OK, everything is planned out for the upcoming baby shower. Then the topic of etiquette on baby shower favors comes up and the question is asked: how and when do I give out my baby shower favors?
Well, let's discuss baby shower favors first. These are little gifts that the mommy-to-be and the hostess hand out to their guests as a little thank you and remembrance of the celebration. But are they a requirement for a successful baby shower?
Actually, the favors are not required to make a baby shower complete. Showers are celebrations to show support for the new mother and the coming baby and not a way to collect baby shower favors! However, it's a nice tradition to keep up and one way to tell the guests that their efforts are much appreciated.
One common question is how to present the baby shower favors to the guests? Somehow simply piling them onto a table doesn't seem to suit the festivities of the baby shower. It pays to be a little more creative when displaying the baby shower favors after all the effort you took to choose the prettiest favors you could find.
Why not take a tip from the bridal showers and use cake stands to display the favors? After all, these are prettily packaged little presents and it would seem a shame to keep them under the table until after the shower is over. Arrange the favors on the cake stands like you would petit fours and wait for all the “oohs” and “aahs” that are sure to come. Placed near the cake, it would be both a complement and an easy way for the guests to choose one to bring back to the table with them.
Another way how to display favors is on a tray. But don't just plonk them on, decorate the tray first with a layer of moss or be a copycat of the upper crust restaurants and pile on a thick layer of colored lentils or rock salt and arrange the favors in neat rows. Other decorations you can use are heads of fresh or artificial flowers, colorful autumn leaves, or even whole grains or seeds. Have a helper bring the tray around so that each guest can pick one before they leave.
If you are giving out favors in little organza or silk bags, take a hint from the holidays and hang them on a branch set in a pot. Position it near the entrance and have a hand-lettered sign at the bottom that says, “Take Me Home!” This would be a great way to distribute the favors without anyone needed to pass them around.
If the baby shower favors are gathered all together and packaged them beautifully, they can even be the center of attention at the baby shower celebration. It's a perfect way to thank your guests for coming at the end of the celebration.
So, as each person is leaving, make sure each one has a baby shower
favor and pair it with a heartfelt “Thanks for everything!”
to end the baby shower in a great way.