Baby Shower Planning: The Key to Success

A little time spent wisely planning that upcoming baby shower can pay off big with a memorable, and budget friendly, event. The familiar saying goes, "You've come a long way baby!" The same thing can be said about the modern baby shower-it's certainly come a long way. Your mom's shower may have included no more than her family and a few close friends captured on film with quick snapshots on the family Kodak Instamatic. But today's shower may expand that circle dramatically, even to the point of bringing in paid entertainers and photographers. It makes for a great event; however it can cost the host a significant bundle of money.

So even though the mom-to-be will likely consider the shower as the host's gift, all the bells and whistles can make it a very expensive gift indeed. This fact pushes your budget right to the top of the list when you start planning a baby shower.

Budget. The dreaded word. Few enjoy the budgeting process, but it is much better to think ahead and decide how your money will be best spent than just start writing the checks and find yourself running out of money and madly cutting corners a day or two before the shower.

As you begin the process of drawing up a budget make sure that you keep the overall purpose of the baby shower at the top of your list. Don't lose sight of the fact that the party is a time for those close to the mom to celebrate the upcoming birth and have a great time doing it. The mom needs to be the star. Don't spend a fortune in areas where you don't need it. As you plan each part of the shower, ask yourself if it's really going to make it better for the mom and the guests, or is it just the kind of detail where you're the only person who will notice it.

Also, you don't need to be a Lone Ranger. Find someone to co-host the shower with you. With costs so high, sharing the burden is a great way to go and perfectly acceptable. In fact, if you need them, bring in a few close friends and family members to help out.

Involving others will not only help you split the costs, but it will divide up the work load, which can be heavy for one person to bear alone. You might want to divvy up the various aspects of the event such as refreshments, decorations, and entertainment. But if you can't find others who have the time to pitch in and do some of the work, they might still be willing to help underwrite the costs.

This, however, takes some discretion on your part. First of all, don't ask the parents-to-be to help out; they have enough expenses ahead of them. Further, some friends and family might be having a hard time making ends meets. Be careful. Make sure everyone knows well in advance about your shower plans, you'll probably find that some volunteers step forward to help out with the budget.

Also consider that some may be willing to pitch in by making food or decorations which will ease the pressure on your budget. Maybe someone has a professional photographer in the family who would be willing to cover the baby shower at little or no cost. Be creative, be communicative, and keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities and at the same time watch that budget!