Most people in their life time have attended a baby shower. Many of us, including myself, have been fortunate to have one thrown for us. However, there is a big difference between going to one or being the women of the hour and throwing one. This is an article to cover the basics for anyone who is about to throw one and has no idea where to start.

The first question that comes to mind is who should throw the shower. Now traditionalists say that only friends of the mother to be should throw the party and that it is inappropriate for a family member to do so. If you are looking to be proper a family member should not throw the shower because some people may feel that action sends the message that the family is trying to illicit gifts. However, this is usually not the case and in today’s world it is just as common for a parent or sibling to throw the party as it is for a close friend.

The invitation list must be decided early on. Close family and friends for both the mother and father to be should be invited. A traditional view of a baby shower is to keep the lit intimate, less than 25 people, in order to allow the guest of honor time to spend with each guest. However when big families and lists of close friends are involved this may not be possible. Make sure before you finalize the list you allow the mother to be to go over it to make sure that no one was left out and that everyone being invited is someone she is comfortable sharing her special day with.

Before finalizing that guest list you might want to think about having a co-ed party. Co-ed parties are pretty new in the world of baby showers but they are gaining in popularity. It must be decided if the party is to remain traditional, a girls only affair, or if this is for a modern couple who would rather have a co-ed baby bash to celebrate the family that they are about to start. If a co-ed party is chosen it would be wise to rethink decorations, venue and food. Instead of dainty food, pastel colors and a banquet room you might want to consider something like a barbeque type of outing.

If you are interested in the men being able to celebrate but still want a traditional shower, you can throw two showers one for the women and one for the men. The women’s shower can be as girly as you choose and the men’s can be more like a small get together, the men going out to eat, see a sports event or out for drinks. The gifts that they receive may be more basic like gift cards, which is fine, new parents can always use a gift card to finish buying all they need for their new little angel.

The next thing that should be determined is when exactly this party will take place. A good time for the part is between the sixth and the seventh months. This will ensure that most likely the mother to be will not go into labor before than and after the party to expecting parents will have time to organize all their gifts, finish getting the nursery ready and be able to determine what they still need to purchase. Invitations should be sent at least 2-3 weeks in advance for in town guests and 4-6 weeks in advance for any out of town guests.

Now it is time to choose the invitations. The invitations can be of any design, but if the parents have chosen a theme for the nursery the invitations should follow that theme. The invitations should be sent out with the guest of honor’s name, the hostesses name and number, the location, date, and time of the party, a date to RSVP by, a map to the shower as well as a list of any of the stores the parents may be registered at.

Now that all preparations have been completed it is time to look forward to the shower. A baby shower can run anywhere from 2-4 hours, but should not be any longer. The beginning is usually when the hostess and the guest of honor will thank each guest for coming. During the period of everyone’s arrival is usually time for people to mingle. After everyone is there some sort of food is usually served, either a sit down meal like a brunch or a variety of finger foods and desserts. After the food you may choose to play a couple of games, but of course this is not mandatory. Finally, the guest of honor gets to open her presents. As the hostess besides providing the party and the food, you may also want to buy door prizes, prizes for the baby shower games and party favors.

Now you know the basics of throwing a successful baby shower.