a busy, simple and enjoyable life in Sydney. Her greatest passions are family, organisation, gift-giving, helping others, celebrating events and lifelong learning. Want to follow how we celebrate play? You can find Erin hanging out on the //celebrateplay// Facebook page and their Facebook online support group (website and blog under construction).


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