Baby Shower Etiquette Explained

Baby Shower Etiquette Explained

The baby shower isn’t an ancient event, but it’s one that’s quickly developed a very formal set of rules and etiquette. Not everyone should host a baby shower, though all friends and family are welcome. Once the hostess is chosen, there’s much to do by way of baby shower planning and creating ideas.

Friends, not relatives, make the best hostesses.

Conventional rules of etiquette say that baby showers shouldn’t be hosted by a member of the expectant mother’s family. This will prevent the perception that the family is holding a party simply to solicit gifts from friends or relatives, or that the family cannot afford to pay for their own baby supplies.

Modern rules have relaxed somewhat. Today’s protocol allows that family members such as cousins, aunts, and anyone not within the immediate family may act as a hostess. In fact, the baby shower may even have a host, if the mother to be is willing.

Baby shower planning made simple.

A good deal of etiquette and ritual goes into planning the baby shower itself. Obviously, the mother to be should have some say in where the shower takes place, and the hostess should make all possible effort to secure the location. But when that’s impossible, the mother to be and hostess need to consult on a compromise location.

Invitations should go out no later than six weeks in advance. Guests need time to arrange their schedules and RSVP their attendance. Mailed invitations still provide a suburb aesthetic touch compared to emails, offering a more personal approach to each guest. Remember to include the time, date, and RSVP contact information with the invitation.

Choosing the right baby shower venue is important

This is probably the one thing if nothing else to give the guest of honor some form of total choice or veto power about. It’s her baby shower after all! The choice of venue will determine your budget and likely the formality of the event.

If you’re looking to stage a formal event, consider going with a private dining room at a restaurant or bistro in the appropriate area of town. For something less formal, you can choose a neighborhood kind of place or even someone’s house.

Remember that any decorations, the baby shower invitations, and even the baby shower games should match the level of formality of the baby shower venue. The baby shower favors should also complement the motif and their surroundings. Remember that the baby shower ideas should tie together but not restrict your creativity, either. The goal should be giving the mother to be her best time in a way that’s right to her liking.

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