Throwing a virtual baby shower!

PLANNING YOUR VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER

You have been looking forward to this since you announced your pregnancy to the world. However current restrictions on socialising have thrown the proverbial spanner in the works when it comes to planning your baby shower.

WHY HAVE A BABY SHOWER?

When you mention the words ‘baby shower’, people imagine a large gathering of friends or family. American TV shows will have us believing in the UK, that it is a lavish affair! How wrong this is!

The baby shower concept is becoming hugely popular on this side of the pond. Living under the cloud of coronavirus means it is more important than ever to stay in touch with our family and friends and share your pregnancy with them. But how do you do this when you cannot see them?

WELL FEAR NOT, WELCOME THE NEW ERA OF THE THE VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER!

Having a virtual baby shower has many benefits. Firstly, friends and family from all over the globe can attend – no restrictions on being able to visit from afar. Secondly, it is cheaper than an in-person event, and thirdly, you can have as many people there as you like!

Just remember, your virtual baby shower is about you and your baby, and your loved ones will move mountains to make sure you have the baby shower you deserve.

WHEN SHOULD I HAVE MY BABY SHOWER?

Pick a time that suits you and your guests. You don’t want to plan it to near to your due date, just in case! Try for around 36 weeks which gives you time to organise it and also for any gifts to arrive, but also you won’t be feeling super tired and uncomfortable.

HOW DO I GO ABOUT PLANNING MY VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER?

Our top tip is to involve a small group of two/three friends who you really trust. Think of them as like your bridesmaids (let’s call them babymaids for the purposes of this.) They will feel flattered you have asked them to help, and everyone loves organising a party, right?

We have pulled together below a step by step guide to help plan your online baby shower.

1. CHOOSE A LOCATION FOR YOUR VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER

The best choice in our opinion is Zoom. It is easy to use and you can get up to 40 minutes free of charge. However, if you are used to something else like Skype or Google Hangouts, then stick to what you know best. Just make sure if there is a time limit that you plan your virtual event to a time schedule.

You will probably have a mix of tech savvy friends mixed with older relatives or friends who have no idea how to log into a live video chat site. Choose the option which works for you and try writing some step by step instructions or even have a practice run, so you don’t have the stress on the day of guests not being able to join the party.

2. SEND AN E-INVITE

There are some great e-invite companies out there such as Paperless Post or Greenvelope.

Given everything else is virtual, you might want to send an actual card by snail mail. There is still something special about receiving something in the post. It may cost you a little more, but if you are saving on venue costs then a few little extras are nice. You could even put a little token gift inside the invitation. We like the range of baby shower invites on offer from Thortful.

3. SET UP A BABY WISH LIST

Setting up an online baby gift wish list or baby registry is becoming a popular choice for parents-to-be. Amazon makes it easy and Myregistry.com is now also available in the UK. John Lewis also has a great service which is simple for everyone to use both offline and online.

Just be sure to put a range of gifts on there. Some guests will want to buy individual gifts, but other groups of friends or relatives may want to club together to buy you a bigger baby gift.

4. CHOOSE A BABY SHOWER CAKE

You don’t have to have a cake – after all, it’s no fun eating a cake for one! Why not send some baby cookies before the event along with some of the decorations and games so everyone receives a little baby shower pack. We like Honeywell Bakes. It adds a bit of excitement, and your guests will love receiving something other than a bill in the post!

5. DECORATIONS

You would normally decorate your venue, so why not get in the spirit and decorate behind you for all the guests to see on camera? There are lots of banners, balloons and themed decorations online. If you are organised, you could send a mini pack to all your guests so they can decorate their Zoom space too!

6. BABY SHOWER GAMES

You will hopefully have time for a couple of online baby shower games. Some of our favourites are difficult to play virtually, but we have other ones that will work well. These include:
– Guess the celebrity baby
– Guess the baby guest (get baby pictures from all your guests and get your guests to write down which of your guests they think it is)
– Name that tune with the word “baby” in the title – just play a little bit of the intro though.
– Guess the price of the baby gear.
– Your top tip for having a baby – ask each guest to give you their top tip for having a baby – ask for them to be as funny as possible.

Don’t forget prizes – you know what your guests will like the best, but vouchers are always a safe bet.

7. OTHER LOVELY IDEAS TO INCLUDE

You could ask one of your “babymaids” to collect messages from your guests and compile them into a virtual guest book – this could be written or via little video messages which you can keep for years to come.

8. DON’T FORGET YOUR MANNERS!

‘Thank You’ goes a long way. Don’t forget to send a little note to your guests after your baby shower. Email or snail mail – it’s your choice!

WHERE CAN I GET HELP PLANNING MY BABY SHOWER?

There are a lot of American baby shower planning companies out there, but we think Web Baby Shower offers a comprehensive service. You can find lots of Baby Shower packs online. Etsy has a great selection.

If you are happy organising things yourself, then Google will lead you to lots of DIY ideas and downloadable templates to throw a virtual baby shower to remember.

Team Didofy hope you have an amazing and memorable day. Don’t forget to share your pics with us on Instagram.