As someone looking to host a baby shower for a friend or family member, there will be quite a bit of responsibility placed on your shoulders. It can be hard to know where to start, especially if you’ve never been to a baby shower before. With that in mind, we have put together this guide to show you some of the ways you can host a great baby shower.

Pick A Theme

The first point we will focus on will be one of the more fun ones: choosing the theme for the baby shower. It can seem overwhelming to start planning as there is a wide range of potential themes out there, but the good news is that there are resources available online that can help inspire you to narrow down a theme.

The most important thing to think about when it comes to choosing a theme is what the mother would want. If it is indeed up to you to plan the shower, then it is likely that you have a rough idea of some kind of what you want to plan. If in doubt, you could ask them what sort of thing they had in mind, as that opens many opportunities for you to work with.

Consider how minimal or maximal you want to go with the theme. Sometimes aiming for the middle of these two things is the best way to go, as doing too much or too little can ruin the effect you’re aiming for.

Send Out Fun Invites

One of the best ways to start off your baby shower experience is to plan some fun invites. These invites will, of course, need to contain all the important information relating to the event, but you can go further with the concept. You could incorporate pictures of you all or even the baby-to-be, there will be unlimited options.

Traditional methods can add a more personal touch too. You won’t have to worry about them missing physical invites, as you know that they will receive them in the mail. You could personalize these invites further by adding their name and a fun message that makes them feel thought of.

An important part of this process is knowing everyone’s address. Of course, if you are sending someone an invite purely as a formality, you could just ask them directly. You will have to ask around for the address for those you are inviting as a surprise. This shouldn’t take too long, but it’s important to think about it before posting the invites as it can significantly delay you.

Arrange Some Games

One of the major elements related to a baby shower comes in the form of games. If you have ever been to a baby shower before, you will be aware of what games traditionally go into these parties. The sort of games you want to organize will depend largely on the person you are organizing for. You will likely know what sort of things they are into, and what you should be looking to avoid.

There will be games that are quick to set up and quick to play, and there will be games that take more effort. You should first about what games sound fun for your group. Traditionally, these games will be related to motherly things, meaning that games involve baby bottles, baby food, and other such things.

You can even engage in some virtual baby shower games if it turns out you can’t get everyone together for one reason or another. Games such as Emoji Pictionary and Guess The Baby Photo will be easier to organize online through video and messaging services. You can still send lovely invites to all of the expecting mothers’ friends and family through paper-based invites or e-cards.

Speak to the people involved with the party to see if they have any ideas about baby shower games.

Sort The Food And Drinks

You will need to think more about what sort of food or drinks you will bring to the party for physical parties. A popular choice is to bring in some baby food or flavors commonly used in baby food. Of course, the obvious choice for drinks is milk, but the food or drinks you use don’t have to be baby-themed in any way.

Some expecting mothers like to go for cakes and enjoy a banquet sort of gathering. This could be out at a private venue or restaurant, or it could be at someone’s home. If you or someone else are planning to host the baby shower, you should clarify that cleaning up will happen from the group so that they aren’t burdened with it.

Even if you are planning on hosting at your home, you could hire a private chef or the services of a local café to prepare all the food for you. This saves you a lot of time and effort and allows you to focus on having fun with the party rather than the logistics.

If worse comes to worst, you can always just buy some snacks and picking food to lay on the table, and it should do the job quite happily. The important thing is to remember that the day is all about the mother-to-be, and stressing too much about the food situation could ruin it for everyone.

Ensure Everyone Is Aware Of Venue And Time

On the topic of ensuring the mom will have a good time, you should ensure that everyone who is invited is aware of the venue and the time when it will take place. This will be the case for both physical parties and virtual ones.

You can make them aware by making a group chat on social media or a messaging service. This will allow you to relay any important information to them related to the baby shower without worrying that they might miss it.

You should look at a few different venues before you settle on one. This will help you ensure you find the right venue without too much hassle. Before you book anything, you should check with everyone that they will be available on certain days. Of course, if it is a date that is months away, then this should be fine with most people, but it is always worth checking.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.