How can I throw a babyshower for my wife?

Ryan D: How can I throw a babyshower for my wife?
Hi,

My mother-in-law was planning on having a baby shower for my wife, but due to circumstances such as selling and buying a new house money is a little tight for my in-laws. While my wife says she’s not upset, this is our first child and I’m sure she is a little disappointed. How and where can I throw her a good shower for around 30 women in Rhode Island in Febuary/March? Need ideas for location and food and whatnot. I could probably swing $ 500 maybe a little more if necessary.

Thanks.

Answers and Views:

Answer by CookFrNW
WOW! Your soooo nice. SHe would be flattered that you took it upon yourself to throw a shower. I would suggest renting a banquet hall in a hotel. They often have decorations you can use. I.e. – table cloth, silver ware etc. Remeber to use baby colors, light blue for boy and pink for girl, if you do not know the sex then light green and yellow are nice. Placing baby duckys in champagne glasses are always cute at showers. Use you imagination b/c anything you do with be greatly appreciated !

GOOD LUCK !

Answer by Cadillac
How thoughtful of you. Not from the RI area so I can’t say for location, but you can do a theme, like maybe the style of nursery you two are doing, and for food, you can try things your wife has craved throughout the pregnancy. To cut down on cost, throw it around 10AM or 3PM so the guest should have already eaten. Make sure you get a cake. If you search for “baby shower ideas” you will get a pretty good response. I did this recently to start to plan my sisters baby shower. Good luck!

Answer by Kristin
Wow, that’s going to be one hell of a baby shower for 500 bucks!

All you really need is a few games, finger foods and non-alcoholic drinks (and lots of it), a cake, and decorations. The ladies will take care of the rest.

If you really want to go crazy, pick up a few little prizes for the games.

As far as locations go, why not your house or a friends house? It’s not like you need to rent a reception hall like at a wedding.

Answer by carebearsrsweet930
Well, if possible, if you can have it at your own home, that would save you a lot of money- plus, you don’t have to have food there, even cheaper! Honestly, we had a wonderful shower- with our friends and a couple family members at our home…. and it was the best out of the 3 we had! We bought things like pretzels, chips, had our friend make a cake because she’s great at it- so that was paid for… veggies and fruits… and then some soda, and 2 tiny kegs of beer because we invited our guy friends to come. IT was a blast! And it really didn’t cost too much at all. You can also see if a friend would like to throw it for her- my friend helped throw mine, and she bought all the decorations and game supplies. My friend actually bought many supplies from the dollar store- a few decorations-not too many though… forks/spoons/napkins/plates and cups. And they were cute, they weren’t bad at all. You can buy a couple of gifts for people who win the few games you play if you want too. One game we played that was a lot of fun- buy a few different baby food in jars, take the label off them, and have everyone smell them and try to guess what it is- this was so much fun!

After this shower, only a few friends wanted to go out to eat, so we went out to eat afterwards- and my husband only bought his and my meal… everyone else went seperately… and they didn’t mind at all. It was fun seeing everyone, and they felt the same way. It was such a nice shower and we were all so happy, it’s so neat looking back on the pictures from it. If you can do something like this, I suggest to do this. You don’t have to spend $ 500 at all. And if people expect you to, that’s crazy. You can make a great time for way cheaper than that. And the fact you are throwing it for her, that should mean a great deal to her! I wish you and your wife the best! Congrats on your baby- the love you have for them when you first see them born is amazing! 🙂

P.S.- another great idea I was so happy we heard about this- was on the invitation, we added, “Please bring a book instead of a card for baby to help our book collection.” (something like that) There are some books out there they can get for the same price as some more pricey cards…. and my son loves to be read to, so I’m sooo happy we did this, because we got a lot of nice books for him.

Answer by Andrea
Baby Shower Finger Foods
Fresh Fruit
Fruit is an easy food to serve that everyone likes as an appetizer, with the meal or even with desert. Buy and cut your favorite fruits up into squares or you can buy fruit salad from your local grocery store to save you some work. Served cubed in a large bowl or mix fruits on skewers and serve on a platter. Click here for fresh fruit salad and dip recipes.

Vegetables
Vegetables are another easy food to serve as appetizers or with the baby shower meal. As with fruit, you can cut up celery, broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, and other favorites or you can find vegetable trays at the market. Serve chilled with ranch dressing or make your own dips to impress your guests.

Finger Sandwiches
Cucumber sandwiches are the baby shower #1 favorite sandwich because they’re frequently served at showers with an Afternoon Tea theme. You have some flexibility with the type of sandwich you serve; just make sure to cut the sandwiches into dainty portions.

Other easy finger foods include:
Chips and Dips – Serve spinach dip, salsa, guacamole, onion dip, or hot artichoke dip with tortilla chips or pita bread cut into small triangles. Ask the mommy-to-be what her preference are!
Cheese and Crackers – Serve a variety of crackers along with two or more cheeses.
Chicken (Teriyaki or Sate) – Serve on skewers with teriyaki or peanut sauce.
Baby Shrimp – Need we say more? Serve with cocktail sauce.
Chicken Wings – Especially popular with the men at couples showers, served with ranch dressing!
Meat Balls – Another strong performer, especially at couples showers, make sure to serve the small variety.
Mini Pizzas – Everyone loves pizza, so when they’re small enough to pop in your mouth, they go fast.

Baby Shower Cakes
To get a very cute and affordable cake, you should check out Wal-mart’s bakery. They have very cute cakes that are very tasty and easier on the pocket book than going to a fancy bakery.

Baby Shower Drinks
Coffee, tea, punch and soda are all great baby shower beverages. If the mommy-to-be doesn’t mind, you may also serve wine or other alcoholic drinks. Make sure to have cream, sugar and both the pink and blue sweeteners for the coffee drinkers. You can brew a pot of tea, but hot water and an assortment of tea bags is a nice touch. If you’re serving soda, make sure to have regular and diet choices. As far as the punch, there are so many recipes. You can go with a more traditional fruit punch or serve pink lemonade, raspberry-lemonade, or mint julep.
Using Baby Bottles To Drink From – A neat thing that you can do for glasses that the baby shower guests will drink from is to use baby bottles as glasses. Take out the nipples of the bottles and put fun colorful straws and fun cocktail umbrellas . It would be great to give the bottles with their tops to the mommy to be after the baby shower so she can use them.
Choose Baby Shower Location
The number one rule is to make sure that the baby shower location is large enough to accommodate your guest list. No matter if you have the baby shower at a home, restaurant, hotel or rented space, make sure everything is planned and it will be an excellent shower!
You will save a considerable amount of your budget if you will be hosting the baby shower at a home. However, you will spend money on plates, napkins, cups, eating utensils, and possibly table rentals. Borrow as many folding tables as you can. Also see if you can borrow table cloths. If you have a party supply store nearby, you should see what kind of deals you can get for all of your supplies.

Baby Shower Games
Search for some of these games and see which, if any, your wife would like to play. I had two baby showers without the games….which made me quite happy! Some moms-to-be are quite uncomfortable and don’t want to fool around with games that involve lots or movement or lots of touching/measuring.

Answer by cerah_micah
You are so nice! I can’t say specific places as I don’t live there, but your home is a good place. Any motel with a meeting room could work too, but that can get pricey. I would also check with your work-do they have a meeting/conference room? That’s where we had mine. I just had cupcakes and sweets at mine. A cake would be good, especially if you can get it decorated. I recommend some salty snacks, too. Pretzels, chips, and such are good. I couldn’t eat anything sweet without something salty to go with it. Just get large colored punch bowls and put the food in that. The colors can be whatever color theme you chose. Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels all have great little decorations/party favors for not much money. You can also get colored disposable table cloths at a card outlet store. The fancy decorations aren’t what she will remember, so don’t go crazy on that. I would get your in-laws invovled in the planning, too. Just because they can’t help out with the money doesn’t mean they won’t love helping out with the planning. I’m sure she’ll love anything you do. Good luck!

Answer by diapercakesbybecca
Not from the Rhode Island area….but I may be able to offer a little advice.

For about thirty women….consider renting a conference room at a local (nice) hotel for an off-time. I used to be in the hotel biz and I know that in a business area…weekend afternoons are often offered at discounted rates due to lack of business on these days. Hilton properties are always nice….try Homewood Suites as they cater to business guests and are usually wide open on the weekends (this is where I used to work!!). There is one in Warwick and their number is 401-738-0008. Odds are the sales manager is a woman….tell her your story about wanting to throw your wife a shower and how the original “thrower” can’t do it….let her know you are on a budget. She’ll work with you!! She needs to put someone in that conference room…..it will probably be empty on the weekend. Convince her to work with you on the rate!!!! (You will need to bring your own refreshments, food, and utensils, cups!! They should be able to include the tables and chairs. Possibly even the tablecloths!!!)

THEME: Pick a theme for the shower. If there is a nursery for the baby….go with that same theme!! Have the invitations match the theme!! If there is no nursery theme,….pick something that your wife would like (her favorite animal, the animal that keep showing up on the clothing she is buying for the baby, or go out with her to a store and walk with her over to the stuffed animal section and let her pick an animal out. Whatever she picks….that is your theme!!)

FOOD: Bring your own. So maybe your MIL can’t help pay…but she can contribute by helping you prepare food. Have the shower in the middle of the afternoon and you can get by with light fare. Veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, and (of course) a cake to match the theme of the shower (local grocery store can do that!!) Plates and napkins and cups can be disposable (but nice disposables!!). Get some to match your theme!!

Decorations: Balloons, Home-made banner, DIAPER CAKE for the gift-table centerpiece,

Since you are going to have the shower at a hotel….a lot of the games usually held at a shower might not work out as well because it is a bit more formal of a setting. Try to make it a sentimental gathering, instead. Have each guest tell your wife the one thing they are most looking forward to about this new child (seeing the little feet, hearing them cry for the first time, seeing if they have mommy’s beautiful smile, seeing if they have daddy’s amazing eyes, seeing if they have Aunt Edna’s crazy feet!!, SENTIMENTAL things that will remind her that this baby is being expected by EVERYONE that loves both her and you and your new little one!!)

Another great activity….have the guests fill out birthday cards for the first 15 birthdays. (Two people get each year….). Mommy can hold onto those cards and give them to your child each year on their birthday. This is really great if older relatives are attending the shower. Very sweet and sentimental.

Before cutting the cake….don’t forget the toasts to the new baby!!

Most of all….remember that it isn’t about how much money is spent. It’s about CELEBRATING BABY!!! I think you are a wonderful husband (and daddy) to be looking into organizing this celebration!!

Good luck, have fun, and CONGRATULATIONS!!!

IF YOUR BUDGET IS $ 500.00

Room Rental at Hotel: $ 150.00 (guessing)
Food and Refreshments: $ 200.00 (veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, fruit platter, cake, bottled water, punch)
Decorations: $ 150.00

Since you wouldn’t really be doing games….you don’t need to worry about prizes or gifts for the guests. IF you want to do gifts for the guests….here is a great way to do a “raffle” at the beginning of the shower. When each guests enters the room….have them write a note to the baby on a nice piece of stationary. These notes can later be turned into a keepsake album for the baby to enjoy when they get older. Towards the end of the shower….draw two or three “names” out of the box you are keeping the notes in. Those winners could get a prize. (PRIZES can be: “Home Movie Night: Blockbuster Gift Certificate, Microwave Popcorn, Movie Theatre Candy, Two Bottles of Soda, all in a nice basket. “Spa Gift Basket: Bath Salts, Salt Scrub, Loofah, A Couple of Scented Candles, all in a nice basket”. Also, nice silver frames are always a great prize!!!

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!!!!