This is the table my business partner Jaime and I designed for an ‘Operation Shower’ event earlier this year. Our theme was Sunshine Safari!
Hey Ya’ll,
Are you at that point in your life where it seems like there’s a baby shower happening every weekend?!?!
Found this literal yet cute baby shower theme via http://pinterestlov.tumblr.com/
This is definitely the case for me, and I’ve also noticed that baby showers are becoming more and more similar to wedding showers, in the sense that, you want to make sure the decor is memorable, the games aren’t too silly, and the food it delicious and cute without being “baby food”. So, I put together a few tips to ensure a successful baby shower that leaves all your guests thinking about how they can copy your ideas and use them at their own parties!
Bold and bright shower image via http://www.napcp.com
Bold and Beautiful: There is a clear line between what is “baby style” and what is chic. So when throwing a summer baby shower, remember to use bright and bold colors in your decor. The bonus of a summertime theme is that your backyard is the perfect venue for the shower to take place and you just need to enhance the surroundings with colors that are current, but also have purpose and find themselves in everything from the invitation to the centerpieces. Choose a bold color palette, like coral and fuchsia if the mother-to-be is having a little girl or aqua and kelly green for a little boy. If the sex remains a secret, lime green and yellow are fun summer colors, or stick with primary colors and you will never go wrong! If she already has a theme for the baby’s nursery, use it as your jumping off point. This way, the decor items can often be re-purposed, rather than thrown away after the shower.
Message in a Bottle: Pick up some bottles at a discount store, and put your invitation inside. Then, tie a bow around the bottle in your party’s colors and mail it to your guests in a box with an image of water inside (this will make it look as if the bottle floated ashore with all the information for the celebration!). Add a little sand to the box and your summer theme baby shower is sure to entice excitement. Send the invitations out early, especially during the summer giving all guest plenty of notice if they want to start planning vacations or other summer fun activities.
Fruit skewers image via smilesteady.com
Eat, Drink and Be a Mommy: When you throw a party, your guest will expect to eat, and since it is summertime, gourmet fresh fruit skewers are a hit, easy to eat, and always tasty. Pair with a light salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing and some candied pecans and chicken breast for protein. Prepare the menu ahead of time if you are hosting, that way you are not rushing around before the party and can also enjoy yourself. I think that if you are providing the location, it is perfectly acceptable to ask the other guest to help and make the shower a pot luck, but when doing so, assign food items so that the menu has appetizers, entree and dessert.
Put your drinks in mason jars with cute bows and straws! Image via dimpleprints.com
When coming up with a summertime beverage to drink, the mom-to-be will be unable to drink, so pick up some sparkling flavored juices and serve everything in a wine or champagne glass so everyone feels like they are celebrating. Add some fresh fruit to the glass and make it more colorful and have some champagne on hand as well for guests who can drink alcohol.
Simply buy a bunch of your favorite scented candles and finish with a bow or buy custom candle favors with lids and labels. Image via beau-coup.com.
I Favor This: Party favors are becoming the norm these days, so come up with something that your guest will want to keep and is useful. A nice summertime scented candle is perfect! Always remember to have a few extra on hand, just in case you have a few unexpected guests or someone asks to take one to someone that was unable to attend.
I highly recommend this Woman’s Day recipe that I found via Ceci New York: http://bit.ly/NXK1M1
Let them Eat Cake: Cake decorating has become more of an art than just picking up a cake at the corner bakery and writing the babies name in icing. If you are planning to end the shower with a work of cake art, make sure that it is not only stunning on the outside, but also delicious on the inside. The saying, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” should be “You can’t judge the cake by its icing” because so many bakers are becoming masters at making an adorable cake and they have forgotten that it’s what’s inside that should be just a good!
Image via ontobaby.com
Let the Games Begin: Shower games, like bachelorette games, are not always enjoyable for all of the guests. So, get a feel for the crowd you will be hosting and decide if a game is the right activity for the group. “Pin the Sperm on the Egg” may not be as popular an idea as “Guess the Mom’s Belly Size” or “Guess Whose Baby Picture is Whose?” I love THIS post from OnToBaby.com, which tells you how to create a DIY onesie station at your party with instant iron-on decals. In the end, if your party’s activities are engaging and fun for all of your guests, they’ll likely be the most memorable experiences of your the shower!
I hope these tips were helpful for any of you that are planning a baby shower this summer. If you’ve ever been to a really great baby shower, tell me about what made it so enjoyable in the comment section below.
-Brian
