6 Pro Tips and Tricks for Planning the Perfect Baby Shower From Event Planner Lauren Corrigan | Baltimore Family Resource Spotlight

Planning a baby shower can feel like a daunting task. With so many things to consider and options available, you may not know where to start. I reached out to the amazing Lauren Corrigan of LCEvents, Baltimore wedding and event planner, who has so kindly shared her favorite tips and tricks to help you plan the perfect celebration!

PLANNING

1. Designate a Host and Draft the Guest List

Designate the host. Will it be you alone or will you share duties with a cohost? While tradition states that a shower should not be hosted by a close family member to avoid the appearance that the family was on a mission to collect gifts, this rule is not as strictly observed today.

Determine the guest list. Guests lists can be tricky. A few tips to guide you:

• Consult with friends and family of the honoree to ensure that you have included everyone important her. And so long as the shower is not a surprise, consult the honoree herself for her wishes for the guest list.

• These days, spouses and male friends and relatives are increasingly common to include on the guest list. Before deciding whether or not to invite the men, get a feel for whether or not the mom-to-be would prefer the traditional “female-bonding” shower or a more co-ed experience. The dad-to-be may have a preference, which should not be ignored. Even if a the traditional girls-only route is taken, the expectant dad traditionally makes an appearance towards the end of the shower to thank everyone for their generosity and share in his bride's excitement.

2. Set the Date, Time and Location

• First and foremost, consider the baby's due date. Typically, showers are held 1-2 months before baby is expected so that the honoree can comfortably enjoy her shower without worry.

• If the shower must be held after the baby is born, wait at least a month or two after the birth to host. This will ensure that the honoree is feeling comfortable again and can enjoy every minute of her day.

• Be certain to consider any religious or cultural restrictions on when/if you should host a baby shower. In Jewish tradition, showers are not typically hosted prior to the birth. In this case, the shower might be held after the baby arrives. Other families, cultures, or religions may have their own traditions, and taking a moment to inquire will avoid uncomfortable moments or unintended offense.

• If the honoree is choosing to learn the gender of her baby, she may wish to have the shower after finding out, allowing her time to select gender-specific items for her registry.

• If out-of-town guests will be invited, try your best to select a date when the majority of these traveling guests can be present. The modern-day tradition of FaceTiming guests that are unable to attend is always a fun and easy way to include important but absent friends and family.

• Select a location. Showers can take place almost anywhere--a home, a restaurant, or a catering hall. Don’t be afraid to get creative! Even the most unlikely of places can become beautiful event venues if you are willing to think outside of the box!

3. Pick a theme.

You can go the traditional route, with baby-related décor and games, or create something unexpected.

A few of Lauren's faves:

• Vintage Garden Party

• Peter Rabbit or Velveteen Rabbit

• Welcome Aboard! New England Nautical

• French Countryside

• A Hundred Acre Wood

• Oh the Places You’ll Go

4.  Send out Invites

• Invitations go beyond merely informing guests of the event. They offer a preview of the theme and style of the shower and promote anticipation and enthusiasm. Be sure to include an address and directions, as well as an RSVP deadline giving 4-6 weeks to respond.

• Consider creating a website. Shower sites are the perfect way to provide guests with additional information that is not convent, appropriate, or possible to include on the invitation. This includes phone-compatible directions, dress code details, and online RSVP management. Websites are a great place to include the mom-to-be's registry information and shop links, since this should not be included on the formal invite. Websites can also share personal information about the parent's to be's story and their pregnancy journey. Lauren highly recommends using Minted’s customizable website templates, which are as simple to set up as they are beautiful.

5.  Select the menu.

• If you are doing the cooking, plan dishes that can be made ahead of time and frozen, or prepped the day before to save time and stress on the day of the shower. Consider dishes that reflect the theme of the shower. A vintage garden party, for example, might offer smoked salmon tea sandwiches, cucumber canapes, or dill spiral bites.

• Save yourself (and your dishwasher) by buying disposable plates and flatware. Believe it or not, there are some beautiful, high quality options available. Lauren loves Posh Party Supplies for their incredible selection.

6. Plan for how to get her gifts home.

• Have on hand shopping bags and some cardboard boxes for easy transport. If the dad-to-be will be attending, ask him to bring a larger vehicle for transport and to do the heavy lifting getting when the gifts into the car (another bonus of having a co-ed shower!)

• Ask for help! Do not be afraid to ask others to arrive an hour or so early for set up and food prep. This is a large task for one person alone.

DURING THE BIG EVENT

1. Assign a photographer.

It's wonderful to hire a professional photographer for the shower who can ensure the day is captured perfectly without tasking guests with the chore or worrying that important people or moments will be missed. Hiring professional also eliminates the concern that photographs taken by guests won't make their way back to the guest of honor or will miss important people or moments.  

Otherwise, find your most talented friend/family member and assign them to take photos and videos. Ask more than one person, just in case a phone dies or you have overestimated their abilities! Have a plan in place for returning the photographs to the guest of honor. This can be a Drop Box or other shared file set up in advance. And don't forget to plan for printing the photographs. A small album of images from the shower makes a wonderful baby gift!

2. Plan for thank you notes.

Prepare for thank you notes by printing out the invitation list, including guest addresses, to give to the honoree. During the shower, help her keep track of the gifts by writing down the gifts given by each guest next to their name on the list. Perhaps even go the extra mile and gift her pretty pre-addressed thank you cards. She will be forever grateful for this small luxury.

Enjoy! You given a priceless gift to the mom-to-be. She will be forever thankful for the time and energy that you put into celebrating pregnancy and arranging her special day.

A few bonus ideas for subsequent baby showers:

For baby number 2 and beyond, consider throwing a different kind of shower--one that will make the lives of mom and dad easier. Gestures like stocking their freezer, subscriptions to meal-delivery services, gift cards for date nights, and promises to babysit are all great ways to show them you care and celebrate a new addition to their family. 

Thanks so much to Lauren for offering these amazing tips and strategies! Visit her website for more details on her talented event planning services and learn her contact info. You can also find her on Instagram and Facebook. 

Do you have any tips or tricks of your own? Please leave them in the comments! 

Resources: 

Popsugar “65 of the Best Baby Shower Themes”, Martha Stuart “The Best Baby Shower Ideas”, Parents “A Quick Etiquette Guide to Baby Celebrations”, Real Simple “Baby Shower Planning Checklist”