When you first got pregnant, were you already dreaming about your baby shower or was that just me? Either way, a baby shower (especially your first baby shower) is such an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime experience (even if you have another baby shower for future babies, there’s something special about your FIRST ever baby shower).
I had the amazing pleasure of working with several amazing companies to help pull off our floral, garden baby shower! A massive thank you to A Splendid Afternoon (decor rentals), Sunrise Sapphires (resin stands/tray), Designs by Hilly (matching baby and mama resin earrings and jewelry tray), Cake Face Cutter Co (designer fondant cookies), and Kiwi Belle Nails (my nail art). Each of these business owners were easy to work with, generous, kind, and enthusiastic. It truly wouldn’t have been the same without these incredible women. All of the signs used throughout the event are also available on Etsy and linked in each photo!
Games and Signs!
Here’s the list of signs and games that you can purchase to print yourself from Etsy (that we used) – purchase here:
1. Don’t say baby (clothespin game)
2. Clothespin gender reveal game (we did this one at our gender reveal party not at our baby shower)
3. Late-night diapers game
4. Baby bottle with marshmallows game
5. Building a library for baby
6. Baby predictions & well wishes sign (not the actual game, that’s below)
7. Baby in bloom sign
We also had each guest fill out a baby predictions form with a “My Wish For You” section (which we are going to cut, laminate, and turn into a book for baby girl) which you purchase and read more about here. We did this instead of asking for advice (because honestly, new parents get enough unwanted advice as it is haha)!
Opening gifts! One of my favorite parts about attending other people’s baby showers is watching them open gifts. Baby things are just SO cute! And it helped give me ideas of what to ask for. Blog coming soon with recommendations on what to add to your registry!
Food & Treats! We had a late morning/early afternoon baby shower and provided a delicious candy/sweets bar and a large grazing table! This worked really well because people could eat throughout the party, we didn’t need to cook or heat anything, and we didn’t even need plates (clean up was so much easier without needing to clean cutlery and dishes)! We also had a drinks bar with punch, iced tea, juice/soda, and hot drinks (tea and coffee). For the grazing board, I made cute little tea sandwiches which were a huge hit (there were a mix of flavors: ham & cheese, cheese & homemade chutney, and cucumber w/ chutney and cheese). We even used PINK bread!
Our treats table wouldn’t have been possible without A Splendid Afternoon! They provided everything we needed (jars, linen, stand, signs, boxes, tongs, etc) to create the most gorgeous setup. It also wouldn’t have been possible without Cake Face Cutter Co who provided the softest, most delicious, and cutest fondant cookies I have ever seen/tasted! And last but certainly not least, the dessert table wouldn’t have been the same without the gorgeous additions of Sunrise Sapphire’s resin cake and three-tiered cookie stand! It was so fun customizing these pieces to make them perfect for our event (each stand was different but had elements – either rose petals, gold flakes, or colored resin which matched among the three pieces)!
A Splendid Afternoon also provided this beautiful photobooth, the buntings around the venue, and the cornhole game (which was a huge hit)! I highly recommend having an outdoor and indoor space so people can spread out and your event isn’t 100% weather dependent. We had time to play organized games and time for guests to mingle and play games/do activities on their own too. One game that we loved playing was having guests guess how big my belly was (by cutting a string as long as they thought would fit around me)! Top tip though: instead of having each person come around to measure their string around you, cut a piece that you’ve already measured around you and go to each guest to compare the two.
I couldn’t be more thankful to those that took the time out of their weekend to come to celebrate our little girl. And for all of the amazing gifts we received. It truly shows who is there for you and who wants to continue to be there for you as your life changes (of course we know that there were several people who wanted to be there to celebrate but couldn’t due to COVID as well)!
If you enjoyed reading this and would like more information on home, lifestyle, advice, tips, tricks, and more, follow me on Instagram @Its.Mary.Taylor and on Facebook at Mary Taylor! I can’t wait to see you there!
Signing off,
Mary Taylor <3