Traditionally, baby showers are held at home, either at the host’s home or the future mothers. Indeed baby showers celebrated in homes give the celebration a sense of intimacy and comfort for the guest. However, one of the biggest drawbacks of hosting a shower at home is the inevitable after-party mess.
Moving the baby shower out of the home is a creative step that will give the shower a whole new concept, which is brilliant. And while traditionally baby showers have been held in the host’s home or even in the home of the new parents-to-be, it is 2022. Things have changed. Baby showers can be enjoyed at a variety of venues and can even be done virtually.
But right before you start planning the details of your baby shower, you have to consider its theme, the number of guests you want to invite, and how you intend to make it the best possible baby shower you will never forget. Finding the perfect venue for a baby shower can be somewhat of a challenge, but with some help, you can overcome that hurdle.
Baby showers are a welcome relief from the anxiety and stress that pregnancy brings. A baby shower more or less consists of food, drinks, games and of course friends and family to enjoy it with. A baby shower can get messy, so it is best to hire a bigger space to ease the clean-up after, and also a larger space accommodates more people. Aside from home, here are the best places to have a baby shower.
What are the Best Places to Have a Baby Shower?
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Clubhouse
Clubhouses make for a fantastic option to throw a baby shower. They more or less have tastefully decorated private rooms. A good number of clubhouses offer a vast array of snacks, food, and drinks, though not quite as large of a selection as restaurants.
Much less preparation is required at clubhouses as they are designed with events such as baby showers in mind, while still keeping that special feeling too. If the mother-to-be prefers the feeling of having her own space away from everyday life, then a clubhouse comes as a strong recommendation.
Ensure to meet up with the owner of the clubhouse far enough ahead of time as the popular ones can be fully booked even a few weeks in advance at peak season. After you must have made your reservation, you will find there is no venue that is more private, outside of a home, to enjoy the day with friends and family.
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Botanical Garden
This is more like your local park but 10 times more beautiful. Botanical gardens really are a favorite spot for an outdoor baby shower. Some even have convention centers available for booking or you could make the preparations yourself.
A botanical garden would make a great location for a baby shower as it is a jack of all trades in terms of features that include being beautiful, cheap, fairly convenient, and spacious. If you are eager for a more private venue you want a botanical garden with a convention center that is available for bookings.
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Restaurant
Food, drinks, desserts, and a cool atmosphere! A restaurant offers all these and is therefore a highly recommended venue to host your baby shower. Also, note that you can easily reserve the number of seats you need as long as you reserve far enough in advance. It may even be possible to rent out the whole venue.
As restaurants vary greatly, you need to find the one that is comfortable and suits the mother-to-be’s preferences. Generally, you want to find a venue that is sure to be in a convenient location. If the weather is nice, consider terrace seating as an option though be sure to consult with the restaurant owners and the baby showers organizers so that sufficient preparations are made well enough ahead of time.
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Vineyard
Providing tours, juice, and wine tasting to guests, as well as frequently having guest halls available to rent for all sorts of gatherings, a vineyard is another thrilling, unique and classy place to host a baby shower. And there are accommodations available for longer stays if that are required.
You will more than likely need to hire a catering service. Note that you can either be booked through the vineyard staff or you can contact an external catering company. You can also put together a team of seriously motivated friends and family to help out. Vineyards offer stunning scenery and a unique ambiance away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
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Tea Room
Tea rooms more or less specialize in hot beverages, sweet treats, and snacks. If you are looking to have a more substantial meal with your guests then a tea room may not be the ideal option. Also, note that tea rooms come in a wide range of styles.
Therefore, keep in mind what suits the mother-to-be, whether it is a standard coffee shop style or something even more stylish or elegant. The one thing tea rooms have in common is that they offer a relaxing environment and a pleasant atmosphere which needs no extra touches from the baby showers organizer.
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Barn on a Farm
This is indeed a beautiful and unique location though it may come with some challenges. A barn can offer plenty of room for as many guests as you like. A fun and private environment that can be very cheap or even free depending on who you know. Take your time to ask around your local farmers if you live outside the city limits or maybe there are some farms that already offer venue hosting services. Also, if you have a family friend with one, ask them!
Coupled with preparing the games, food, and drinks in advance, further consideration has to be made which is ensuring the barn you picked is not home to any animals as that is an easy way to ruin the day! The positives of a barn easily outweigh the negatives though and it is sure to result in a magical and truly unique day for everyone.
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Community Centre
Note that you can rent a large space at your local community center without being concerned with guest number restrictions that are common with other venues. If you intend on including many guests or are unsure of the number of guests that are coming, a community center is a great option. Quite cheaper than some of the other venues on the list, the community center is an ideal choice if you are on a strict budget.
The community center is also very accommodating in allowing you to put up your own decorations, preparing meals that suit the taste of the mother-to-be as well as providing plenty of space for games. Also, note that they provide much-needed facilities like restrooms for you and your guests.
However, it is very crucial to remember that the community center is a public place and has to be left the way you found it. You have to strictly keep to the scheduled time frame for the party as there will likely be an indoor soccer or karate class being held right after your baby shower.
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The Small Outdoors
Consider the garden or park. There possibly couldn’t be a friendlier option than this one. More like having a picnic with loved ones. Play some games and have fun in a relaxed setting. Need to keep something cold? Keep it in the fridge, need extra cutlery? Get some out of the drawer.
If you decide that the neighborhood park is a better option bring what you need in a couple of baskets and have a picnic, and best yet if you forget something, you can just run home and get it! This option is free and versatile though be sure to check the weather forecast ahead of time.
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The Great Outdoors
The great outdoors offers a truly mind-boggling number of locations to throw a baby shower often providing free or near-free stunning locations for a truly one of a kind baby shower. However, there is a drawback though – you will have to do all the preparation yourself. If this is too cumbersome, you may have to hire staff.
Be it in a national park or on the beach, there is no shortage of locations to host a day long (or possibly weekend long) baby shower celebration. Another benefit of holding the baby shower in the great outdoors is that you are not limited by the number of guests. You can invite as many or as little as you like and make many memories while enjoying nature.
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Hotel Room/Airbnb
If you plan on a more intimate gathering then you can book a hotel room or Airbnb apartment/house for everyone attending and hold the baby shower in the largest room. This is a thrilling idea if you plan to host the baby shower in another city or town.
Room service and buffets are steadily available as well as restaurants in the hotel lobby or located nearby. The primary benefit of a hotel room is that your party is not constrained by time while it is booked in your party’s name for the day and night.
And in addition, if you or anyone else feels tired then you can always hit the hay for a while. You can also spread the baby shower partying over multiple days if you want. An option that will guarantee a memorable night for everyone.
Any venue you choose ultimately has its own unique mix of positives and negatives in the areas of price, space, ease of preparation, uniqueness, travel distance, privacy, and atmosphere; all of which have to be carefully considered before making a decision.