Corinna Mcleod

Do you worry about getting everyone to one physical location for the bridal shower you are throwing? Do you have concerns that the party may be a flop due to poor attendance?

Worry no more when you throw a virtual bridal shower. Although not a new concept, Virtual parties have become incredibly popular these days and are an ideal way to bring everyone together when meeting up in person isn’t possible and social distancing is the norm. VIrtual is the new norm for everything these days!

With the WebBabyShower platform, you can easily plan, organize, and throw an amazing virtual bridal shower that will make the bride-to-be thankful she chose you to host the party.

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What Is a Virtual Bridal Shower?

An online bridal shower is much like a traditional, in-person shower. The planning and organizing for the party require many of the same basic steps. It actually may be quite a lot easier because you won’t have to do some of the things you would do for a traditional shower. Plus, you can handle a lot of the prep work online. 

Why Should You Throw a Virtual Bridal Shower? 

Anyone who has any concerns about guests being able to make it to the party due to the location can greatly benefit from a virtual bridal shower. In addition, it is much easier to put together and costs less. If time constraints or budget issues are a concern, then this type of bridal shower can be a perfect choice.

Do You Need to Be Tech-Savvy for this type of Bridal shower?

One thing that may make some people turn away from the idea of a virtual party is the technical aspects. But there’s not much you need to know to set up your new event. WebBabyShower’s platform is user-friendly, so those with basic knowledge of the internet should have no issues using it. 

However, if this is still something that worries you, you can ask for assistance from a friend or family member who is a little more tech-savvy and up to date with all the new tech. 

How to Host a Virtual Bridal Shower

Hosting a virtual bridal shower does require a different approach than hosting a traditional bridal party because you are working virtually- this might be a new idea for many hosts. You will still control the festivities and keep everything on track, but you won’t have to worry about keeping everyone’s attention because it is much easier to keep things on track when you are in a virtual setting. 

Preparation for the Bridal Shower

You will have quite a bit of prep work to do to set things up. Luckily, you can do everything you need on WebBabyShower:

• Select a date for the virtual shower
• Use the video planner to organize the video setup
• Choose an enticing theme 
• Send virtual invitations

Day of the Bridal Shower

When the day arrives, you should decorate your physical space since everyone will be able to see it when you are on camera. Alternatively, you can set up a virtual background. Match your décor to the theme you chose. You can set up your theme on WebBabyShower, which even offers matching shower invitations. 

Make sure you have the video chat service set up and ready to go before time. Also, make sure that whatever arrangements you made for food are ready to go. 

Once the party concludes, you should send virtual thank you notes through the WebBabyShower platform to all attendees and anyone who sent a gift. 

Choose a Video Chat Service for the Party

There are many good options in video chat services- new and old. These provide you with audio and video so that everyone can be a part of the fun. WebBabyShower also has a virtual planner you can use to ensure you are ready to go on the big day. 

Zoom

Zoom has a free option that provides you with a call up to 40 minutes with up to 100 attendees. You can add virtual backgrounds to customize your space as well. 

Skype

Skype is a popular option that’s been around for quite some time, making it a reliable choice. It allows up to 50 attendees and has free options. 

Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts is a user-friendly option that doesn’t require a download to use. This might be more attractive to some attendees. It does have some limits to the free service, but the pricing is reasonable, starting at just $5.00.

Facebook

Facebook is a completely free option with no limits. You can record the video and post it to your account or stream it live right on your page or on an event page that you set up for the bridal shower. 

Choose a Party Theme 

Giving the shower a theme can make it easier to organize and plan. It makes the event look more put together as well. Virtual wedding shower themes can be almost anything you want.

One popular theme idea is to use the current season as a guide. For example, an autumn theme might include leaves as decor and the colors would be reds, yellows, and oranges. 

You can use anything that matches the bride’s personality or keep it simple and use the colors from the wedding in your decor and party items. 

It can be tricky to come up with a party theme, so if you are struggling, then check out the themes available on WebBabyShower. 

Send Invites Online

Sending invitations for your virtual event is simple with WebBabyShower because of its built in invitation system. It lets you ensure the bridal shower invitation wording is correct and includes all the information guests need to log into the event on the day of the shower. You can include the link to the party and the gift registry in your invites.

There are other services that you can use if you like, such as Evite, Canva, Post, and Paperless. Just be sure to include all the important information so guests have everything they need to attend. 

Setup a Bridal Shower Gift Registry- it’s Real Simple 

Most stores have a virtual gift registry setup option. It makes it super simple to register and add things to your list. You can set it up for the bride and have her add gifts or she can do this completely herself. 

5 Registry Suggestions

Just make sure you get the information you need so that you can share it with those you invite to the bridal shower.  WebBabyShower makes it very easy to connect with registries at many stores and retailers, such as the following five options. Check more baby registries that we reviewed here.

The Knot

The Knot is a universal registry that lets you add items to your list from any retailer. It’s great if the bride doesn’t have just one place where she wants to shop or if you want to give guests options. It also lets you create cash funds, such as for the honeymoon. It charges a 2.5% transaction fee, which is low for this industry. 

MyRegistry.com

Similar to The Knot, MyRegistry.com has a universal setup, so the bride can request gifts from any retailer. It also has a smartphone app for on-the-go management and a cash fund option. 

Williams Sonoma

The bride can use this registry for items from Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm for her bridal shower. The company also offers one-on-one guidance with a registry specialist by appointment. In addition, you can earn free gifts when guests purchase items. 

Amazon

Amazon is one of the largest retailers with a range of products that allows for an excellent selection of gifts. It also allows guests to easily buy online and have the gift shipped to the bride. With the registry, it gives the bride and guests a chance to earn up to 5% back on any items they buy with the Amazon Prime Store card. 

In addition, Prime members get free shipping on many purchases and earn a one-time 20% discount for purchasing items on a registry. Non-prime members earn a one-time 10% discount. Amazon also offers group gifting options, free bonus gifts, and many more perks. 

Wayfair

Wayfair provides many perks when you use its registry, including free gifts and free shipping. You also get easy and fast returns, along with a 20% savings on anything left on the registry for six months. The company also allows group gifting, and you can send thank you notes from the registry to guests who bought gifts from it. 

Bridal Shower Gift Ideas

Before your guests can start purchasing gifts for the bride, they need to come up with gift ideas. Ideas can include gifts just for the bride, such as lingerie, scented candles, or a spa treatment. They may also include gifts for the couple, such as wine or couple’s pajamas. Guests may also buy gifts for the home, such as bed linen or dinnerware for the bridal shower.

Plan the Food 

Food might seem like the biggest challenge since you and your guests will not be in the same place. You can’t do the traditional spread you would do for this type of event. 

This is where you need to pull on your creativity to come up with a way to provide food for guests. One option is to set up deliveries of food items to every guest. If you are all in the same general area, you can use a delivery service, such as Door Dash or Uber Eats. There are also many bakeries that will allow you to get baked goods delivered, so your guests won’t have to miss out on the sweetest part of the day. 

You can also send attendees bottles of champagne so that you can have a champagne toast for the couple. You can also send guests a cocktail recipe they can make on their own. 

It isn’t about the quantity of food, but the fact that you can all share in eating and the togetherness that brings to the event. So, even if you only send sugar cookies to each guest and keep it real simple, it will still help to ensure you don’t lose this important aspect of the bridal shower. 

Plan the Games

You can also still play games during online bridal showers. It may actually be easier for you to get everyone involved and focused than it is during a traditional party. 

You can play a variety of new virtual bridal shower games or traditional games, such as how well do you know the bride. Trivia is another great idea. Name that tune works well in this setting. WebBabyShower also has games you can play on its platform. It even has a real time scoreboard for you and your guests to keep track of who is winning.

Opening Gifts 

Any party needs gifts! To ensure you can have the traditional gift opening as part of the bridal shower, you should make sure your invites include a deadline for shipping gifts. This will alert your guests so that their gifts will arrive on time for the bride-to-be to open. Make sure to focus the camera on the guest of honor as she opens each gift so that guests can see what she receives.  As she opens each gift be sure that all the guests are giving their undivided attention.

You should note opening gifts is optional as some brides will not want to do this. Follow the bride’s lead on this part of the virtual shower party. 

Choose Favors

Bridal shower favors are a tradition. You don’t want to forego them just because you can’t all be physically together. You can either give virtual gifts or send small favors to each guest in the mail, it doesn’t have to be lavish, these can be kept simple. You can also use this same approach for the bridal party gifts. Either way, as each of your guests opens the favor they will be thrilled to receive such a thoughtful keepsake.

Choose Your Outfit

As the planner and person in charge, you will be the center of attention quite a bit during the shower. So, you will want to look your best. You can match your outfit to the theme to ensure cohesion. Most of all, you want to feel good about how you look since you won’t have time to worry about it during the shower. 

The Knot has suggestions that work for any budget, including a lace romper, a vintage bridal shower dress, a high-low halter gown, floral separates, and a tulle midi dress. 

Holding a Virtual Bridal Shower with WebBabyShower 

WebBabyShower gets its name from the fact that it is meant for baby showers, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a great platform for other types of events, such as bridal showers. One of the reasons it is so versatile is because it is fully customizable so good for any party!

The platform has everything you need to throw a fun and fantastic virtual bridal shower, including an invite system, video conference scheduler, registry linking, a guestbook, and virtual shower ideas. Every aspect is user-friendly, and the platform has thought of every detail you will need to plan the perfect event. It will give you what you need even if you are not sure how to do a virtual bridal shower. 

Why Consider WebBabyShower? 

There is no denying that you have many options when it comes to putting together a virtual shower. However, WebBabyShower offers you some things that you won’t get with these other virtual bridal shower websites. You can go far beyond baby shower events with this service.

Private Space

With WebBabyShower, you get a space that only you can access. If you wish to allow anyone else access, you will have to send him or her a URL. Having a personal link that your less savvy guests can have is so much easier than other online party options where guests might have to make a real account for example. You can also password protect the space for extra security.

Printable Keepsake

As a nice perk, the platform provides you with a special printable keepsake. The system will automatically create it for you to download after the party.

Themes 

Since a theme is important to any event, WebBabyShower has created some themes that will work well for a bridal shower. If you don’t like any of the readymade options, you can also create your own by uploading a background image of your choice, like a real photo for example, and customizing the shower site. 

Photo and Video

The platform also encourages an interactive event where everyone can become a part of making this the best day possible for the bride-to-be. Everyone can upload photos and videos for her. Videos can be well wishes or other personal tributes to the couple. 

Customer Service

If you need any help with the technical aspects of your virtual shower or other questions about the platform, WebBabyShower customer support is here to help. 

Time to Throw a Party

WebBabyShower may be a platform that originally helped with planning and throwing virtual baby showers, but it is so much more than that. You can use this platform to put together a bridal shower or bachelorette party that allows everyone to attend no matter what may be preventing an in-person gathering. 

With the many tools and features, this platform makes it a snap to create your new event. You don’t even have to have any previous experience with how to host a virtual bridal shower as it is so simple to set up. It is the ideal platform when you want to make this special time in the bride’s life last because WebBabyShower allows guests to upload images at any time, which means you can continue to use this party space until the wedding and beyond.

Baby showers are a fun event to celebrate a fantastic milestone in the mama-to-be’s life, but they can quickly turn into an expensive affair. However, that doesn’t need to be the case!

When celebrating the birth of a new child, the essential part is to enjoy the company of loved ones as you share the excitement for a new family member – not how much money you spend on the party.

Stay Safe and Save Money

If you’re wondering, “How much should I budget for a baby shower?”, thankfully, it doesn’t have to be much. A virtual baby shower is much less expensive than an in-person party – and safer for the parents and guests in the time of COVID-19!

With a little creativity and planning, it’s simple to plan a budget baby shower. We’ve got you covered with ideas and options below!

Babylist.com agrees that we are a great budget option! Here’s a quote directly from their website:

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Average Cost of a Baby Shower

If you’re wondering how much to budget for baby shower planning, it helps to know how much baby showers cost. While some parents may splurge on an expensive get-together, that’s not the average. Even so, the numbers can vary a lot.

Depending on the number of guests, the location, the food, and other considerations, a baby shower can easily cost anywhere between $100 to $1000 –  and celebrities like Beyoncé have pulled costs up to $500,000! While it can be fun to splurge a bit on the celebration, a lot of that money will often be more useful if spent on practical items after the baby is born.

In this article, we’re here to help you cut that cost without cutting out any of the enjoyment of celebrating the new member of the family! We’ll cover the average costs of a lot of baby shower items, ways you can save money, and more.

The Virtual Shower Cost Advantage

Virtual baby showers are less expensive than an in-person party, plus they make it possible for guests from all over to participate. 

As the market leader in virtual baby showers, WebBabyShower can help save money on many different areas of the party, from organizing your party virtually to providing ready-made games as part of the package – plus you have the benefit of sharing your joy with friends and family, no matter where in the world they may be!

Let’s Break It Down

If the average cost of a baby shower can reach up to $1000, where will all that money go? Here’s a quick break down of the average prices, according to CostHelper:

• Venue – Reserving a community space for several hours can cost up to $200
• Décor – Decorations, including items like a diaper cake, can potentially cost over $200, depending on the level of decorations put out
• Invitations – Pre-printed invitations can cost 50 cents to one dollar apiece; customized ones can cost up to three dollars apiece, potentially including shipping costs
• Food and Drink – Food can cost up to $10 per guest; purchasing a cake from an upscale bakery can cost up to $4 per serving
• Games – Games can cost up to $50 per party; some games will require purchases like baby food or diapers
• Prizes – Depending on the number of games winners, the additional expense of prizes can add to the cost
• Extras – Party favors can cost up to $2 per guest; hiring a party planner can also increase the total cost

While these numbers may not seem too much at a glance, they can quickly add up, turning a simple shower into an expensive affair.  So what do you need to do to figure out how to plan a low budget baby shower?

Set Your Budget Early

One of the best ways you can save money is to set a budget before planning your celebration. Having a hard limit of money to spend will help everyone keep on track. Costing a fraction of an in-person event, WebBabyShower provides an affordable option with plenty of fun to celebrate your new little one’s arrival – no matter your budget!

Venue

As you can see from our cost breakdown above, one of the more expensive parts of the baby shower budget can be in the venue. Renting out a community space for the guests can easily cost a couple of hundred dollars. Hosting the baby shower out of the home can make a memorable experience and help save on the cleanup.

Some fun baby shower locations can include a botanical garden, a restaurant, a local tearoom, a farm and barn, or even an outdoor area like a park! And celebrity baby showers like Kim Kardashian’s can easily show how the expenses pile up while hosting the party.

Renting out a community space can easily cost a few hundred dollars – or even more, depending on the area and time. Outdoor baby showers can be less expensive, but you still might need to invest in awnings or seating for the guests.

The Most Cost-Effective Venues

When planning how to throw a budget baby shower, it is possible to find an inexpensive location. Naturally, a venue with no cost is using the parents to be’s home or the home of a friend! Places like churches will also often allow you to use their space for free.

Another answer to “Where to have a baby shower on a budget?” is virtually!

Hosting your baby shower online saves you and the guests money! Everyone can participate online from the comfort and safety of their own homes. WebBabyShower provides the perfect place to have a delightful virtual baby shower at an affordable cost.

Décor

Every baby shower is going to have a different decoration budget – and part of that is because of the venue. The venue’s size will determine how many decorations you’ll need to make the place look fun. The theme you pick out for the party will also impact the cost of decorations.

Pre-made decorations are cute, but they can cost up to $10 per item. Unique decorations, like a “diaper cake,” can potentially cost $90 alone!

Get Crafty!

For crafty party hosts, reducing the cost of the décor can be simple if you put together decorations by yourself. This approach has the added benefit of letting you customize the decorations of the party as you like.

Simple crafts like handmade posters can add a lot of fun to the decorations, and you can also make a DIY diaper cake for a fraction of the cost. Other baby items, like blankets, toys, and onesies, can also make fun decorations if you get creative enough!

What’s important to remember is that you don’t need to go overboard for the decorations. A fun centerpiece and a few streamers can do a lot to boost the party atmosphere without breaking the bank. Consider turning the gifts from guests into the centerpiece as well!

What About Decor for a Virtual Shower?

When hosting your virtual baby shower with WebBabyShower, there aren’t any decoration costs to worry about! Even so, if you want, you can put up a few decorations in the background when you have your video call to add an extra personal touch to the video for guests to enjoy.

Decorating a small area will easily cost less than a whole room or venue!

Invitations

If there’s one thing you can’t go without when it comes to a baby shower, it’s the invitations! All the guests need to know the when and where of the shower. You can also use the letters to share the gift registry if you have one, ensuring that all gifts are helpful to the parents.

Match your theme exactly on our platform where each theme is also an invitation design. And we offer unlimited sending for your invites.

Going the Invites by Mail Route?

Pre-printed invitations tend to be cheaper, costing between 50 cents to a dollar apiece. If you want to order customized invitations, you may be looking at the cost of $3 per item. Once you consider that the average number of guests at a baby shower is 20 people, you could be looking at a $60 expense on invitations alone.

Note that cost doesn’t account for any shipping costs (if you order the invitations online) or mailing costs (a single forever stamp costs 55 cents, plus you’ll need envelopes to mail the messages as well). Sending invitations by snail mail out of the country costs more, too.

The Good News!

You don’t need complicated invitations for them to be effective! Some invitations will let you fill in the blanks so that you can have a customized touch. You may also want to make your own, but the cost of materials can add up, especially if you’re planning an intricate design.

Try Out Digital Invites

One of the best ways to cut costs on invitations is to skip paper altogether and send a digital invite. This approach will let you have a more customized design without much hassle – and without needing to make individual invitations!

WebBabyShower has digital invites that can match your virtual baby shower theme – or you can pick a different design altogether. Our virtual invitations also let you track when the recipient has opened the invite, so you’ll always know who’s informed! Our digital invites also provide a quick and convenient link to your registry for guests to use.

Go The More Traditional Route with Printed Invitations

Want to know how to have a budget baby shower while still using printed invitations? WebBabyShower’s invitations designs are free to print anytime, letting you have the best of both budgeting and the traditional worlds!

Food and Drink for In-Person Showers

No matter the celebration, people love to have food and drink while they socialize. This area is another one where the cost can quickly get out of control if you don’t plan accordingly.

If you reserve a venue, you may need to be able to receive catering, and this can have a potential cost of up to $30 per guest. Multiply that again by the average guest number of twenty, and that $300 on food and drink alone!

Don’t Forget the Cake!

These numbers also don’t account for cake, which can be one of the highlights of the occasion. Upscale cakes will cost more, with a cost of up to $4 per serving. Less expensive cakes can cost 35 cents to $2 per slice – cheaper, but still enough to add up when considering other expenses.

Eat Food. Not Your Wallet

When it comes to saving money, making food and snacks yourself is less expensive than ordering catering. You can also make the party a potluck! Again, the celebration’s point is to enjoy the coming addition of a new member of your family. There’s no reason to make things as complex as they would be at a wedding.

Time Your Party Right to Save on Refreshments

Another trick is to think about the timing of your baby shower. If you put it at a time when no one expects a big meal, you’ll only need to focus on snacks and the cake! Some good options are:

• Early morning – bagels and yogurt are inexpensive choices
• Afternoon – set your baby shower around 2 pm, and it can be closer to a tea party than a lunch occasion
• Post-dinner – With guests getting their dinner beforehand, all you need to do is provide dessert in some form, be it a cake or otherwise!

With a virtual baby shower, there’s no need to provide refreshments at all. Guests will be free to eat whatever they like at home, which will free up another part of your budget!

Still want to provide something to your guests, even if you’re going virtual? Consider baking cookies and dropping them off/mailing them to guests in advance! These little snack bags don’t have to be very big, and they’re much less expensive than providing a full meal to your guests.

Extras

You may want to provide your guests with party favors, which can quickly turn into another expense to worry about. Thankfully, these don’t need to be too complicated or expensive. Party favors can cost one to two dollars per guest.

If you are providing some food, that may be more than enough. Consider making whatever you pass out personalized for an extra touch – like customized rock candy pops! With a virtual party, you may skip party favors altogether, or deliver them digitally as gift cards or game prizes.

While you could have an elaborate entertainment setup, there’s no need to spend anything more than a bit of time making a playlist in the background. A few games and the company of your loved ones should serve as entertainment enough.

Games

Party games can make for a fun activity to get everyone excited about the baby to come! Pre-printed baby shower games can cost between two and ten dollars. On average, the costs of baby shower party games can total between $20 and $50. Games like Baby Food Taste Test can include purchasing extra items to play the game in the first place.

Play Don’t Pay

To reduce costs, you can play games that don’t require much financial investment to play. ‘Gift Bingo’ lets guests try to score a bingo as the mama-to-be opens up her gifts. A game like ‘Guess the Baby’ will have everyone provide a photo of themselves as a baby and make an enjoyable guessing challenge.

Are there Virtual Shower Games?

Absolutely! WebBabyShower has both platform-based and printable games for you to use! The virtual scoreboard automatically keeps tracks of games you play on the platform, letting everyone focus on the fun. 

Hooray For Freebies!

We also offer free printable games to play. Guests can print their own game and quiz sheets, or they can play virtually. With this setup, there’s no need to worry about overspending on the game section of your baby shower budget!

Another thing to note is that you don’t need to go overboard with how many games you have. Many guests will simply be happy to have the opportunity to celebrate the coming baby. Social interaction with other guests and getting excited about opening the shower gifts are plenty of entertainment enough!

Prizes

If you do play games, prizes are a nice reward for your guests who win – plus, they provide an incentive to play! If you’re an incredibly tight budget, your guests may not mind if there aren’t prizes, but they’re sure to appreciate anything you can give them.

You can easily manage your budget when it comes to prizes by not having an abundance of games. Some games also don’t have a clear winner and are more for fun. You can mix and match game types to balance things out! Once you’ve determined how many prizes you’ll need, you can plan from there.

Some inexpensive prize options include:

• Succulents
• Picture frames
• Candles
• Gift certificates
• Coffee mugs
• Candy

Think Outside The Box To Cut Costs

Even if the prizes themselves are simple, a little customization (like a gift tag or a wrapper decorated like the baby shower theme) can add an extra pop to make the prizes more enjoyable! Once you finalize your guest list, you can also pick out prizes that you know your friends and family will likely appreciate – so they don’t need to go through the awkward “I want to toss this, but it was a gift” experience.

Virtual Parties Make Prizes More Manageable

While hosting a virtual baby shower with WebBabyShower can eliminate many other expenses, you may still want to pick out and mail prizes afterward. With all the money you save from other categories on this list, you should have some wiggle room when planning a baby shower on a budget to pick out some cute prizes.

After all, the point of the baby shower is to celebrate the mama to be. Games and prizes can be fun, but they don’t need to be the main focus in the slightest. Let the fact that everyone has gathered in honor of the soon to arrive family member (be it in person or virtually) be reason enough to celebrate together!

Party Time!

Baby showers can end up costing a lot of money – but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a wonderful time on a budget! With enough careful planning, you can plan everything from the venue to prizes without breaking the bank.

When planning how to plan a budget baby shower, it’s all a matter of focusing on which items will have the most importance, and determining how much cash you want to spend in advance. By setting a number before you start planning, you won’t need to worry about feeling disappointed if there’s an idea you like but can’t afford.

Going Virtual Will Keep Your Party on Budget

WebBabyShower provides an inexpensive and simple way to host a virtual baby shower, leaving mamas to be with more time to enjoy the celebration of their coming little one without needing to fuss about money. All you need to do is get started!