5 Mistakes to avoid when planning a baby shower
Planning a baby shower can be a daunting experience and a juggling act to ensure that the guests are entertained, the mummy to be feels special and the event runs smoothly.
Below is a list of the top 5 things I learnt when planning my first baby shower along with our top tips.
1) Not visiting the venue beforehand
My first baby shower hosting experience was an afternoon tea for my best friend at a gorgeous country house hotel. At the time I was living in London, so didn't have a chance to go and visit the venue prior to the event. When I arrived to set up, the private room had gone through a major refurbishment and the hosting area was a lot larger than I had anticipated. It would have been useful to have more decorations including bunting, a banner and some more balloons to better decorate the area.
OUR TOP TIP:
If hosting a baby shower at a venue, make sure you check out the venue first to see if it has everything you need such as a private room, enough tables and seating and adequate facilities so there are no surprises on the day.
If hosting at someone's house, ensure that there is enough space for all guest and adequate seating, rather than trying to borrow additional chairs last minute.
2) Adequate tables for gifts and the cake
3) Not arriving early enough to set up
Setting up decorations and also preparing food (if hosting at home) will take longer than you anticipate. I had help from friends to set everything up but I naively thought I could get everything ready in half an hour and I should have allowed more time.
OUR TOP TIP:
Whether you are hosting at home or at a venue, try to arrive at least one and half hours before the event to give you plenty of time to get ready. Whether it's confirming the menu with the staff, laying out all the food, a last minute tidy up or trying to get the audio to sync, time will fly by before you know it. Make sure the last item on the to-do list is inflating the confetti balloons, as they have a shorter float time than normal balloons.
Ask the mum to be to arrive after the start time to ensure that everyone is there ready to greet her.
4) Sourcing key items in enough time
5) Not having a seating plan
