Hosting a Virtual Baby Shower
Over the last couple months, a lot of celebrations have been put on hold or moved online. We believe these exciting events, like bridal showers, baby showers, and bachelorettes should still be celebrated even if they have to be done virtually. Hosting a virtual baby shower is a great way to celebrate and spoil a new mom or mom-to-be without putting anyone, especially mom and baby, at risk.
Create a Registry
Ask the new mama to create an online gift registry – we love Amazon Registries, and you can create a registry here! Guests can order items from the registry and have them shipped right to the guest of honour’s (GOH) house.
Send out Invitations
Choose a date and time for the shower and send out electronic invitations. Make sure to include a link to the registry and the guest of honour’s address so that gifts can be sent directly to their house. (Make sure to choose a party date a few weeks away to allow shipping time for gifts)
We’d recommend hosting the event on Zoom and keeping the guestlist to about 10 attendees, as too many people on the same call can get a little overwhelming.
Decor
Choose a theme or colour palette than can be achieved with a small amount of décor. Enlist the help of the guest of honour’s spouse/partner to put up a little bit of décor! Grab some fun decorations (either online or even at your local box store) and drop them off safely – think about decorations that can be put up around where the GOH will be sitting for the virtual shower. A cute balloon bouquet and a backdrop would be perfect.
Menu
The menu can be a bit tricky since everyone will be attending from their own homes, but we love the idea of ordering mini dessert trays and having them dropped off at each guest’s house so that everyone can enjoy a sweet treat during the virtual event! Many local bakeries are offering curbside pickup and even delivery! Get in touch with your favorite bakery to see whether they can help with a unique, custom dessert for the shower.
Games
Games are a staple at any baby shower! You can still play a Mommy Trivia Game or a Gift Bingo game, just be sure to send them out in advance to all guests, so they can print them off before the shower.
Before the Shower
Make sure you send out the call details before the shower – if you have any guests who may have trouble setting up for a Zoom or other technology, consider including instructions or offering to help over the phone. Make sure all the guests have received their sweet treats and printed the games you want to play.
Keep the event on track
Just like an in-person shower, having a schedule will keep the party on track. As the guests arrive, welcome everyone and let the GOH say a few words, show off the new bundle of joy, etc. Have everyone take out their treats and mingle a bit – facilitate the conversation if it’s getting jumbled. This is one of the main reasons we recommend keeping virtual showers to about 10 guests.
Play a game – Mommy Trivia is a fun conversational game.
Have the new mama open her gifts and show them off. Guests can play a gift Bingo at the same time.
When it’s time to say goodbye, the guest of honour can thank everyone.
While a virtual baby shower may not be exactly what the new mom had in mind, it’s a great (and safe) way to make her feel special and celebrate this exciting time in her life with close friends and family.