Who typically hosts the baby shower?
The general rule used to be that a mom-to-be’s closest female friend was the person who would give her a baby shower. While a best friend can indeed organize and host a baby shower, so can nearly anyone else!
If you are trying to decide whether or not you should be the person in charge of this wonderful event, you really only need to know the answers to a few simple questions! If you know the mom-to-be quite well, it is likely that the role of hostess is right for you!
Although it is certainly nice if the hostess is the new mother’s dearest, lifelong friend, this isn’t necessary in order to give a great party! One of the most important questions to ask yourself is whether you are in a position of easily making a guest list. This isn’t difficult; all it means is that you are aware of who her closest associates and family members are!
Another factor to think about is the expense of the baby shower. While expenses can be reduced by holding the party in your home, and by asking your guests to contribute some of the refreshments, taking on the role of hostess usually includes covering most of the expenses.
You should also ask yourself how well you deal with details. Although organizing a baby shower is not difficult, like any special event it does require careful planning. Some people are better at this than others! Organizing a baby shower includes attention to such details as planning for the best time to give the party, as well as the approximate length of time your guests will be present; making the decisions regarding the guests you should invite; the types of refreshments you wish to serve; and many other important details. Some people are natural list-makers; others thoroughly enjoy a flurry of activity; but whatever your personal style may be, being good at organizing in general will play a large role in the success of the party.
If you feel that the mom-to-be would be most comfortable with a baby shower that is held in someone’s home, it’s important to know in advance if you have enough space for the number of guests you wish to invite. As some baby showers include children as guests, if you like this idea it’s necessary that it be given in a home where spaciousness and lack of distractions make it safe for young children, without constant supervision.
In most instances, there is no reason why a prospective mother cannot be given a number of baby showers. If she already has children, and is less likely to need a large amount of baby necessities, she can still have a number of parties, but with gifts focused more on non-essentials, as well as gifts for the parents themselves. When you look at it this way, having a variety of baby showers will mean that more than one person can have the role of hostess.
You may also like to consider a collaborative effort! If you and her other friends or family members are cooperative, organizing and hosting a baby shower will work very nicely with teamwork! Instead of only one person tending to all of the details, organizing and hosting the party as a team can be a delightful way to present a baby shower.