How to throw an EPIC Virtual Baby Shower

There are many situations in which a virtual baby shower is a better choice than a traditional baby shower.

• Friends and family may live far away
• Baby or mom’s health might be too fragile to be around other people
• Throwing a regular baby shower is out of the budget
• There could be a global situation that requires people to distance from each other (wink wink)!

Whatever the reason, it shouldn’t mean that you have to compromise on the love and fun that we have come to expect from an in-person baby shower.

When I planned my sister’s virtual baby shower a couple of months ago, I was obsessed with making it feel like a party and NOT like a Zoom work meeting.
At the end of the event, when people (including my sister!) said or sent me messages to say “that was way more fun than I thought it could be“, I knew that planning had paid off.

So below, I am sharing the details and research behind planning a virtual baby shower that feels every bit as good as a traditional one.

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VIRTUAL BABY SHOWER PLANNING DETAILS

To participate in the virtual baby shower, every guest will need access to an:

1. Internet connection
2. A phone or computer with a camera

step 1 :
Select a Date & Time

Keep in mind that if you are hosting guests across different time zones, you need to pick a time that would work for everyone.

Optimize your time for the timezone where most of the guests will tune in from.

step 2 :
Pick a Virtual Venue

These are some of the more popular video services available:

I chose Zoom because at this point, it is the most popular platform for virtual events and I knew that most of my guests would be familiar with using it.
Another Zoom perk is that it lets you record meetings, which the parents-to-be will be very happy to have as a good memory!

Keep in mind that- I knew that the party would last more than 40 minutes (which is all that free Zoom allows) so I did pay for a Zoom subscription to get more time.

step 3 :
Set Up The Registries

Make sure that the parents-to-be have their baby registries set up by the time the baby shower invitations get sent out.

I highly suggest signing up for online registries because when guests order online, the gifts will be delivered right to the parents-to-be (instead of your guests having to visit the post office, pay for postage, etc).
Super contact-free & so simple!

(here is an article that compares the different baby registries)

Another option: If you are hosting a virtual baby shower with friends & family that live close by, the parents-to-be may allow people to buy gifts and drop it off at their doorstep or at home before the shower.

step 4 :
Send Invitations

People will need details on when and how to join the baby shower.

There are 3 types of invitations that you can send:

1. Printed Invitations
2. Text Messages
3. Email Invitations (E-vites)

I chose to keep the invitations simple and effective by using text messages.

I figured- most people always have their phone on-hand and when it comes to party time, they can simply click on the Zoom link and enter the party (which wouldn’t be the case for a printed invitation).

What To Include in The Invitation?

• Date & Time
• The link to the video chat room
• Registry information
• Information about the theme & what to expect

^{pro tip:
make sure to include the time zone
on your invitation since people may tune in from many different places.}

step 5 :
Plan the Festivities
(Games, Themes & Activities)

This is your opportunity to make the shower as festive as you can!
Keep reading for some great ideas!

Baby Shower Themes:

Setting a theme will guide you in picking the decor & activities and also increase morale for your virtual party.

Here is a list of the most popular Baby Shower Themes.

If you are not one of the parents-to-be, a pro-tip would be to ask them if they have a theme in mind before picking one.

Baby Shower Decor:

Make this party one-of-a-kind by getting creative with the decorations.

You can have everyone decorate their own background (for example, send themed balloons they can hang or make it a competition for who comes up with the best decor)
or….
You can send out virtual backgrounds for download!

If you choose to go the second route, here are 10 Virtual Backgrounds that you can download for the baby shower!

Pick Your Games:

Not all games are suitable for a virtual baby shower, but many are!

Fun virtual baby shower games include:

Buy a beautiful & budget-friendly bundle of baby shower games that you can instantly download.

You can then send digital copies of the games OR print copies to include in your baby shower kit .

I chose to print 4 games back-to-back on cardstock paper and then sent them to each attendee as part of their virtual baby shower kit.
(Read all the details on how I created them at: How To Make a Virtual Baby Shower Box)

Eat, Drink & Toast Together:

We can’t just ignore the fact that one major way of making a party a party is by eating and sipping. This is one of the major things you may miss by hosting an online baby shower.

No worries, here are a few ideas on how to incorporate food, cake or drinks!

1. Make a recipe together – as part of your baby shower activities, the host can pick a food or cocktail recipe, send it to everyone ahead of time and then make it together over video.
   (This would be a huge hit if the new mom/parents enjoy cooking)!
   
   
2. Eat “cake” together – Mail or hand deliver everyone a treat that can be eaten as party cake .
   Some great options are these baby shower cake pops, “cupcakes in a jar” or these beautiful chocolate covered Oreos that I sent out to each of my guests.
   (Read all the details at: How To Make a Virtual Baby Shower Box)
   
   
3. Send a toast – this idea probably works better if you can hand deliver the packages, but think about sending mini bottles of champagne (or mini sparkling ciders) that can be used for a virtual toast!

Baby Shower Favors:

Last but not least- something for everyone to remember the baby shower by!

You can choose to be as fancy as you want, or you can do something simple, like sending blank advice cards for the guests to send back to the parents-to-be.

Or, you can simply send a thank you card to thank the guests for attending.

If you plan on sending baby shower boxes, a baby shower favor would be an excellent addition to that!

And if DIY is not really your style, just send the mom-to-be a readymade gift box.

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Also read : 12 New Virtual Party Ideas (for maximum fun)

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step 6 :
Create the Baby Shower Program

You don’t necessarily need to send each guest a program but it is important for the host to have one because it keeps the event on track.

My Zoom Baby Shower Program looked like this:

6pm - Introductions & Opening Prayer
6:20pm - Open baby shower kits together
6:30pm - GAME #1: BABY SCRAMBLE
6:40pm - GAME #2: EMOJI PICTIONARY
6:50pm - GAME #3: WHAT'S IN YOUR PURSE
7:00pm - GAME #4: ABCs game
7:10pm - Toast & "Cake"
7:15pm - Open Gifts

(Even though the program is over, the celebration continues & everyone is welcome to linger and chat!)

step 7 :
Send a Reminder

Make sure that you send a reminder about a week before the party with the baby shower weblink + anything that you would like for the guests to do or remember before the baby shower.

My reminder went like this:

"Less than a week & the baby shower kits are on their way!! 
(You can peek but DON'T unpack the box until the PARTAY)!

3 last things I need you to do
1. Make sure you WEAR BLUE to the party
2. Order your registry gift if you haven't already (Gracie will be opening gifts at the shower)
3. Don't forget to be there Saturday at 6pm PST. Here is the link: ..."

See you soon!
(I included registry information after this)

step 8 :
PARTY TIME!!!

Some things to keep in mind during party-time:

• Ask people to mute their microphones unless they are speaking.
  This will cut down on the noise.
• Be flexible
• Expect glitches / technical difficulties
  • Have someone (besides the host) that can troubleshoot any technical difficulties (e.g. help people get connected or reconnect people that get disconnected)
• Don’t forget to send sincere and timely thank you notes to each guest, after the party is done with

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1| Who should host the virtual baby shower?

It is appropriate for anyone (including the parents-to-be themselves) to host the baby shower, as long as the parents are okay with it.
The steps above can be used by anyone!

2| How long does an online baby shower last?

A typical baby shower lasts 2-3 hours, but expect for your virtual baby shower to last 1 – 1.5 hours (since there will be less mingling & in-person activities and because sitting in front of a computer gets tiring).

3| How many people should I invite to a virtual baby shower?

Depending on the platform you choose, you can have up to 100 people connected at the same time! But that probably wouldn’t be the best experience.

Keep in mind that the more interactive that you would like your virtual party to be, the less people that you should invite.
From my experience planning my sisters virtual baby shower, I would cap the attendance at 20-25. At about that number, introductions & games start to take a long time.

4| Should I open gifts at the virtual baby shower?

It partially depends on how long you want the baby shower to be.
If you have planned for a short shower (less than 1 hour), you will probably have to skip opening gifts because it takes quite a bit of time.
However, if you can squeeze it in, you should! It’s a fun way to end out the baby shower.

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HAPPY BABY-SHOWERING!!

For more virtual fun, check out my list of 12 Creative Virtual Party Ideas