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One of the big things to have come across from the pond in the last decade has been the arrival of the baby shower! It is an occasion full of joy and nerves but for the expectant mother to be, one of the look forward to calendar moments that they can look back on over time.
If you are planning a baby shower, or are hosting the event, you need to be aware of some of the more basic things to make sure the event goes without any catastrophes. As a baby shower host you need to include pretty much anyone in the expectant mother’s life, including friends, relatives, and even spouses.
Here is our step by step guide to hosting a fun and memorable party!
Pick a date and time
The person that will know most about their social calendar and the social calendar of those around her will be the guest of honour themselves. Most of the time, the expectant mother would choose a date that is within the 7th month window of pregnancy; it is safer for the mother, plus the parents will have plenty of time to organise the date with her friends and also, decide what essentials will be needed after all the gift giving on the day.
Get a guest list together and budget
Knowing who to invite is also one of the must know pieces of information that is essential. The expectant mother should be able to give you this information in good time, be sure to have first and last names and also addresses plus email addresses if possible. Budgeting for the baby shower is also a good idea, especially for venue and event the baby shower catering. If you have 20 guests and the budget is £300, there may not be a lot of wiggle room for certain things but you could choose to increase how much you want to spend on food and drink for example.
Pick a venue
You could save money and have the shower at a friends house and get catering delivered or you could instead decide to splurge on a location that has all the amenities to hand. When you’re picking the venue remember to keep in mind the date of the shower and what the potential weather could be like, how easy is it to access and if it happens during a holiday period, this would all affect the costs.
Get the invites out
You’ve found the location, you’ve got the date ready and you even have the guest list but not getting the invites out is the faux pas you need to avoid at all costs. Getting invites out to all guests 6 to 7 weeks before the event is recommended here and you need to ask for an RSVP. That way you can be sure of numbers and make sure that anyone who has a dietary requirement is looked after as well.
Get the menu spot on
Talking with a professional caterer is required at this point. Your budget per person will determine how much is spent on the baby shower catering, but having a professional who can advise different menu selections and work around any specific requirements is a major bonus. Work to the budget but also keep some aside for little treats and surprises. Good caterers will think of creative ways to make money go that little further and not compromise on the quality of the food that is served on the day; keeping everyone well fed and happy is of course one of the most important things!
Decorate the room
Whilst you may not be known for sticking up bunting, the idea of decorating an event like this can be hard for even the most curated decorator. Plan this only a little before the shower, and then in the run up think about fresh flowers picked up the day before, place cards – if they are needed, a few small yet beautifully lit decorations in different areas of the room will already make a big impact. Don’t overthink it, enjoy the day!
Prepare a gift basket with the other guests
There may be a gift list and for many, that’s down to whether they want to spend that kind of money or not, but one way to do something that little bit special may be to produce a personal gift basket. You could set a limit of £5 each per person and they bring something that really makes a wonderful day, special with things like bath soaps, DVD’s, a musical playlist, agendas or diaries and even bargain blankets. Little thoughts like this can go a long way!
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