Party Planning -- Next steps in planning the baby shower

In my previous entry (Baby Shower - First steps in planning) I described how I was starting the planning for a baby shower. My friend Kathy, who is also a coworker, is having twin boys! We are all so excited for her.

I answered the foundation questions for the party (from Party and Event Planning - Lay the foundation) and determined the following:

Guest list:  Approximately 15 people, both women and men
Nursery Theme: Jungle
Colors: Soft blues and greens

I have contacted a hotel near the office and determined we can have the event near their pool. I live in Southern CA so am hoping for nice weather, or at least nice enough to have the event outside. 

Cute twins napkins from Party City

We found a cute elephant jungle pattern at Party City that had napkins for twins. The design has elephants that just happen to match the design on the blankets Kathy chose for the cribs. I still can't believe that there was a design that matches the nursery and is specific for twins. What a lucky find on our part. I will use the design as the basis for the rest of the party.


One of the most important things during party planning is staying organized. You can organize parties for free using some great online programs. Evite is one site with some free electronic invitations and party planning ideas. Punchbowl is another site with similar information. Both allow you to send invitations from their site and manage your guest list there. 

I used Punchbowl for the last Baby Shower I planned, but the evite went to the junk mail folders at work, making it difficult to know who had received them and who had not. So be careful if you use a website to plan your party and send the invitations to an office email. However, it was nice to have the tracking of acceptance done online.

Invitation created from party decorations

I use email to send the invitations because I work in high tech and we communicate electronically. The guests are all from work, making email the best media to use for this event's invitations. I couldn't find an electronic invitation that I liked so I took images from the party supplies we bought and created an invitation to match.  

I sent a separate email to all who are invited asking them if they would like to go in on a bigger gift and letting them know where Kathy is registered.
I will purchase more expensive gifts with the money I receive from those who go in on the larger gift. If there is money left over, I will purchase additional small items that are always needed like burp cloths, clothes, etc. 

The hotel let me know that we can host the event around the pool so I am working with them on the site. I will also have them provide heavy appetizers and some wine for guests. I like to create a spreadsheet to manage my food options, costs per item, and totals. Here is a sample of the simple spreadsheet I created for another party.

Spreadsheet to calculate food

Be sure to ask the mother-to-be if there are any foods that she doesn't care for at this point in her pregnancy. At times there are foods that a pregnant woman can't tolerate and in extreme cases those foods can trigger her gag reflex. It's very important that the guest of honor is comfortable and relaxed through the party so make sure the menu reflects her current tastes. 

You can use this spreadsheet for future parties because it is easy to update. Enter formulas to multiply the number of items ordered by their cost to see the total for each appetizer. And then add a Sum to the total column to see your full costs. 

It's surprising how much you can do for under $100 even at a hotel. For this amount, I will easily have appetizers for 15-20 people. Drinks are separate, but a bottle of house wine is $20 making the cost very reasonable considering this includes all food preparation, plates, flatware, buffet tables set, serving pieces, and clean-up.

I will order the cake today and bring in a sample of the design we are using. This week I will also be collecting the money for the big gift and will make purchases based on the amount I receive. I never set an amount when asking people to go in on gifts. Everyone is at a different place financially and the purpose of the shower is to celebrate with the mother to be, not cause guests stress by requiring them to give a certain amount for the gifts. 


I will purchase the gifts this week so I can get them wrapped over the weekend. I will also follow up with those that have not responded and give the final headcount to the hotel on Friday. The party is coming together nicely and has taken just a few hours of my time to pull together.  

I am feeling well prepared for the shower on Tuesday.  I will create an entry next week to show you how the event went. Wish me luck!

Make life a celebration!
Laureen