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A baby shower is a special party usually held at least four to six weeks before the due date and hosted by a friend or family member for an expectant mother to welcome the bundle of joy. This is a time where parents are showered with good wishes, love, and gifts. It’s also a way for the family and friends to help the parents to get the things they need before the baby is born. However, things will be a little bit different these days. Due to the pandemic, parties, including baby showers, are prohibited. Many have resorted to using technology to continue having a party to avoid getting the virus, and there has been a rise of virtual parties hosted through video conferencing apps.If you have a family member or a close friend that’s expecting a baby, don’t be upset by the inability to have a baby shower in person. With the right tricks, a virtual baby shower can be just as fun and exciting as a traditional baby shower. Therefore, here are some tips that can help you endure the new party planning challenge:
In This Post:
1. Create Invitations
Just because you’re having the party on Zoom, Messenger, Skype, or any other online apps, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to go extra! You can create invitations too like what is usually done for a traditional baby shower. To fit the whole online setup, digital invitations from greenvelope.com can be beneficial in so many ways. Plus, it’s easier to get the word out, too, especially if you have guests that have a different time zone. For instance, you can set the time according to the celebrant’s time zone on the e-invitation. This will allow the guests who will be adjusting with the time zones to avoid any confusion.More importantly, having e-invitations for a virtual baby shower will keep the excitement alive. It’s easier for guests to remember it since they can easily set a notification to remind them. It’s like the icing on top of a cake, that even if the party setup is different, it still feels quite like the real deal because you’re also sending out baby shower invitations to your guests.
2. Understand the Expectations of the Mom-To-Be
Remember that this isn’t your party. You’re only planning it, out of your love for the expectant mother. Therefore, it’s essential for you also to remember what the pregnant mom wants. When you’re not planning a surprise party, this can be a lot easier, simply because all you have to do is ask the expectant mother about her preferences. Here are the things you can ask the mom-to-be:
- Preferences and available time for the virtual baby shower.
- The friends and other guests she’d like to invite.
- Wish list for gifts, or a registry, if she wants any.
- How she intends the baby shower should run.
3. Make a Group for the Baby Shower
All thanks to the innovations in technology, many teleconferencing setups are now available on the internet. It includes Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, and anything that allows video calls with a group of people. Don’t just decide on what you will choose for the virtual baby shower on your own. You should consider the preference of the mom-to-be and the guests. This will allow you to see if everyone can join the group call or not. Since some can use a specific app, and some can’t due to the specifications of their devices.Once you’ve chosen what you’re going to use for the party, you can have a dry run to see if everything will go smoothly, preferably before the actual party itself. Therefore, you’ve got enough time to smoothen out whatever technical difficulties will occur.
4. Setup Online Gift Registry
The parents or mom-to-be can set up an online registry for the gifts they want. Therefore, their guests can access the list online without a hassle, in a sense that it can be updated in real-time when a particular gift has been purchased. They can also regularly check which are still available without having to call the expectant mother to ask constantly. This might ring a bell to most, given that so many have now also resorted to online shopping due to the pandemic. For example, in Amazon, you can set up a wish list that your guests can see. In return, they can either send gift cards or buy the item themselves and have it shipped to the expectant parents.
5. Choose A Theme
Yes, you can still spice things up by having a theme. While a virtual baby shower means that you can’t go all out with the decorations, it always helps to have a few to keep the feel of the baby shower.For example, you can decorate your background for the group call, so it looks just as festive when you show up on the screen. One of the advantages of this on your part is that it means lesser expenses on the decoration. You only need a few materials that you can attach to your wall to make your background festive.To make everyone feel connected despite the social distancing and being away from each other. You can also ask your guests to dress up based on the theme. Hence, it will feel similar to a traditional baby shower that are usually held in person. Also, if the guests are nearby, you can put together some food deliveries for them before your scheduled virtual party. This will make everyone feel like eating together, which can make it coherent to what theme you’ll go with.
6. Open Gifts Online
In a traditional baby shower, commonly, the mom-to-be opens all of her gifts in front of her guests. You can still open presents during a virtual baby shower, but it will be done differently. You won’t have to miss out on all the sweet fun of opening gifts.If the guests have bought gifts but haven’t sent them yet, they can show their gifts to the expectant mom on screen. On the other hand, if they have already sent the gifts before the date of the party, the mom-to-be can go ahead and open these during the virtual party.
7. Send Out Party Favors
A party favor is an inexpensive gift which a guest receives as a gesture of thanking them for attending the party. This can be a gift bag full of trinkets and candies. It doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to give out some when hosting a virtual party. There are many tech-savvy ways you can do when you plan to incorporate party favors in a virtual baby shower without the need of having to send some physically. You can send out gift cards that your guests can use online to buy themselves some party favors, which can be the ideal thing to do during a pandemic.
8. Plan the Baby Shower Well
Virtual baby showers can be done with a schedule as well as a traditional baby shower. Due to not being able to see anyone physically, handling a virtual baby shower can be stressful for the expectant mother. It will be easier to come up with a schedule and timeline of events for the virtual baby shower. One of the best ways to organize activities is to create a fun flow that everyone can enjoy. Plan something that will make everyone entertained. It’s best to have a checklist of everything to make sure that everything is on the right track.For example, along with the other usual activities, you can include a pep talk or mom-to-mom advice. It will be useful, especially if the mom is a first-time mother. Not only can this lift her spirits, but it can also make her feel well-loved and special during this very challenging time. This kind of activity can make everyone become closer to each other. Also, remember that pregnant women are going through a lot of changes in their hormones. You never know if your expectant friend is going through any hidden depression or mood swings. Through your time of opening up to each other, this will make the mom happier, and the baby, too!
9. Organize Some Games
Virtual baby shower games aren’t for everybody, as there might be those that feel awkward playing on the screen. Nevertheless, if the guests are up for it, then why not! There are many ways for you to have games still while being on a video call.For example, the expectant mom can make the guests guess specific information that she may have held about the baby. You can also create your version of the price is right, whereby you all guess the particular cost of some of the most common baby items. Whatever floats your boat regarding the games and whatever extent the guests are willing to go for, in terms of participating, go for it!
Final Word
A virtual baby shower will never be the same as seeing loved ones on in-person. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t at least try. If you have successfully planned the virtual party, you’ll find that the difference isn’t that much from a traditional baby shower. Besides, there are many activities that you can enjoy too. Which some you thought you could only do with a traditional baby shower. If you’re having seconds thoughts regarding having a baby shower, the tips mentioned above can be beneficial in helping you plan a successful virtual baby shower that everyone can enjoy.