Baby showers allow us to celebrate new life and mothers-to-be, and they usually stay in our memories for a long time – and the pictures are always a superb throwback. However, hosting one can often lead to huge bills, making some people skip the whole thing. But if you are on a budget, you can still throw that baby shower and have an amazing time.
To do that, you only need to know how to bring down the various costs, and below are several tips that can help you do that.
Set a Budget & Stick to It
When planning the baby shower, you will come across the various things that you need to do or take care of. With this list, you can come up with a budget that suits your event. After breaking down the various items, you can then consider the amount that you’d like to spend on the whole occasion. From there, you can assign figures to the various items and try to balance them to fit the budget.
Keep in mind that having a budget-friendly shower means not going over the budget. If some of the items require more capital, you can switch others to DIY to ensure that you stay within the budget.
Choose a Simple Venue
Venues tend to eat a huge portion of the budget, so it’s important to choose one carefully. While you’d ideally like a fancy venue to please your guests, it’s not necessary. To reduce the cost, you can search for simple baby shower venues in your area. They may be modest, but they should still be able to offer your guests an elegant, comfortable, and relaxing experience. Once you sort out the venue budget, you’ll be halfway through staying within your budget.
Time it Right
Food is the other major component of a baby shower when it comes to budgeting. But what most people don’t realize is that you can squeeze your way out of the huge bill by just timing your event right. If you schedule your baby shower during off-peak hours, such as mid-morning or mid-afternoon, people won’t come expecting full meals. This way, you can serve light refreshments such as finger foods, pastries, and drinks. On top of that, you can consider having the event on a weekday, as venue rental and catering services are usually cheaper compared to weekends.
Limit the Guest List
Not everybody you know needs to come to your baby shower. To stay within the budget, you can curate the guest list carefully, as the number of guests will also affect the cost. Keeping your guest list small doesn’t mean that it won’t be a memorable event. It will, in fact, mean more personal and meaningful interaction.
Thanks to technology, you can also let everybody else to join virtually. This way, they will also feel that they are part of the event.
Use Digital Invitations
We are in a technology world, and you no longer need to buy invitation cards, write them, and send them to different people. You can opt to use digital invitations, which will not only save you money, but also enhance convenience and efficiency. On top of that, using digital invitations will make it easy for your guests to RSVP. You will also be able to keep track of the confirmations, making it easy to plan your baby shower.
Use Free Printed Baby Shower Games
Having baby shower games will add some personality and charm to your event. But these games can also drive up your budget, as you will also have to consider the number of guests. A good way to avoid these costs is by going for free online baby shower games that can be printed. There are lots of them, and they range from printable bingo cards to word scrambles, trivia, and guessing games. These games will allow you to keep your guests entertained and make the event memorable while also keeping the costs low.
Create DIY Baby Shower Favors
You will need to appreciate your guests by giving out some baby shower favors. However, these don’t have to be expensive like toys. They only need to be thoughtful and something that the guests will appreciate. And since the number of guests can quickly accumulate the costs, you can go with the DIY option. You can create custom treats, handmade trinkets, or even heartfelt notes that reflect your creativity and gratitude. Just ensure that the packaging complements the theme of the baby shower.