Although a newborn’s arrival into the world can be a joyful occasion, it can also bring a lot of stress… not just for the parents, but for family and friends as well.

Baby showers are the perfect example. While they are used to celebrate the arrival of a brand new life into the world, they can also be stressful for the person hosting the occasion. If you are planning to throw a baby shower for a friend or a relative, and you are not sure exactly how to start organizing it, this article provides some tips.

Best time for a baby shower?

The best time to throw a baby shower is on the weekend, preferably mid-morning to late afternoon. Why? Because people work during the week. Also, consider having the baby shower later on in the mother-to-be pregnancy, around 9 weeks before the birth is best.

A baby shower can also be held after the birth of the child. This is the best plan if the mother-to-be is having complications with her pregnancy.

How many people should I invite?

One normally invites anywhere from 10 to 20 people to a baby shower. What one should also take into consideration when inviting people, is whether or not the location of the baby shower can accommodate only a few or a large group of people.

How long should a baby shower last?

A baby shower generally lasts about two to three hours. That should be enough time for everyone to mingle, the presents to be opened, and food eaten. Also, take into consideration the mother-to-be is more easily exhausted.

Who should pay for the baby shower?

The host/hostess should pay for the baby shower. A baby shower is perceived as a gift from the host to the bride. It is not unusual or wrong for the host to ask family or close friends to help out monetarily. So, if you need some financial help, don’t be shy in asking family and close friends. What is not acceptable is asking the mother-to-be for monetary help.

Should I throw a surprise shower?

If you are thinking of throwing a surprise shower, you may want to rethink. Surprise showers can cause the host all kinds of problems, namely making sure the mother-to-be arrives at the shower on time. The best plan is to throw a baby shower that the mother-to-be is aware of because she can offer much needed suggestions to the host.

Do you need to send out invitations?

Yes, one needs to send out invitations for a baby shower. It does not have to involve fancy stationery. One can go to any greeting card store and purchase invitations at a reasonable price. It is also important that you send out the invitations a few weeks in advance, preferably three to four weeks.

Can I have games at the baby shower?

Games are indeed very popular at baby showers. However, baby showers are primarily about the food, drink (non-alcoholic), presents and conversations. So while having games at a baby shower is fine, do not feel pressured to have them. If you do opt for games at a baby shower, be creative and make sure the games center on the baby and mother-to-be.

When should the presents be opened?

The presents should be opened after food has been enjoyed and games played, if you decide to have them.

Themes

In this day and age, a lot of baby showers have themes. There are advantages to a theme orientated baby shower. It can certainly make the shower easier to organize. You can make up your own them theme or use some already established popular baby showers themes, which include:

Tea party, which can be fun.

Book party, where everyone brings books as gifts for the baby and mother.

Diaper party, where the baby shower centers on gifts that deal with the bare necessities like diapers or baby bottles.

Planning a baby shower is a huge task. There are so many things to think about and planning can take a lot of time and effort. In the end, though, it is all worth it because the mother-to-be is surely to be delighted by the final outcome. When planning a baby shower the way to ensure things get off to a good start is to really put a lot of thought into the invitations, especially the verses. The verses for baby shower invitations are a way to inform the guests and to get them excited about the baby shower.

Taking a look at a shower for a baby girl helps explain how to choose verses that will work. Baby girl shower verses can range from cute to sentimental. There are many options. Girls are always stereotyped as being ’sugar and spice and everything nice’. They are all about pink and frills. Baby girl shower verses should reflect these thoughts so they make it clear the baby is going to be a girl. It should also fit in with the theme of the party. Baby shower verses are the first thing a guest will see and often set the mood for the party.

Choosing verses for baby shower invitations is something that should be done carefully. The verse can really have an impact. The right baby shower verses will not only entertain, but inform. Baby girl shower verses and verses for boys, too are fairly easy to come up with if a person focuses on the theme of the party and the typical things associated with the baby‘s gender.

Baby shower favors are given as a way to thank guests for attending the party. For a very special thank you a hostess may consider using expensive baby shower favors. If the money is available, expensive baby shower favors can be anything from candles to chocolates. There are many options awhen it comes to stepping up the party with expensive baby shower favors.

Most baby shower favors are personalized in some way. Getting items personalized can be expensive and many times people simply use a label they have printed themselves, but if money is not a consideration then personalization can get fun. There are many expensive baby shower favors online that offer great personalization effects. A person could get candles made with the shower date, parents names and a thank you on them. They could get small embroidered sachets with the same information, too. There are many options when cost is not a factor.

Another expensive baby shower favors idea is to get special made favors. Gourmet treats are a great idea with special made packaging with the party informtion on it. If there is a theme a person could get favors relating to the theme special made. Special ordering things, though, takes time, so a hostess should be sure to plan far enough in advance of the shower.

Expensive baby shower favors just go an extra step to tell guests how appreciated they are. While favors do not have to be expensive, if expensive baby shower favors can be afforded they make for a nice addition to the party.

Deciding on Baby Boy Shower Decorations can be a difficult task, so many ideas to choose from. But with a little imagination and some planning you will be successful.

Is dad a sports nut? If so, you can decorate the party with dads favorite sport. If it happens to be football you can easily find a table cloth with footballs on them.

Ask mom how the baby’s room is going to be decorated, Noah’s Ark, ducks? Finding cups and plates with ducks on them is not difficult. Or you could just go with something as simply as “It’s a boy” theme and have lots of blue balloons and ribbons.

Teddy Bears are not just for girls. In fact bears are a very popular decoration. It could be Winne the Pooh, or just bears in general. You can find many cups, plates, napkins, and banners with bears on them.

Once you have decided on the decorations, Try to keep everything else with the same theme. A uniformed shower will make a party the quest will remember. If you decided on the bears, get the invitations, favors, baby cake, etc. with bears on them. Once the quest know how the party is themed it will be easy for them to decide on a gift to bring.

Try to stick with some kind of theme it will make your decorating decisions that much easier. A little imagination and some thought and you are on your way to a beautifully decorated party.

Baby Shower Party Favors add another dimension to the Shower festivities. Some will carry on the theme of the party, others will just be more eclectic and fun items to act as a souvenir of the day. Some Baby Shower Party Favors that have been tried and proved to be liked include:

Scented votive candles, decorated with circles of pink/blue/green or even yellow tulle and ribbon make a great smelling favor. To make it a specific baby-shower item, feel free to glue on miniature baby bottles, teddy bears, pacifiers, or rattles to fit the color theme.

A Winnie the Pooh shower with Baby Shower Party Favors that relate to the various Pooh characters can also be fun. Consider these:

Edibles are always good party favors. Think about fancy little truffles or chocolates in the miniature boxes, tulle bags, or wrapped in pretty colored netting and tied with a bow. Boxes of microwave popcorn saying “She’s about to Pop!” or gourmet coffee or tea with a note saying “A baby is brewing!” can also be a lot of fun.