A baby shower, apart from being a fun-filled event, is a sign of courtesy, support and appreciation for the mother-to-be and her family. It is an event that is supposed to give warm and fuzzy feelings when reminisced years from now.
Of course, you don’t want to have unpleasant memories from it by disappointing the mother-to-be or the hostess by poor etiquette and unpleasant ‘surprises’. There are simple etiquette tips that you can follow to ensure that this baby shower will turn out to be no less than a blast that everyone will always remember!
Guests – While traditionally, invited guests during baby showers are mostly female relatives and guests, it has become a trend that male friends and relatives are invited as well. With this, just ensure that those significantly important in the event are advised if male guests are arriving.
Games – Since friends and relatives will be around, you’d get the idea which games everyone will be excited about. Remember to provide for prizes that will sure to make a lasting impression with your guests.
Giving gifts – Gifts given during baby showers are expected to be opened immediately by the mother-to-be, never the hostess.
Welcome – The hostess is generally expected to be the one to greet and welcome the guests. As the mother-to-be is having fun, arriving guests should be welcomed and immediately, gifts should be forwarded to the gift table.
Gifts – Like with all occasions, gifts are a symbol of appreciation. If you are wondering whether the hostess should get a gift or not, just think of your gift as a token that aside from all the fun and laughter in the event, the gift is there to remind her that all her effort was appreciated. Organizing a baby shower is not a simple task, so giving a gift to the hostess can be considered generally acceptable.
Similar to other gift-giving etiquette in other personal occasions, there is no required amount when giving your hostess a gift. Since your hostess is most probably a close friend or a relative, a sincere and heart-felt thank you note will be appreciated. For all her effort, you may want something more she’ll remember, a well-thought of gift basket with her favorite items would be great as well. And they say that probably the best gift of all is a short but warm thank you speech during the baby shower to let her and everyone know that you’ve had a great time.
Remember, a baby shower is called as such because it’s is intended to ‘shower’ the parents-to-be with gifts. No matter how simple or extravagant you plan it to be, just have all of your special friends around and it will sure be fun. Remember, no matter how many gifts or great the food are in a party, it is the people who will truly make the event memorable and special. And as for baby showers, the feeling on expecting the youngest addition to the brood is always the most cherished.