First and foremost, you’ll need a space to host your event. Take into consideration the number of guests you’ll be expecting, what time of year it is, and what the guest of honor would enjoy for her celebration.

If you’re looking to host a summer baby shower, considering an outdoor venue can be beneficial for several reasons. Outdoor venues tend to encompass the natural elements that Northern Michigan has to offer. Hosting an event outside can also help control the spread of germs and viruses that an expectant woman will want to avoid.

Planning food options for a large group of people can be a daunting task! Food options for baby showers tend to be more casual than a meal that would be served at a more formal event, such as a wedding.

Baby showers most commonly feature a buffet style food setup. When planning a buffet, keep sanitation at the front of your mind! Having proper serving utensils and a sneeze guard option can help prevent the spread of germs at your event.

Some good buffet options to offer a baby shower include:

• Deli wraps 
• Green salad
• Pasta Salad
• Mini quiches
• Breadsticks
• Fruit assortment

It is necessary to ask in advance for any food allergies or restrictions from your guests. Most people will include a small memo on the RSVP line of the invitation to please reach out if there is anything specific you should know about their dietary preferences.

Games can be a fun addition to a baby shower, but it’s important you ask the mom-to-be what her preference might be. Some games might focus on the expectant mother’s size or belly shape, such as “Guess Mommy’s Belly Size”. While some women are ok with this type of humor, others may feel offended by it.

Are you expecting some guests from an older generation? If so, it may be fun to incorporate a game that includes these guests being able to offer advice from their own experience as mothers. A new mom can use all the help she can get!

Other games that might be fun to incorporate into your celebration include:

• Baby bingo (bingo using baby items)
• Guess that candy bar (various chocolate candies melted in a diaper)
• Diaper raffle
• Don’t call me ‘baby’
• Baby trivia (based on mom or dad’s baby years)
• Pacifier hunt

Most baby showers will include some sort of party favor or small gifts. Most often, these are incorporated into the games as a prize that people can win. This is not mandatory, however. 

If the budget allows, it is customary for every guest to get some form of gift, even if it is quite small. Good universal gifts that are budget friendly can include things like body lotion, candles, or a small baked good. 

A fun way to offer larger prizes and save money on decoration is to offer the table centerpieces as prizes to the game winners. Faux flower arrangements, potted succulents, or snowglobes can all make great centerpieces and prizes!

You’ve spent all this time creating a plan, now make sure you’ve written it down! Having a loose itinerary to follow on the day of your event can make things run much more smoothly.

Try to write things down in the order they will happen during the baby shower. Start with the arrival time, where people will place their gifts, when food will be served, when the games will start, and finally what time things will wrap up.

It is also helpful to have notes written down that can help you on the day of. Jotting down any special dietary restrictions for a certain guest, what prizes go with a certain game can make sure you’re feeling organized and prepared.

Inevitably if you’ve been tasked with planning this baby shower, you’re probably very close to the mom-to-be! Whether it’s your sister, daughter, or best friend – you should be able to enjoy this celebration along with the other guests.

This is easier said than done, but don’t take on too much! Just because you can make all the food yourself, doesn’t mean you should. There are many restaurants that can cater for a reasonable price in Northern Michigan, and they can take the food prep off your plate (pun intended)!

Task another close friend with taking the paper wrappings as gifts are opened, or ask another friend to help set up the buffet. It’s ok to ask for help from anyone, as long as it’s not the mama-to-be!