Baby Shower or Baby Shower Tea?
by Donna Gorenflo

Baby showers have come to be an extremely important affair in an expectant mommy's life. Baby showers are always a lovely way to allow close friends and family of the soon-to be-mother to show their devotion to her. Another option to your traditional baby shower is a baby shower tea. A baby shower tea is a more formal affair that provides the guests and new mom a unique way to have fun.

When holding standard showers, the announcements are usually fairly informal. Occasionally they are communicated via word of mouth. Baby showers usually include close families and friends, and they can often simply tell each other when they should arrive. With a baby shower tea, however, is better served by mailing out proper invitations that display a little more formality. The aim isn't to make the baby shower tea feel ostentatious, rather to help establish a more formal atmosphere for the whole event. Also, the total number of people to attend should be less. In a standard shower the hostess can invite a large number of people since larger groups tend to work well with average shower games and activities. A baby shower tea, however is better served with a smaller number of guests. Ordinarily, you don't want any more guests attending a baby shower tea than can sit at one small table. Closeness and intimacy is the key, and usually games aren't played.

A more conventional shower can be hosted essentially anywhere. Usually the baby shower is at the home of the hostess, although they are also held in a hall, favorite hang out, or a restaurant. The place should be based on what the expectant mother would like, so if she's got a favorite restaurant or hang out then that may be the great place. A baby shower tea, on the other hand, should be hosted in a more formal, quiet place. Usually this will mean in a private home, although the celebration may just as well be in a tea room. The decoration of the party location should be classy and formal, however that doesn't necessarily mean the event needs to be overly extravagant or that a home needs servants and personal chefs in order to be fitting.

Baby showers can be held at almost any time of the day but they are generally held at night or on the weekend because most that are invited have to work during the day. Perhaps if no one on your guest list is working during the day, a baby shower could be held while kids are in school. A baby shower tea is most appropriately held during the afternoon, because it is the most fitting time for tea. However, some might choose to hold a shower in the late morning. During a traditional shower, just about any food can be served, but at a baby shower tea, just tea sandwiches and scones are appropriate. Presents and favors are a main part of a standard shower, but at baby shower teas, gifts don't need to be exchanged and the favors ought to either be excluded or relevant to the tea party. Today some baby showers include the expectant father and often the guests give expectant dad gifts, but at a baby shower tea the guests should be strictly women.

Both kinds of celebrations have bad points and good points, but a mom to be can have both kinds if she chooses. Celebrating the birth of a new baby should be a wonderful event.  Whether you bring together friends for a baby shower or a formal baby shower tea, you can't go awry when you just make it personal, special and unique!

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Looking for assistance in planning a baby shower celebration?  Bama Babies and Birthdays offers party hosts unique favors, party decorations and baby gift ideas and many great resources to help you design either a fun or formal function.