Host a perfect baby shower with
these party planning tips

A baby shower is a delightful invention and a key tradition for many people. As a hostess, you're responsible for the party planning & organizing to make sure that the guest of honor and all the invitees remember the event long after it's over. For the mother-to-be, a baby shower is a great opportunity to be pampered, loved, loaded with friendly (and humorous!) advice, gifts and much more. All party planning needs to be done with her desires in mind first and foremost. And of course, making sure that the guests have a wonderful time.

Here are some of the basics of hosting a successful baby shower. These are a few fundamental party planning tips to be considered. Further along, I'll show you how to get access to more inputs.

Who normally hosts a baby shower? Traditionally, it is a close female friend of the mother-to-be. But it is not so rigid these days and everyone from office colleagues to family members have been hosting showers. Or at least, they've been involved in party planning. However, some people do consider it inappropriate for immediate family to host this event since the family might be seen to be asking for gifts.

What's the right time to hold a this event? Usually it's held some 4 to 8 weeks before the due date. In some cases, because of complications in pregnancy and other factors, it might be held about that much time after the baby is born. Best to consult the mom-to-be before finalizing a date.

Who is supposed to come to a baby shower? Again, traditions are changing. Earlier, it used to be only female friends and relatives of the mother-to-be. But today, many people consider it perfectly ok to have male relatives and friends as well, including of course, the dad-to-be. The tone and tenor of a co-ed event is usually different from a women-only event, but it can be great fun either way! While doing your party planning, maybe you might have to leave out games, for example, if many of the men are not into it.

Should the event be a surprise? In general, I think not. The mother-to-be might be having a difficult, exhausting time, and may find your date, venue, or any number of other things inconvenient. Moreover, she will probably want to be involved in the party planning including finalizing the invitation list, theme selection, venue, food, etc. If you do plan to hold a surprise event, one way is to have a second, smaller shower exclusively with her closest friends.

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