As much as guests would love for the mom-to-be to open their gifts, proper etiquette is respecting her wishes and not asking her to open the presents during the shower.
The short answer is no. If you think your crowd would rather watch paint dry than watch you open 40 presents, try these time-savers: Have guests bring their gifts wrapped in clear cellophane or not wrapped at all, then display everything on a table for guests to view.
Guests have taken a lot of care in selecting their gifts, and part of the fun is watching the mom-to-be open presents. Proper etiquette suggests that gifts be opened toward the end of the shower to avoid the impression that presents are the primary purpose of the party.
A polite thing to do is to inform your guests of your decision to not open gifts so they know what to expect during the shower. The hostess can say something short and sweet like “Just to let you know, gifts will be opened after the shower.
A typical baby shower includes playing games, watching the mother-to-be open gifts, eating, and drinking. However, games aren't a must. Some baby shower hosts and hostesses are foregoing the typical games in favor of other activities. Ask the expecting mother what she thinks about games and what she would like to do!
Traditional Baby Shower Length
Check with the guests of honor to see what they feel comfortable with and adjust if needed. Parent's magazine recommends a shower last three hours at the most. Don't be surprised if not all guests can stay for the entire duration of a particularly long baby shower.
Nobody wants to be at a baby shower longer than 3 or 4 hours. Two, even, is enough if it's a small gathering. Put an end time on the invitation so your guests know what to expect. Having an endpoint in mind should also prevent people from showing up late.
“Don't worry about gift bags or wrapping paper! We are kindly requesting that you bring any gifts unwrapped. We will display the gifts for everyone to see.
The hostess traditionally pays for the baby shower and its associated costs. However, the hostess can divide up the responsibility and costs by asking a few close family members or friends to co-host. This helps to reduce the overall expense and alleviates some of the financial obligation of hosting a baby shower.
Have the giver present in the room. Gift givers are kind enough to search for, buy, wrap, and bring you gifts. During the holidays, at a party, or one-on-one, it's gracious to open presents in front of them so they are there for the “unveiling” and so you can thank them in the moment.
So if no gifts are expected at your party, it's pretty much necessary to say so. And if you are the recipient of an invitation asking you not to bring a gift, it's polite to honor the wishes of the host. Don't bring a gift. In this case, doing so is impolite.
From parents to college roommates, and anyone else who plays an important role in the parents-to-be's lives. It's safe to say that those who weren't included in the initial guest list are the people you shouldn't invite.
The study was to test whether a wrapped gift had a positive effect on the recipient. And here the result was unequivocal: Yes, gift wrapping has such a positive impact. Further, the study showed that those who received a wrapped gift were happier compared to those who received an unwrapped gift.
A Display Shower is a baby (and bridal) shower where guests are asked to bring their gifts unwrapped, with a ribbon or bow on the gift itself, and a tag to say who the gift is from. The gifts are then set out for display for all to see, with a label or tag to show who the gift came from.
"Saying something like 'Your presence is all that I/we wish for. Please save gifts for the next wedding or party you attend! ' is a warm way to make the request.
Yes, you can really ask for cash. Given that it's not a traditional approach, you may feel a little awkward doing so, but we're here to assure you that it's okay! The baby shower is both about celebrating together and getting you ready for the new member of your family.
Three times a week might be enough until your baby becomes more mobile. Bathing your baby too much can dry out your baby's skin. If you're quick and thorough with diaper changes and burp cloths, you're already cleaning the parts that need attention — the face, neck and diaper area.
While traditional baby showers consist of women only, co-ed baby showers are becoming more and more common. However, if you're looking to throw a traditional baby shower and still have the dad-to-be attend, this is completely acceptable and appropriate as most dad-to-be's will want to thank guests before they leave.
Open Gifts
First, you can have guests send their gifts to the expectant mom ahead of time. Then, during the shower, she'll open all the goodies for everyone to see.
When should you plan a baby shower? Baby showers are typically held four to six weeks before the baby's due date—late enough that the pregnancy is well along, but likely early enough to avoid the baby arriving beforehand and disrupting the party plans. However, some people prefer to have a shower after the delivery.
A typical baby shower lasts about 3 hours, so you can expect to play about 5 games at most. You will want to have enough games to keep everyone occupied but not so many that you are rushing people through each game.
The survey of more than 2,000 Australian parents found more than half hosted a baby shower, with 27 per cent paying for the party themselves. Almost half of the parents-to-be shared the cost with family, while the rest (28 per cent) allowed family and friends to carry the cost.
We recommend a budget of $50 to $150 depending on how close you are to the expecting parents. When choosing the gift, it will always go a long way if you opt for buying something unique and/or highly useful. This will show a higher level of appreciation.
Baby Shower Gifts $100 and Up
Swings, cribs, bouncers…all those big baby items tend to come in around $100-$250. If the thought of spending that much is overwhelming or not in your budget consider splitting a big item with another family member or friend.