The most exciting thing for a mother-to-be, after learning of the conception and before holding the baby in her arms, has got to be the baby shower. Not only are they the centre of attention at the baby shower but also laden with wonderful gifts, positive vibes and good wishes from their loved ones. A baby shower is a rite of passage for a mother-to-be and hence, it gives you all the more reason to plan a perfect baby shower for them. 

If there’s a mummy-to-be in your life who you are planning to throw a baby shower for, you don’t have to look very far ahead. Today we bring you the ultimate guide to a baby shower. While there are a myriad baby shower ideas you can choose from, setting everything in place starting from the venue to the theme of the baby shower is no easy job. 

Read this blog to get a headstart on your baby shower planning and make the mummy-to-be in your life feel the most special. 

Factors to consider while organising a baby shower

• When? While planning a baby shower, you must give utmost importance to the date of the event. First things first, it is ideal to organise a baby shower in the third trimester of the mother-to-be’s pregnancy or in the seventh month. This way you can ensure that the expectant mother is comfortable and not living in the constant anticipation of rushing to the maternity ward. Secondly, the weekend is a good time to hold a baby shower as it is more convenient for guests to grace the occasion without having to neglect their professional commitments. In case you have missed your shot and the baby has arrived earlier than expected, you can always organise a baby shower once the mother and baby are comfortable enough to attend a social gathering. 
• How much should you spend? Budgeting is an important step of planning any event, whether it’s a birthday party or a baby shower. Irrespective of whether you are bearing the entire cost of the baby shower or are sharing the cost among friends and families, setting a budget is of utmost importance. Once you have the budget set, you can plan the shower in a more organised way without having to burn a hole in your pocket. Furthermore, you should allocate parts of the budget to each element of the baby shower, such as the venue, decorations, food, gifts and more. 
• Who should you invite and what should the venue be? These two factors are interconnected. If the number of guests you are inviting can be accommodated in the house, you can save a lot of money. However, if the guest list is long, it is best to book a bigger venue so the guests, as well as the mother-to-be, are comfortable. Depending on the budget and the wishes of the guest of honour (the mother-to-be), prepare a well-thought-out list of guests that you would invite to the baby shower. However, ensure that you also research the capacity limits that venues for such parties generally have.  Whether you should make it a “ladies-only” party or invite male friends and relatives too is up to the mother-to-be and what she is comfortable with. 
• What theme should you pick? While there is a range of baby shower ideas available online, ensure that you discuss with the mother-to-be how she wants the baby shower to turn out. Though, it is advisable to match the vision of the mother-to-be, ensure that the theme you choose is easy to execute as well as easy on your pocket unless you want to spend lavishly. Also, the baby shower theme should be fun and lively. You can add little elements to the decoration and the party such as baby shower prizes, baby shower games and other similar things to make it more of a celebration than a mundane activity. 
• What should you do about the invitations? Once you have narrowed down on the baby shower idea or theme, the invitation ideas should be easy to come by. Look for baby shower suppliers to tend to your stationery needs. Many templates are easily available online as well that can be customised and printed to the taste of the mother-to-be and the organiser. Furthermore, to add a cute little detail to the party, you can also design “Thank you” cards for all your guests, thanking them for gracing the occasion. However, ensure that you take the budget into consideration and don’t wander too far off from the allocated funds. 
• Should you hire a photographer? Again, this aspect boils down to the budget available and the comfort of the mother-to-be. Though it is a great idea to capture moments celebrating the arrival of new life into the family, whether you should hire a professional photographer for it or not must be an economical and logical call. The upside of hiring a professional photographer who has covered parties like this before is that they would know the moments to capture and all the guests can enjoy the party without you having to worry about who the responsibility of taking pictures should be given to. 
• Should you hire a caterer? If the guest list is long and the responsibility of cooking for them would become too tiresome, it’s better that you hire a caterer to do the job. If the venue you have selected hosts baby showers on a regular basis, chances are that they will have a caterer of their own. If not, it is time for you to again take a look at the budget and hire the best caterers within your purview. On the other hand, if you the guest list includes only close relatives and friends and you are organising the baby shower at home, then you can hire a home-run catering service who work on small-scale assignments. 

A baby shower is a celebration of the oncoming happy storm that a newborn is. It is not only in the honour of the mother-to-be but also the unborn child, who will more likely than not experience happiness through his or her mother’s emotions. Irrespective of the baby shower ideas available online, you can go with what feels more like a celebration for the mother-to-be. 

Watch this space for more such baby shower ideas and pregnancy-related information.