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Baby Shower Seating Etiquette: Don’t Make Common Mistakes
Baby showers are a celebration of the mother-to-be and her new bundle of joy. They’re also about the important people in their lives. That’s why baby shower seating etiquette is especially important.
The great thing about baby showers is that they’re all about celebrating the arrival of a new baby. Still, people are always concerned with all the traditional customs and conventions that go along with them. One common concern has to do with baby shower seating etiquette.
We’re here to answer all your pressing questions. Our guide will break down baby shower seating etiquette, along with a number of other baby shower traditions and customs. Plus, we have amazing tips and ideas that’ll make your baby shower the best it can be!
Baby Shower Seating Etiquette
In baby showers, the new mother’s friends and relatives shower her with gifts and supplies. There are several rules that dictate how these showers should go.
The first etiquette rule of baby showers is that you shouldn’t host your own. Some people may feel that the mother-to-be is fishing for attention and gifts, and be put off by the idea.
Other rules are a bit more flexible. One example is the rule for who gets to sit where when attending a baby shower. Let’s see what the etiquette for baby shower seating tells us what to do.
Accommodate Your Guests
Assigning seats isn’t necessary when planning a baby shower. However, certain people should be seated with the mother-to-be. For example, grandmas and great grandmas should sit next to her.
If the mother-to-be has any older children, they should sit with their mother. This gives them a sense of taking part in the festivities, as well as in their new sibling’s life.
Other attendees, such as close friends, aunts, and cousins, don’t have to sit somewhere specific. The hostess and mother-to-be can choose to assign where each guest sits. The other option is to let everyone sit anywhere they please.
Baby Shower Seating Etiquette 101: Make a Seating Chart
A seating chart is an illustration that shows guests where they’ll be sitting. If the number of invitees is more than 30 people, a seating chart can make the shower go more smoothly. It can also come in handy if the baby shower is held at a reception or banquet hall.
Seating charts also allow the hostess to provide for any special requests made by the guests. If several guests have specific dietary needs, you could place them together to make things flow smoother when it’s time to serve the food.
Another good idea is to create a baby shower menu to cover special dietary restrictions. Guests may have health considerations, such as being lactose intolerant or diabetic.
Here are a few tips on how to make the best seating chart for your baby shower.
Make it Legible
Make sure your handwriting is easy to read, and the names are clear. The point of a seating chart is to make the event flow more smoothly.
Make it Organized
No one wants to go to a baby shower and have to search for several minutes where their names are. Organize the names in a way that makes it easy for guests to find their seats quickly and easily.
Make it Personal
As you’re drawing up the seating chart, think of each person’s likes and dislikes. They should be seated with other guests they feel comfortable with.
Choose Your Guests
The mom-to-be is the one who decides who she wants to invite to her baby shower. Generally, these events tend to be more women-oriented. Yet, there’s a growing trend of modernists who believe that children and fathers-to-be should also attend.
Delving into the World of Baby Shower Etiquette
Interested in finding out more about baby shower etiquette? Keep reading.
Invitation Etiquette
New moms should collaborate with the hostess on the theme and design of the invitations and how they’ll be sent out. If the hostess is going to send the invitations via mail, the new mom has to give her all the addresses. The hostess can also choose to hand-deliver them if that’s an option.
On the invitation, you should include relevant information, such as:
- Making sure the directions are easy-to-follow
- Providing a store name and link for easy access, if the new mom has a registry
- Adding the baby’s gender if it’s known
- Specifying any mom-to-be requests
- Indicating the various types of foods that’ll be served so guests can be prepared
Meal Etiquette
For baby showers, foods that are easy to prepare should take priority. Additionally, they should stay fresh at room temperature. If any delay occurs for some reason, the food should still taste good.
Finger foods are a great option because they’re easy to eat and don’t cause a mess. Besides, you can get creative with the menu.
There should also be a variety of beverages. Fruit juices and punch are the best options.
Some meal options include:
- Fruit salad
- Club sandwich
- Grilled chicken taco
- Mini pizza
Activities Etiquette
Games and activities are a well-known, traditional part of baby showers. They make the event more fun and entertaining. Plus, they encourage active participation between all the guests and the mom-to-be.
Here are a few fun game ideas to try.
Gift Etiquette
Bringing a gift for the new mom and her baby is an essential part of a traditional baby shower. Guests have several options when it comes to baby shower gift-giving.
One option is to bring a gift of their choosing. A second option is to buy items from a registry of the new mom’s choosing. A third choice is for guests to pool their money together. This way, they can buy a larger, more expensive item, or even several items and present them as a group gift.
If you can’t attend, you should take part in the celebration some other way. For example, you can drop off a gift once the baby has arrived.
FAQs
Baby showers should maintain an air of relaxed, laid-back fun. Knowing what’s expected and what’s not gets rid of any blunders in etiquette that may occur.
Q: Who can host the baby shower?
A: Traditionally, the host should be someone close to the mother-to-be. It could be a cousin, aunt, or even a close friend.
Q: What are some of the responsibilities of the hostess?
A: The hostess is the one in charge of the planning all the way to the end of the shower. It’s worth mentioning that most hostesses ask the guest of honor’s opinion on what theme she’d like her baby shower to be.
Hostesses greet the guests and deal with any hiccups that may come up. They also set up games and activities. Regulating the flow to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves is another one of a hostess’s responsibilities.
Q: Who pays for the baby shower?
A: The one who typically foots the bill for the shower is the hostess. Yet, she doesn’t have to do it on her own. She can always ask friends and family to help out. To help reduce costs, hostesses can call on guests to bring potluck dishes.
Q: When is the best time to plan a baby shower?
A: Planning for a baby shower should start no later than eight weeks before the baby is due. That gives the hostess four weeks to plan and get everything ready.
Q: When is the best time to have the actual baby shower?
A: Invitations should be sent out one month in advance. The best time to have the actual shower should be between 4 to 6 weeks before the baby is scheduled to arrive.
Q: Do new moms have to open gifts at the baby shower?
A: Baby shower etiquette encourages a mom-to-be to open her gifts at the shower. Yet, if she’s shy or prefers to open them in private, that should be respected as well. This is something that should be coordinated between her and the hostess in advance.
Q: Are party favors customary at a baby shower?
A: Preparing small items for guests to take them can be a nice gesture of appreciation. It also acts as a lasting memory of your special day.
Party favors can go from expensive, such as scented candles, to simple and affordable DIY. It’s up to the mom-to-be and hostess to come up with fun and cute ideas to thank their guests.
Parting Thoughts
Bringing a new life into the world is definitely a reason to celebrate. What better way to celebrate than by throwing a baby shower? We hope you now feel more prepared for your upcoming baby shower, and know what the proper baby shower seating etiquette is.
Being part of that special day means even more when you have your close family and friends there. Yet many hostesses fret over the conventional customs, especially when it comes to baby shower seating etiquette.
Use our guide to help you shine the line on when to follow the rules and when it’s okay to bend them. The important thing is for the guest-of-honor to feel loved and pampered and for the guests to have fun!