As we covered in our most recent newsletter, hosting often comes down to the simple act of making things feel intentional. As much as that word gets thrown around, making people feel like you’re doing something on purpose — or like a choice was made — goes such a long way in creating a moment people cherish, or an event they remember.
I (Anna) had the honor of hosting a baby shower for my dear friend, and she loves all things flowers and art; so my first act in attempting to make things feel special was picking a theme, which I decided would be ‘Baby in Bloom’.
Invitations:
My starting point was using Sound of Script who designed the most stunning shower invitations (I so wish I had known her when I got married)! It was basically a flower explosion captured on paper through lovely illustrations. Call me old school, but there are few things I love more than a traditional, mailed invitation.
Food & Drinks
I used orange juice and this ice mold to create mini oranges to put into a glass and be topped with champagne. Trader Joe’s sells boxes of mandarins that have the stems on them (which are safe to consume) so after I gave those a good wash I filled the tray with orange juice and placed a leaf in each sphere. Close the tray (with the leaves in between the top and bottom) and freeze overnight. Once I pulled them out of the mold, I kept them in a dish in the freezer. The last step was to placed one in each glass a few minutes before serving. Here’s an example of what it should look like before it goes into the freezer.
Everything I used:
To add an extra touch to the champagne bucket I got a larger sphere ice mold and cut garden roses of various colors to put in them. I used filtered water and didn’t have any issues with the clarity of the ice once it was frozen. Because this ice was not going to be consumed (it was only chilling the champagne bottle) I didn’t need to worry about using food safe flowers! Once frozen I used a bag of normal ice to fill the bottom and put the floral ice on top surrounding the champagne bottles.
Everything I used:
This was a late morning shower so we had some brunch-y foods catered by Maman who is my go-to! These absolutely stunning cookies (that tasted amazing, too) were done by @cococasakitchen.
Activites
Paint Station: Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of shower games but I like the idea of guests having something to do. In a New York City apartment it’s great to have activities spread out for traffic flow as well! Savvy (our mom-to-be) is an artist and a self-proclaimed sap, so we had an 11×14 blank canvas and acrylic paint and asked each guest to paint a flower on the canvas. The final product was so beautiful, even though there were only one or two true artists among us! It was an abstract piece and represented every friend of hers that was there to show love to Baby Wolfe.
Everything I used:
Bloom Bar: In lieu of favors and to add to our activities list, we set up a bloom bar! This gave everyone a chance to be their own botanist, and everyone left with a bouquet/favor! For 13 people, I had 12 bunches of various flowers, three of them being good ‘filler’ flowers. I had pre-cut flower wrap and ribbon set out so it was easy to grab and go!
Everything I used:
Gifts
I found this sweet basket to display gifts in that Savvy could take home with her and use in the nursery. As a side note, I think asking the guest if they want to open gifts in front of everyone is so important! That display of attention is not everyone’s forte and some would rather have intentional time to mingle with everyone! If you want to see the guest of honor open what you got them, you can always pull them aside before leaving and have them do that (my love language is gift giving so I understand the want for that).I hope this helps if you have a shower on the horizon!
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
I am Anna, an expert in event hosting and creating memorable experiences. I have extensive knowledge and firsthand expertise in planning and executing various types of events. I have successfully organized a baby shower for a dear friend, where I implemented creative ideas to make the event feel intentional and special.
One of the key concepts I focused on was the theme. Understanding my friend's love for flowers and art, I chose the theme 'Baby in Bloom'. To set the tone and make the event feel unique, I collaborated with Sound of Script, a talented designer who created stunning shower invitations with beautiful flower illustrations. I believe in the charm of traditional, mailed invitations, and these invitations perfectly captured the essence of the theme.
When it came to food and drinks, I added a personalized touch. I used an ice mold to create mini oranges from orange juice, which were then placed in glasses and topped with champagne. To enhance the visual appeal, I added a leaf to each sphere before freezing them. This not only created a visually striking presentation but also added a refreshing twist to the drinks. Additionally, I used a larger sphere ice mold to create ice with garden roses, elevating the champagne bucket's aesthetics.
For the brunch portion of the event, I collaborated with Maman, a trusted caterer known for their exceptional offerings. Their delectable and beautifully presented food complemented the overall theme and added to the guests' enjoyment.
To make the baby shower more engaging, I incorporated activities that aligned with my friend's interests. Knowing that she is an artist, I set up a paint station where each guest was asked to paint a flower on a blank canvas. This collaborative art piece symbolized the love and support of each friend present, resulting in a unique and meaningful keepsake.
In addition to the paint station, I set up a bloom bar, which served as an interactive activity and a favor station. Guests had the opportunity to create their own bouquets, selecting from a variety of flowers that I had thoughtfully arranged. This allowed everyone to channel their inner botanist and take home a personalized bouquet.
To display the gifts, I found a sweet basket that not only served as a beautiful presentation but also doubled as a practical item for the nursery. I believe in giving guests the option to open gifts privately, as not everyone is comfortable with public attention. This allows for intentional time to mingle and ensures that the guest of honor can open their gifts in a more intimate setting if they prefer.
Overall, these concepts and ideas helped make the baby shower a truly memorable and cherished event. I hope that by sharing my experience, it can inspire and assist anyone planning a similar occasion in the future.
