This week’s guest blog is by our good friends at Amoralia, creators of beautiful maternity and breastfeeding lingeriewhich you will of course find at Bb London.We love these tips and are delighted to pass them onto you. You’ll also find some ideas on our Facebook page here.
Baby showers are everywhere these days. From over-indulgent American celebrity gift-fests (yes Mariah) to a quiet tea amongst friends, there’s a baby shower out there that you can enjoy – we promise! So don’t feel bad about asking your best friend to organise it for you. It might sound like a whole load of work but our easy step-by-step guide will definitely take the pain out of the whole thing. So let’s get started…
Step 1 Guest List A good guest list will break or make the party. It’s worth considering whether you want to invite other halves, kids & babies or restrict it to a girls-only event, whether you invite co-workers or keep it small by just inviting family and your closest friends. In our experience, 8 – 10 guests makes for a fun, inclusive event. Don’t forget to invite both grand-mothers-to-be. If you’re lucky they might even bake some tasty and irresistible cakes for your buffet!
Step 2 Location Hosting your party at home is probably the most personal and cosy option. However unusual venues such as church dining halls and elegant reception rooms can give it that special touch. Here are our London Top 3:
- Style: Lanesborough Hotel
This charming, trad and very British location in the heart of London will be the icing on the cake of your party. It’s obviously pricy, but worth it if you really want to treat the mum-to-be.
- Budget: Public Park
There’s certainly nothing more relaxing and atmospheric than being surrounded by the beauty of nature. Bring picnic rugs, folding chairs and warm clothes for the British summer!
You and your guests will be amazed by the stunning view from the large outdoor terrace.
Step 3 Invitation Card It’s always lovely to get a hand-written invite that matches the theme of your baby shower. There are plenty of companies who can do this job for you. Our recommendations:
You could also do it via an online site like evite.com.
Don’t forget to mention the approximate duration of your baby shower (e.g. 3 – 6 pm) and ask your invitees to RSVP.
Step 4 Decoration It’s completely up to you whether you go subtle with flowers, girly with butterflies or all-out with branded balloons. Try bestbabyshower.co.uk for an extensive selection. Let your imagination run free! Remember some nice background music too.
Step 5 Gifts
Here are 3 suggestions for thoughtful gifts (from Bb London of course). We love gifts which can treat the mum rather than just be about the baby: -
A beautiful breastfeeding bracelet (£35). This is such a useful way to remind yourself, when feeding, which breast you last fed from! And to remind yourself of a good friend who is thinking about you at an important time in your life. Something she’ll treasure.
Something pampering. This anti-stretch-mark oil (£25) is incredible – a real luxurious treat. This brilliant Mother-To-Be pampering kit (£55)is very popular and will make the mum-to-be feel really special.
And something for FREE. Add a thoughtful extra gift in with your gift. Download a ‘free babysitting voucher’ for your friend. You give her the precious gift of time (time off from her baby, sleeping/shopping/going out).
If you feel like it, a charity donation is a lovely alternative gift. The Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group or Tommy’s Charity are great causes to support. Here’s how you can easily set up your own charity page: justgiving.com
Step 6 Food Little bits of finger food are the best option for a mouth-watering buffet. Go for all kinds of antipasti, dips, canapés and sandwiches but bear in mind that you should avoid any uncooked meats (no parma ham, paté, smoked salmon and sushi). Even though you’re not allowed to sip at your flute of champagne either, you should definitely enjoy Jamie Oliver’s delicous ginger beer. For a special treat (or two…) prettily decorated cupcakes are a must-have.
Step 7 Entertainment Our Top 3 games will keep your guests entertained and add a light-hearted and relaxed touch:
- Guessing size of the future mum’s tummy (e.g. with a string of toilet paper)
- Guessing baby pictures of guests
- Guessing the animal baby (e.g. What’s the name for a sheep’s baby?)
Even though games are traditionally part of baby showers, do feel free to put in place a no-games policy with the main emphasis on great drinks, food and chats instead.
Step 8 Favours It’s always lovely to receive a little something when you leave a good party. Flowers speak louder than words, so a little symbolic forget-me-not plant for each of your friends will round off your perfect baby shower afternoon – or we absolutely love these individual ‘Baby Shower Mini Melts‘ which are ready wrapped in sweet organza bags, perfect for giving.
Cupcakes which melt in your bath and not in your mouth…. calorie-free too!
Step 9 Keepsakes Imagine the 10th birthday of your daughter or son and how lovely it would be to have a record of that special day to show them. Give guests disposable cameras so that the pressure’s not on you. You can then use the best pictures afterwards as thank-you cards. Or ask a professional photographer to pop by for an hour or two. Another lovely keepsake is a baby book with your guests’ wishes and signatures. Our favourite is the gorgeously soft bedtime snuggle book “Guess how much I love you”.
Step 10 Budget Your perfect baby shower should come in at around £ 190.- (for 10 guests including invitation cards, decoration, food & drinks, favours and keepsakes). Obviously your choice of venue will have a big impact on the final cost.
Last but not least We genuinely hope that we’ve left you with plenty of inspiration for your own baby shower. However, if you’re still not convinced that you could nail it yourself and can’t fall back on a good friend, there’s still a plan B. Here are our Top 3 professional organisers who will plan the whole thing from A to Z so that you don’t have to worry about a thing:
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Find these tips useful? Any other baby shower ideas? We’d love to hear from you…
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