BABY SHOWER PARTY: THE GUIDE TO ORGANIZE IT AT THE BEST
The baby shower party is an international tradition that can be declined in different ways, becoming a tailor-made party to celebrate the baby on the way : a special occasion dedicated to future parents and the adventure that awaits them.
You can start organizing the baby shower by answering these 5 questions, you will get many valuable tips to transform this moment into an unforgettable memory .
The most important point is the people for whom you are organizing this party: future mothers and future fathers . Ask yourself whether you want the event to be focused primarily on one parent or both, and what things might make them happier .
If, for example, you are planning a baby shower for your best friend and she doesn't like being the center of attention, an intimate and elegant lunch together with a few loved ones could be more appreciated than a huge , lavish and confusing party with a long invitation list.
In addition to respecting the personal preferences of those you are celebrating, carefully monitor the guest list , find out about allergies or special needs and, if you decide to involve children (for example any older sisters/brothers, etc ...), consider their age and how they could best participate in the event.
To decide if the baby shower will be a surprise party, you can ask yourself what could excite the people you are organizing it for the most . If the surprises are not very welcome, you could warn of the event and leak the main information without completely revealing all the details, thus leaving room for a few small moments of wonder . If, on the other hand, the baby shower party is going to be a surprise, you can involve some other close person to help you keep the secret until the big day.
Organizing a baby shower, like any party, has costs that can vary greatly depending on the decisions you make. Start by establishing a budget and how to divide it (you could bear all the costs, or distribute them among the invited people…), then choose which aspects to devote more resources to and how to optimize the less important details. Depending on how you imagined the event, you may need to rent a venue, think about decorations, sweet and/or savory refreshments, music, gifts…
To contain expenses, the ideal is to do it yourself and sharpen your ingenuity, involving those who are available to help you with the organization : the location could be a living room or a garden loaned and set up for the occasion, the provisions could be prepared in home, as well as decorations ( here are some ideas for making garlands, festoons and decorations with scraps of fabric, a fantastic and ecological starting point for baby showers and other occasions such as Christmas!). Usually these solutions are a little more time-consuming, but in the end you can count on an effective result together with the satisfaction of having made it with your own hands .
The English expression "baby shower" is translated as "rain of gifts for the child". A constant, therefore, are the gifts for the birth . You can learn more about the topic in the dedicated blogpost "Celebrating a birth with a gift: the ABC's of choosing well" , as well as ask advice from those who already have children and can share their personal experience in this regard. Remember that, even if the path is generally similar, everyone experiences parenthood in a unique and personal way ; therefore, the same gift could be highly or unwelcome depending on the tastes and expectations of the recipient.
Setting the date isn't always easy: you'll have to get all the people involved to agree (in this regard, a tool like Doodle can be very useful), make sure that the future parents are free and present for the appointment - if it's a surprise this could be very complicated! - and choose the best moment compared to the expected date of birth.
The ideal could be to organize the party in the last two months of pregnancy , when the preparations are at their most fervent. But be careful not to get too close to the end: the child could arrive a little early and upset all your plans!
All things considered, organizing a baby shower can be really challenging. If you are not in the ideal condition to take care of the whole process yourself, you can contact a specialized service in your area . Try doing an online search and ask your acquaintances: there are many options in the main Italian cities and, in recent years, availability is becoming more and more widespread, so even if you live in a small town, don't be discouraged!
Whether you decide to organize an intimate and peaceful baby shower, or you have decided to plan the event of the year, we leave you with an appeal: pay some attention to the environmental impact of the whole operation . The holidays are fertile ground for problematic materials and disposable products, and this can be an opportunity to try something different and more sustainable. Remember that every small gesture has the power to make a difference (using washable glasses instead of disposable ones, creating or buying decorations made with ecological and recycled materials instead of plastic balloons…). This way, the baby shower will be a success for the people you love, for the planet and for the entire community :)