| According to traditions of the past,
baby showers have been held just a few months before the new mother's
due date, and they were thrown by a close friend. Guests at the
event included the mom, Grandmas and a few of her closest female
relatives and friends. Tradition also said the event was held at
the hostess's home. Today, though, many of the traditions are out
the door and the variations of how to host the event are almost
limitless.
Today, it's becoming more acceptable to hold baby showers which
include both the mother and the father--a so-called co-ed shower.
If you intend to host a co-ed event, this means you need to invite
some of the dad's friends also. You also need to make sure the invitations
and decorations are guy-friendly as well as gal-friendly. In the
event of a male/female shower, you'll probably want to incorporate
more casual items and plenty of food. One idea is to have a baby
shower barbecue.
Another trend growing in popularity: the office baby shower. At
this special event, the expectant mom's co-workers throw a small
party just before she takes maternity leave. To some extent, even
office showers for the father are getting more popular. An office
shower normally is quite simple with just a cake and maybe a few
light snacks as well as a short period for gift-giving. In some
cases, though, office showers are scheduled to take place as a lunch
party, away from work at a restaurant which is nearby.
If you do plan an office shower, you might want to consult the
parent her / himself in selecting the best time for the shower.
When you send out invitations for your shower, make sure they reflect
the atmosphere and mood that you expect the party to incorporate.
They should also tell the time, date and place where the shower
will be held. Make sure you send them out two or three weeks ahead
of time so that guests have plenty of time to respond and prepare
for the party. You can also include information about the gift registry.
The simplest way for planning a baby shower is to build it around
a theme. Your baby shower theme can be anything from a tropical
luau to a traditional pink stork shower. Your theme can be creative
and unique or just something simple. You can build your theme into
your choice of decorations, games and even refreshments. Also try
to let your invitations incorporate the theme in some way.
The possibilities for your upcoming baby shower theme are limitless.
The perfect theme for the short baby event, like those which are
frequently held at work, is to hold a library building party. Ask
guests to bring gifts to include in the new baby's book / music
library. These could include books, cd's and DVDs. Also, serve pastries
and coffee in a bookstore cafe type setting. There are lots more
shower themes you can consider. You'll find many on this website.
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