Baby Shower Etiquette

Many first time hostesses and guests of honor have questions and concerns about baby shower etiquette. All in all, baby showers are typically informal gatherings designed for showering the mom to be with items she’ll need for baby and your good wishes too. Here are some of the most common baby shower etiquette questions.

Should I Serve Food? You should have some sort of food planned for a baby shower. However, what and how much is dictated by the time of day you hold the shower. For instance, if you hold the shower from 2:00-4:00 in the afternoon, keep the menu light with just a few hors’ doeuvres and dessert. However, if you plan to hold your shower around noon or 1:00, a lunch or brunch menu is appropriate.

Should I Serve Alcohol? This depends upon the guest of honor. If your guest of honor is generally opposed to alcohol drinking, then the answer is no. Also, if your guest of honor is normally a drinker who doesn’t enjoy the fact that she must abstain while pregnant, then the answer is no. However, if your guest of honor is fine with guests drinking when she must abstain, then by all means, serve alcohol. Just be certain to have plenty of non alcoholic beverages on hand for the mother to be and other non imbibing guests.

How Long Should A Baby Shower Last? In general about two hours unless you’re serving a meal, such as at a brunch shower, where it might last a bit longer.

Is It Proper Baby Shower Invite Etiquette To Include Men On The Guest List? Discuss this with your mom to be. Couples baby showers can be great fun, particularly for first time parents. However, if your mom to be has a vision of the perfect baby shower and her vision is of an “all girl affair”, or if the father to be is not interested in participating, you should keep the party to all ladies.

Is It Ok To List Where The Mom Is Registered On The Shower Invitations? Of course! The central concept of a baby shower is to shower the mom with gifts and good wishes. As a hostess, it’s part of your job to help guests know just what to bring. There’s no better way to do this than to point them to a gift registry.