planning a baby shower
Sarah Porter asked:


Where should you have the baby shower? The answer depends on several factors! Traditionally, baby showers are held at a home, word, restaurant, or church / temple. Baby showers nowadays are held at parks, country clubs, bars, restaurants and any place where people can gather, All About Baby Showers , the preferred choice for the baby shower place is the warmth of some friend’s house since it is more comfortable, quaint and homey.

For the second or third baby shower, a restaurant with a private room, bar or church / temple are great places to host the baby showers. Cost is an important consideration since someone will have to pay for the baby shower costs. The weather time of day and are also important considerations when deciding where the baby showers should be held.

You should ensure that the baby shower location is large enough to accommodate your guest list. Regardless of whether you host the baby shower, http://www.cards-411.com/display.php?page_name=All_About_Baby_Showers at a home, restaurant, hotel or rented space, make sure everything is planned and it will be an excellent shower! Hosting the baby shower at home will save a considerable amount of your budget. However, you will still need to spend money on plates, cups, napkins, eating utensils and possibly table rentals.

If the baby shower will be at a restaurant, you should start looking for locations early. You should visit potential locations to make sure it will accommodate your party, works with your baby shower theme and serves food that the Mommy-to-Be and your guests will enjoy. You should ensure that the location you choose will match your baby shower theme and will allow you to decorate for that theme.

Baby Shower Party at Home – The most popular place to have baby showers is in someone’s home since homes are warm and cozy, and usually you don’t have to worry about making too much noise. But, homes are often too small for a large number of guests. One of the first things decisions when planning baby showers is how many people the home can comfortably accommodate. The furniture should be moved so the baby shower guests can sit in an arrangement that will allow for pleasant conversation.

There are many types of baby showers for the home you can plan. Home baby showers are likely to be attended by guests of all ages, so you will want to keep the baby shower party fun for everyone. Some baby shower ideas that may be fun for younger guests might not be appropriate for older ones. A cute home baby shower favor idea is to make cookies, frost them with the Mom’s name, wrap them and put them next to a cute baking favor like the baby shower rolling pin recipe card holder. You could even put a recipe for the cookies behind the recipe card that’s included with the baby shower favor!

Baby Shower Party at Restaurant - A restaurant or banquet hall provides lots of space baby showers in an elegant atmosphere. The restaurant does the food preparation, clean up and other tasks, so your work is minimized. The biggest challenge to having the baby shower at a restaurant is to make the guests feel welcome and to create a comfortable atmosphere for conversation and sharing.

You should select a restaurant convenient to most of your guests and Mommy-to-Be. Plan the baby shower far enough in advance so that you can make the reservations. It will be difficult at that time to estimate the number of guests attending the baby shower, but you can check with many guests before mailing the baby shower invitations, so that you can give the restaurant your best guess. Always try the food yourself, BEFORE selecting the menu for the baby shower.

You should be aware of your guests’ dietary needs, and you might want to share the menu in advance or ask if anyone has any special dietary restrictions. Arrange for the restaurant has an alternative available if a guest can’t eat the foods that have been chosen. If any guest rejects the meal, the server should be instructed to ask the guest if she would prefer an alternative. Always check with the restaurant beforehand if you are bringing your own cake.

If you are hosting a large group for the baby shower, you might consider using baby shower place cards. It is also a nice little extra to have name tags for each guest indicating their relationship to the Mommy-to-Be, and don’t forget a name tag for the guest of honor. Baby shower decorations add a warm touch, but keep them simple. A cluster of helium baby shower balloons and a baby shower banner over the gift table add a festive touch. Don’t forget to give the guests a cute baby shower favor.

Baby shower games are sometimes not appropriate at a restaurant, but if the restaurant is casual and you have a private area, a simple baby shower game might be considered. Be mindful of your allotted time at the restaurant so that all of the baby shower gifts can be opened comfortably without being rushed. As the guests leave, it’s an added feature to have someone photograph the Mommy-to-Be with each departing baby shower guest. Have duplicate prints made and let the Mommy-to-Be include one in each of her baby shower thank you cards. It’s a thoughtful baby shower gift for both the guest and Mommy-to-Be.

Baby Shower Party at the Office or Work - When planning baby showers, one of the first decisions to be made is where to have the party. If it will be held at work, check with the human resources department to be certain there will be no conflict and verify that an appropriate area will be available. Deciding whom to send office baby shower invitations to might be difficult in a large business, because some people may feel left out. Ask the Mommy-to-Be for advice and suggestions.

One person should act as the host or hostess and delegate other tasks. The immediate co-workers normally pay the direct costs for the baby shower. Baby shower decorations and baby shower party supplies should be easily disposable. A cluster of baby shower balloons and a personalized baby shower banner would be appropriate. You should decide in advance if lunch will be part of the program or only desert. You will need to decide on something easy like pizza, while some office baby shower parties decide to make it a potluck.

An office baby shower party usually allows very little time for baby shower games, but the lottery style scratch off game cards are perfect for these type of baby showers. Ask each person to write down her suggestions for keeping the new baby happy. These suggestions can be funny or serious, and should be read just before the Mommy-to-Be opens the baby shower gifts. Ask someone to take pictures and get doubles printed so the Mommy-to-Be can have one set and the others can be posted and shared with all.

If the baby shower party is being held during working hours, time could be a factor. The hostess should keep everyone and the baby shower on schedule. A clean up committee should be appointed in advance and should be responsible for returning the room to its original appearance. Have fun, but remember, it is still an office environment. And, above all, don’t forget to send personalized baby shower thank you cards.

You can view lot of printable Baby Shower Announcements, Baby Shower Invitations and Baby Shower Cards, add your personal message, along with your favorite fonts, ink color and then Preview your personalized baby card. This process allows you to see your baby card before you buy!

planning a baby shower
Sarah Porter asked:


Hosting a successful baby shower requires good planning and organization. Here’s a timeline and step-by-step planning guide that will help you organize and prepare a successful baby shower, stay in control during the baby shower party, All About Baby Showers and ensure the Mommy-to-Be has the time of her life.

Ten Weeks Before:

—– Decide on a general baby shower plan

—– Prepare a budget

—– Set the date of the baby shower

—– Select the location for the baby shower party



Eight Weeks Before:

—– Prepare guest list; ensure addresses are correct

—– Determine the baby shower theme

—– Choose the food for the baby shower

—– If catering, hire the caterer

—– Order personalized baby shower invitations with matching baby shower thank you cards

Six Weeks Before:

—– Ensure the printed baby shower invitations and matching baby shower thank you cards have arrived

—– Start addressing the custom baby shower invitations

—– Assign responsibilities for various duties for the baby shower

—– Delegate one guest to photograph and / or videotape the baby shower

Four Weeks Before:

—– Mail unique baby shower invitations to invited guests

—– Order baby shower party supplies

—– Book the entertainer if one is planned or budgeted for



Three Weeks Before:

—– Count the serving ware you have available

—– Conclude the baby shower menu

—– Start buying the nonperishable baby shower items

—– Select the baby shower games to be played at the baby shower party

Two Weeks Before:

—– Call invited guests who have not relied to the unique baby shower invitations

—– Verify all baby shower party favors and baby shower party supplies will arrive on time

—– Create seating arrangements for guests at the baby shower

—– Purchase beverages for the baby shower

—– Buy the present for the Mommy-to-Be

One Week Before:

—– Place order with the florist

—– Order baby shower cake, if you’re not baking it yourself

—– Order any prepared foods

—– Order baby shower balloons

—– Inventory household supplies

—– If it is a surprise baby shower, develop a plan for Mommy-to-Be to get to the baby shower party

—– Assemble the baby shower favors and baby shower decorations

—– Confirm rentals, entertainment and baby shower party site, if not at your home

One Day Before:

—– Clean house where baby shower will be held, if at a home

—– Cook dishes that can be prepared in advance

—– Bake the baby shower cake and refrigerate

—– Check in delivery of rentals

—– Buy perishable ingredients and ice

—– Wrap baby shower present to the Mommy-to-Be

—– Begin decorating

Day of the Party:

—– Get flowers from the florist, if ordered

—– Pick up cake or frost cake if baked at home

—– Get prepared foods, rolls and bread

—– Finish assembling homemade food and cooking

—– Set up the gift station for the baby shower gifts

—– Final cleanup of the bathroom or powder room

—– Set tables

—– Arrive early if baby shower party site is not at your home

During the Party:

—– Greet guests

—– Kick off the baby shower party

—– Coordinate with your guest video recorder and / or photographer

After the Party:

—– Gather all the baby shower presents

—– Pay balances and tips if baby shower is not at your home

—– Allow others to help you clean up

You can view lot of printable Baby Shower Announcements, Baby Shower Invitations and Baby Shower Cards, add your personal message, along with your favorite fonts, ink color and then Preview your personalized baby card. This process allows you to see your baby card before you buy!

planning a baby shower
Donald Saunders asked:


Selecting a theme for your baby shower makes the rest of your planning a reasonably simple task because a theme gives your party a starting point and helps you to narrow down the choices for everything from picking the right color scheme to finding the perfect location.

There are so many wonderful baby shower themes to pick from these days and your most difficult task could simply be to select the perfect one. A wise host will put her head together with the guest of honor early on to begin talking about the party details because, after all, this is supposed to be the mother-to-be’s special day and it makes sense that she should play a role in the decision making process.

Of course, if the baby shower is being planned as a surprise then the host will not be able to ask the guest of honor directly about her preferences, but the host will almost certainly be close enough to her to know what she likes and does not like. The host may also know the baby’s gender and might even know whether or not the mother-to-be has already chosen a color scheme or a theme for the nursery and this can be a great help at this early stage in the planning.

Before you decide on a theme it is important to consider the ‘tone’ of the shower and whether it is going to be a formal or an informal affair. Also, is it to be a girls only event or are the boys going to be invited as well? If the boys are coming then it could be a sensible idea to go a little bit easy on the frilly d?cor. Themes can also be a bit more adult-oriented if couples are attending. Additionally, some themes such as a sports theme or even a luau theme often work very well for a shower that is going to include the boys.

If the men are not going to be attending then your choice for a theme is wide open and you can pick just about anything you like including timeless themes such as the prince or princess, animals, Disney characters, nursery rhymes, bath time and countless others.

A theme can also be based upon a concept such as a safety with guests bringing gifts that are geared to child safety or pampering mommy with guests bringing gifts to comfort the expectant mother. When the baby shower is for a second or third child then themes which focus on the guest of honor are perfect. The theme can also relate to something which the mother-to-be particularly enjoys doing, such as scrap booking. 

At the end of the day a creative host can probably make any baby shower theme work as long as she is prepared to invest the time and money and making some themes work can be expensive, particularly when a lot of guests are attending. Remember therefore that, while a theme can be extremely helpful when it comes to planning, all of the plates and napkins will end up in the trash whether they are white or themed. What is really important is that everybody has an enjoyable and memorable day!