Nothing is simple anymore, including prepping for baby! Your girlfriend is pregnant so what are you going to do for her? A shower? A sprinkle? Overwhelmed already? No worries, I figured it was time to break it down. I have had a handful of showers, parties, etc. and was an event planner for many years so I have seen it ALL! Let’s break it down.
Showers
Of all the baby parties to throw, this is the most common and you probably don’t need a lot of info from me. Typically, showers are only thrown for first babies. There aren’t a lot of rules other than making sure to include the registry info. My best advice for baby showers is to offer to throw a party for a specific group. Maybe the mom has an aunt throwing a shower so this is an opportunity for you to throw a shower for friends or neighbors. I truly believe that you can never have too many. Moms need a lot of stuff!
Sprinkles
This is the perfect type of “mini-party” to throw for a second or third…or fourth baby. After the first baby, most moms have everything, but friends and family are still excited to celebrate. You can plan something small, maybe a dinner or a lunch. This is a great way to get creative with gifts. If you know the gender and the name then you could throw a “Monograms & Mimosas” brunch or ask everything to bring books. If there’s something specific she needs then organizing a group gift will be a hit!
Diaper Parties
Diapers parties are making their way in to the baby celebration world. It’s an awesome way to celebrate dad by either making it a couples shower or letting the men party. My husband and his friends usually have a get-together with just the guys. The most important part of throwing a diaper party is to check with mom and dad-to-be and ask what brand of diapers they are planning on using. On the invitation you can split the sizes up by last names. For instance, last names A-L please bring Size 1, L-Z bring Size 2. You can also include a wipe brand just in case. The best part about diaper parties is that you can throw one for every pregnancy. Diapers are PRICEY!
Are the parents planning on doing cloth diapers? No problem! Throw a cloth diaper party and share the purchase details with guests who might not be familiar with it.
Sip n’ Sees
If you didn’t get it together before baby’s arrival then you still have one more chance! A sip n’ see is typically thrown after the baby is born so that a new mom can knock out a ton of baby visits in one short event. It’s extremely important to invite only those who the parents want and you probably want to wait until mom is ready for this outing. You can also throw it at the parent’s home, but always offer to clean and take care of every single detail so mom isn’t stressed. This is an extra fun party if the baby’s name and gender were unknown until birth- guests can go monogram crazy!
More Quick Tips for Celebrating New Parents & Babies:
- Always, always run the most important details by the parents! New babies add enough stress, don’t put anything more on their plate.
- Ask what they need. This can help in the gift direction whether it be the stroller that’s still on their registry or something that has come up.
- Split diaper sizes among diaper party guests so the parents don’t get stuck with too many of a size they can’t use.
- Throwing a party for just guys? Send an e-vite. Cute, paper invitations are lost on them…and literally usually lost. Paperless Post has some of the most adorable options with easy tracking.
- If mom is out of town and can’t possibly fly home with all of her new gifts then I suggest putting something on the invitation that says you can ship directly. “Mom lives far away, but we want to give her a special day. Feel free to ship her gifts so baggage claim has less to lift! Shipping Address:_______”
- If you’re going to offer cocktails, always offer a mocktail. It’s hard enough being pregnant, you want mama to feel like she can celebrate too!
- Not sure you want to provide a full meal for a shower? I suggest doing a midafternoon event so you can offer light snacks and desserts along with beverages. This is a great way to save dollars or allow for a larger guest list!
Enjoy your celebrations!
