What Is a Baby Shower: And How You Can Host One For Your Loved One

If you recently received the big news that your best friend or family member has a baby on the way, you are probably feeling completely overjoyed and eager for the little one’s arrival! So many thoughts overflow your mind. Who will the baby look like? Will they be outgoing, spontaneous, even studious? Who knows, maybe they’ll become president. Whatever dreams you have growing for life’s new addition, you can share with the parent-to-be by hosting the baby’s first celebration—a baby shower. Here, we will share our best tips on all things baby shower: what it is, who hosts it, and how you can host one for your loved one. 

What Is A Baby Shower?

A baby shower is a small gathering to celebrate the upcoming birth of a child. This tradition sets the new parent(s) up for success as they embark on the journey to parenthood. Traditionally, the new mother is showered with gifts, like a convertible car seat, jogging stroller, tiny clothing, and furniture to help lift the initial monetary burden that comes with a little one. 

When Should You Host A Baby Shower? 

While the day and time are ultimately up to you and the new parent(s), a good rule of thumb is to host the shower at the beginning of the third trimester to allow the parent(s)-to-be enough time to sort through and organize all the shower gifts before the baby’s arrival. But ultimately, the timeline will be up to the new parents. So ask them for a time frame they prefer. 

Who Hosts A Baby Shower?

Typically, a close friend or family member hosts the shower for the mother or parents of the new baby. To help reduce the financial cost and divvy up tasks, a group of friends or family members can team up to host together, too. But, if you are an expecting parent and no one has stepped up to plan your shower, you can directly ask a loved one to host or even host it yourself! There really are no hard and fast rules, which makes this such a fun and joyous event.

Are Baby Showers Just For Females? 

No! 

In the past, it was tradition for the party to be hosted just for the mother, with only female guests invited. But, as traditions have changed, many expecting parents are throwing co-ed parties. It’s an affair for everyone to celebrate the new arrival. So, ask your expecting parent what they would prefer, and allow them to create a guestlist of their closest friends and family to invite. 

How To Host A Baby Shower

Choose A Date

Grab your calendar and select some dates that work for you for hosting. As the host, you will need to be able to block out the time of the party and at least an hour before and after for setup and teardown. The first step in planning is to find 3-5 times in your schedule that would work for you. We love the tool Doodle because you and your co-hosts can add your availability and it will summarize the best times that work for all. Then, send this to your expecting parents to see which of the dates work best for them. Assuming you already know at which point in the pregnancy they would like to have a party, having all of the dates ready for a final vote is easy and efficient. 

Create A Guestlist

You may think you could guess the best list for your loved one, but a baby shower is a very personal affair. We recommend allowing the expectant parents to put together the list for you. After all, there may be some out-of-towners that you wouldn’t have thought of or simply people they wish to avoid.

 Find A Venue

Baby showers can be hosted almost anywhere, which makes them so unique. From an intimate venue to your very own backyard, these social gatherings can take on any shape depending on your imagination and ideas for the overall aesthetic of the party. Here, in Escondido, CA, we love Panorama Point, Crystal Ridge, and Sunset Heights for this type of intimate gathering. 

Nail Down The Food and Beverage

Depending on the location, food might be available right in-house. However, if you are planning a backyard party, you may have a talented chef/friend who would want to prepare the food or know of a small caterer who could prepare nourishments fresh on-site. Not all baby showers offer full meals, either. On your invite, you should specify whether you will provide a light lunch or small bites so that your guests know what they can expect. 

Plan Games

Baby showers are notorious for gameplay. From guessing the gender, if it hasn’t been shared yet, to seeing who knows the parents best, there are games for everyone. This addition to the party allows guests to get to know each other and the family even better than before. 

Send Out Invites and Reminders

Like any event, you must send out invites and reminders to your guest list. Some of the things to include will be the date, time, name of the host, name of the guest of honor, what type of food will be served, and a link to the baby registry. 

We hope that this helps in your planning process. As always, our team is here to serve you. Contact us today to see how we can help you plan the perfect baby shower for your loved one.