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Baby
Shower Hosting
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by:
Dana Williams
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Are you ready to host the best baby shower
ever but don't know where to start? Baby showers are fun, but planning
one can be tedious. In this article we'll cover the basics to get you
started.
So who should host the baby shower? Traditionally, only non-relatives
are to host a baby shower -- co-workers, church groups, etc.; however,
it has become more common and acceptable for mothers and sisters to
host showers too. The important thing is that someone take the
initiative to host the shower -- what a wonderful display of caring for
a growing family and a special way to help welcome a new life into the
world. It is also perfectly acceptable for more than one person to host
a baby shower. It can be fun for a group of friends to share the
responsibilities and excitement of planning and hosting this special
event.
When it comes to inviting guests, you likely have some idea of those
you want to invite to the shower, but it is always a safe bet to run
the guest list by the mom-to-be to ensure you haven't left anyone out.
You can invite guests via a phone call or an e-mail (be sure they check
their mail regularly!), but the written invitation is still the most
preferable way to kick off a shower. You can even find baby shower
ecard invitations online. Just do a simple search online and I'm sure
you'll find one. No matter what type of invitation you use, be sure to
include pertinent information -- whether it regards a theme, a note of
where the mom-to-be has registered, a map or written directions to the
shower, or any special item you want the guests to bring for the mom.
Showers are normally given a month or two before the mom's due date.
It's a good idea to give the mom enough time following the shower to
shop for items she didn't receive, yet wants to have before the baby
arrives. And of course you don't want to hold the shower too close to
baby's due date in case he or she makes an early arrival!
Baby showers are normally held in the home of the hostess. If desired
though, you can certainly host a shower at a church fellowship area, a
favorite restaurant, or even at a banquet hall -- it really all depends
on what atmosphere you are looking for and how much money you want to
spend. If the shower will be held in a restaurant, make reservations at
least two weeks prior to the date. At one- week prior, one of the
organizers should speak with the manager to confirm the details.
The shower should last around one and a half to two hours. Things may
wind down early or they may likely continue on as guests chat together.
There are many variations on showers, but we have devised a general
"schedule" for baby showers. You can add/remove any part and re-order
it to your liking.
Greet Guests - serve light appetizers
After all or almost all guests have arrived, go around the room and
have each guest introduce themselves and identify how they know the
mother-to-be.
Play 2-4 Shower Games. It is good to play games at the beginning as
ice-breakers. Remember some guests may not know *anyone* but the
mother-to-be.
Let everyone go get whatever food may be available and then once
everyone has been served, the mother-to-be can begin to open her gifts.
Be sure to have someone write down each gift and who it is from. It
will make sending thank-you notes a lot easier.
People chat and usually leave a few at a time. Make sure the
mother-to-be gets to say goodbye to everyone and the hostess thanks the
person for attending. If the hostess has shower favors, they should
give this to the guests upon leaving.
About the author:
Dana Williams is the owner of Dana's Gift Basket Express, an online
baby gift shop specializing in over 60 diaper cake and baby shower gift
baskets. For more baby shower hosting ideas go to http://www.danasgiftbasketexpress.com.
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