How to throw a vintage-chic baby shower

I’ve been throwing parties all my life, and it became an obsession ever since I was little, lining up my dolls and bears for teacups and pretend cupcakes. It was only natural to organize my own baby shower, even though it is traditionally a surprise party in your baby’s honour. My friends didn’t mind, they know I am hard to please and I have my own principles and ideas when it comes to how a party should look like. Obviously, I wish I had an unlimited budget to satisfy all of my wildest dreams, but you can achieve great results with a bit of imagination. And help from dear friends.

Location and decor

When it comes to location, you need a fabulous open space to accommodate the cheering party of your BFFs. I chose Atelier Florens in Bucharest, after a long research, because it is one of the most beautiful gardens I’ve seen, an oasis of happiness, green perfection and elegance. You are familiar with this location from my maternity photoshoot a few weeks back. All my friends were amazed when they first walked in the spacious white gazebo, embellished by rich fern and painted tree branches. The long glass table with white elegant chairs which throned in the middle of the room was the main focus of our activity, that is until we decorated the candy bar corner. You need beautiful decor props, and I got lucky with some amazing fans and paper crafts I found at TK Maxx from My Minds Eye. I chose gold, silver and pastel accents, all leading to a vintage chic vibe. It’s great to have loads of friends helping you on the big day, because trust me, you won’t be able to do much when you’re 8 months pregnant. Just sit on a chair, drink plenty of water and give instructions. I have also got a customised garland and wood engraved sign with my baby’s name, all from Etsy. Getting organized before the event with at least two months will come in handy, so invest in an agenda to write down all the details regarding your dream baby shower. Stick to the budget as well, something I stretched to the higher end, but all in all, just know that you can DIY if you have talent and time. I had time, no talent, so for me it was different. Pinterest helps a lot with decorative ideas and if you also have creative friends, then you’re all set. Just keep it simple and colour coordinated. Don’t go crazy with pink and blue! 

Candy bar

I am so blessed to know Alina from Grace Couture Cakes, one of the best cakes shops in Romania. She provided with the most delicious eclairs, macarons, fruit tarts, cake pops and cupcakes to sweeten up my special day. I purchased all the cutlery, gold paper plates, and milk bottle cases from Amazon, inserted some cute gold signs along the table and everything became the attraction of the event. 

Dress code

I’ve always had a critical eye when it comes to colours and photography. I need harmony and symmetry in every aspect of my life as a blogger, so I couldn’t let my guests dress as they wish, unfortunately. The dress code has been something imposed at many parties and events, why not introduce it to baby showers too? I have asked my ladies to choose something pink, white or nude, to complete the entire chic vibe of the event, especially when the decor was featuring only gold and silver accents.

Baby shower games

Etsy was really handy with providing most of the games we played at the party. It was really hard choosing, pretty much because I wanted something captivating, fun, involving everyone, as well as leaving a nice memory for my baby when she will be grown up. One of the fun games was guessing my tummy’s size and I was quite shocked to see how big my friends think I really am. In all honesty, I cut a pretty big chunk of measuring tape myself, proof I think I am huge! Only one of my friends guessed exactly the size of my bump, so congratulations Alina, you really lifted my spirit!

We played some other games, such as filling advice cards for mom and dad, and Wishes for the baby. I will treasure them forever, I laughed so hard at some of them, and cried as well; such an emotional rollercoaster. I kept the girls entertained and competitive while playing some games with prizes, such as Name baby items from A to Z in 3 minutes, and Who knows mom best. I assumed my sister would win this game, but one of my best friends beat her to one point. Good reason to spend more time with my sister, shouldn’t we?One of the games that took all of our efforts was guessing each guest from their baby picture. It was pretty intense and fun to see some of my friends who didn’t know each other looking for some physical clue, just to guess the babies from the string of pictures. I managed to guess correctly everyone, although I had some major question marks regarding some of my friends, they grew up so differently throughout the years! I am number 9 if you couldn’t tell.My friends were asked to fill in some baby paper bodies with the due date and weight of Emma, which they considered to be true when the time comes. We need to wait and see who was close to reality, and the winner would get to babysit Emma. I am not sure they would actually like the prize though:)) 

Gifts

Ask your friends to bring something you really need for your baby, otherwise, you will end up with too many clothes, or similar toys. I have plenty of clothes for my little one, as it is to be expected, so all I wanted was toys, bedding and bathing items. My friends were beyond amazing, and they picked beautiful gifts for which I thank them. I am planning on taking a lot of pictures with Emma, and definitely using some of the items I received as props, such as this beautiful customized blanket below. Organizing your own baby shower takes time, effort, and a lot of stress, but if it is something you want to remember, and if you have your own ideas and wishes, why not break the barriers and send your own invites? On the other hand, you need to loosen up, sit back and relax the pampering. Your friends are there for a reason! 

• Baby shower