Baby Shower Etiquette
When throwing the Perfect Baby Shower you first need to know what Baby Shower Etiquette is and then How To Plan A Baby Shower. Below are the key tools you will need to have fun and give a Unique and affordable baby shower. You will find unique baby shower ideas, themes, invitations, recipes, favors, gifts, games and much much more!
*Who will host the baby shower?*The host for a baby shower is usually the closest friends and or family of the Mommy-To-Be. There can be one person or many people depending on how many friends and family want to be involved. Usually it is the Mommy-To-Be's best friend or her mom. You would think the more the merrier but be careful because having a lot of hosts can cause problems. The more people the more opinions and, more people to organize with. Make sure that if you have a lot of people everyone knows exactly what their part is to make the shower complete.*When is a good time to throw the baby shower?*It is best to throw a baby shower 1-2 months before the baby is born. It is vital to not have the shower too close to the Mommy-To-Be's due date in case she delivers early. Also it is helpful to have it far enough away that the Mommy-To-Be has time to return and exchange duplicate items that she receives or items she does not want. She will also need time to order or purchase the items she did not receive that may have been on her baby shower registry. The extra time before the birth also allows the Mommy-To-Be and Daddy-To-Be time to set up all gifts and the baby's nursery.*Should the baby shower be a surprise shower?*Deciding if you want to give a surprise shower for the Mommy-To-Be is your choice. I would recommend as good baby shower etiquette that surprise showers only be held for a second baby--when the Mommy-To-Be is having a second baby. Keep in mind that surprise parties can be a little stressful for the Mommy-To-Be as well as for the planners. Furthermore you need to make sure you invite the right people without asking and pick an available time when the Mommy-To-Be and family will be available.
Remember when giving a surprise shower there is usually no gift registry. *When to do a welcome baby shower?*A welcome baby shower is given after the infant is born. The purpose of this shower is for all the friends and family who could not attend the original baby shower. Another reason is for the New Mommy to get all the items she did not receive at the baby shower. This shower should be thrown at least a month or two after the baby has arrived. This gives the parents time to settle in and figure out what they still need. Great time for you to really be able to get the essentials that the baby needs as a gift. Also is great for everyone to get to see the new addition to the family in person.
*Should you have an adoption baby shower?*Of course you should. The infant is still a new addition to the family and you should celebrate. Good baby shower etiquette indicates that it would be planned for 1-2 months after the child is adopted because of adoption proceedings. Also this gives the parents time to bond with their new infant.*What will be the best baby shower location?* Choosing the best shower location depends on the amount of guests you plan on inviting to the shower. The venue should be able to accommodate all the guests comfortably. Traditionally people have had baby showers in their homes but today people rent venues, or have it at one of their favorite places.This can be anywhere from a restaurant, park or a country club depending on what your budget is for the shower. When picking a location, consider what the weather will be and the time of the shower.
*Who to invite to the baby shower?*Traditionally a baby shower was only for the Mommy-To-Be's closest friends and family that were women only. But today people invite colleagues from work, the Daddy-To-Be's friends, the Mommy-To-Be's parent's friends and associates. You will have to find out from the Mommy-To-Be who she wants to celebrate her day with. Make sure there are no schedule conflicts with the important people going (Mommy-To-Be, her mom, her husband, best friends). Make sure to give guests a few weeks notice so send invites way in advance. Another option is to do an Evite as a back up to see who is coming if you collect the guests' email addresses. For affordable and unique baby shower invitations check out this link to Vista Print for 30% to 60% OFF All Products.Click here for a list of information that should be included on the invite. *Who pays for the baby shower?*It is good baby shower etiquette for the person who is the host or hosts to pay and it is considered the Mommy-To-Be's present from that person or those people. It is common today, for multiple people to throw the baby shower together which helps in splitting the cost. Sometimes the husband/father even chips in especially if there is a large guest list.*What are good baby shower gifts?* There is no one good gift for a baby shower. You can follow the registry, which is probably the best thing to do, or if you know there is something the Mommy-To-Be would want. Gift's can range in any price it all depends on what your gift budget is. For a Mommy-To-Be's first shower you should get more practical gifts (diapers, blankets, clothes, pacifiers, etc.) if it is the second shower you can be more creative. You can ask the host what you think are good gift's for the Mommy-To-Be. You also can be creative with the baby shower gifts and create baby shower gift sets, or baby gift baskets. There are many gifts you can give. Just figure out your price range and find a gift within.
*Should the hostess of the Baby Shower get a gift?* This is a question that depends on preference and your budget. Throwing a baby shower can be costly for the Host. If there is more than one host then everyone can chip in and get a gift for the Mommy-To-Be. Another option is if your budget permits individually get a gift. The person you are throwing the baby shower for is a close friend, so why not. Please know you do not have to buy a gift because the Mommy-To-Be will be grateful for the baby shower but if you can it will be nice to give a gift as well.
*Who will be the Mommy-To-Be liaison and what are their responsibilities?*The Mommy-To-Be liaison should be the best friend or the mother of the Mommy-To-Be, which should be one of the hosts of the shower.This person's responsibilities are to: *What will be on the menu for baby shower food?*Normally at the baby shower you serve food and beverage. The baby shower menu may vary.See our Baby Shower Food/Cakes section for the answer to this important baby shower etiquette question.
Now that you have found out the answers to these few questions, you can start on the planning of the shower.
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If this is a shower for a mommy who has a young child (up to age 3) they probably have a lot of the essentials already in the household, making it easier to select gifts for the surprise. 
