A source for baby gift and baby shower ideas

Baby Shower Planning - Page 1

So you’re throwing a baby shower.  Where do you start?  Right here, of course!  As with any goal that you’re trying to achieve, a good way to start is to ask some very basic questions, such as who, what, where, when and how?  (You already know the why!)  Let’s examine each of these questions in more detail.  As you determine the answers, you’ll find that the elements of the perfect baby shower will begin to fall into place. 

Who?

Probably the first question to ask is who.  Who is the Mom-to-be in relation to you?  Is she a relative, a friend, a co-worker, or someone you know from church or another organization?  This will help you determine the next who, as in who is going to be invited?  Who is going to be included or excluded?  Will the shower be coed or ladies only?

If you are a relative of the Mom-to-be, you will likely be inviting other relatives.  Which ones you invite may depend on geography and the closeness of their relationship to the new mommy.  If you are a blood relative of the expectant mother, are you also going to invite relatives of the future father?  Should you invite friends or co-workers of the new parents?  The answer to these questions will depend on the expectant mother’s family and other relationships.  If her friends or co-workers will be throwing her a separate shower, then you don’t need to feel obligated to include these groups in the guest list.  If this will be the only shower, then you should ask the new Mom for a list of friends, co-workers and other acquaintances she would like to have in attendance.

With many women working outside the home, especially before they have children, workplace showers are becoming more common.  If you are organizing a baby shower for a co-worker, there are several forms the shower could take.  Depending on the size of your company, you could invite everyone in your office.  Or you could just invite those people in the organization who are closest to the Mom-to-be.  You might choose to invite only women, or you could include men, too.  There is not necessarily a right or wrong way to determine the guest list for an office party, but keep a few things in mind.  If you want only a select group of attendees, be discreet with the invitations and the party planning, and plan the shower at an offsite location, preferably after hours.  It would be tacky and detrimental to morale to commandeer the office break room during lunch time if everyone is not invited.  The Mom-to-be may be looking forward to maternity leave as an opportunity to get away from certain co-workers.  But if those co-workers happen to be in the pregnant lady’s department or work unit, you’d probably better extend an invitation.  If the party will be ladies only, and the Mom’s supervisor is a man, you can leave his name off the guest list.  Otherwise, don’t even think of not inviting the boss.  That’s why it’s probably best to extend an invitation to everyone.  Just be sure not to pressure anyone to attend or give a gift, especially men who might not feel comfortable attending a shower and those who barely know the new mom.

If you are a friend of the Mom-to-be, you likely know others in her circle, but you should check with her to see if there are some other friends that you might not be personally acquainted with who should be invited.  If you are planning a shower on behalf of a church group, club or other association that the expectant mother belongs to, you will probably invite all the members, or at least all the female members, of that group.

Even if the guest list will be mostly friends or co-workers, it would be a nice idea to invite the mother and sisters of the guest of honor.  They would relish the opportunity to witness their loved one be the center of attention, and the other guests would enjoy getting better acquainted with their friend’s or co-worker’s family.

Coed showers have become more popular.  You might want to discuss with the Mom-to-be her feelings about this type of party.  If she has male friends, she might enjoy having men in attendance.  Or maybe she would prefer to have a party just for the girls.  Either way, you will probably want to invite the Dad-to-be.  Though he might not want to be present the entire time, especially if the party will feature girly games and female-centric discussions, he might like to help open the presents.  At the very least, he can assist with carrying the gifts out to the car.

Once you’ve decided whom to invite, you’ll have to figure out how to invite them.  Check out our baby shower invitations page for tips on how to pick the invitations that will best fit your needs.