Long Distance Baby Shower Etiquette

So, you’ve decided to host a long-distance baby shower. Congratulations!

While we’re sure you’re excited about your celebration, it can feel daunting – especially in the etiquette department.

Long-distance baby showers are relatively new, meaning you can’t apply the same etiquette your mom or grandma followed for their baby showers. Besides, those old-fashioned traditions don’t really work these days and can hold you back from hosting the celebration of your dreams.

To host an excellent long-distance baby shower, the first thing you’ll need to do is create a checklist to make sure you’re on track.

Then, we recommend reading this article. We’ll give you several long-distance baby shower etiquette ideas to prepare you for your big day!

Create a List of To-Dos

As any great party planner will tell you, the first thing you should do before hosting a long-distance baby shower is to create a to-do list. The list should contain all the things you need to do, in the order you need to do them.

We recommend including the following tasks on your list:

• Sending invitations
• Setting the date for your virtual event
• Preparing your registry
• Deciding on games to play
• Day of the shower tasks
• Virtual baby shower favors

Let’s go through each one.

Set the Date

Setting a date for your soiree is long-distance baby shower etiquette 101. Do your best to pick a day that doesn’t conflict with other events you and your guests need to attend.

If you have an extensive guest list, asking each person which date works may be too demanding. Instead, ask the people closest to you – like your immediate family and best friends – to ensure they can attend.

After choosing a date, you may discover some of your loved ones can’t make it. If this happens, don’t fret! You can always host multiple baby showers for those who can’t attend the initial shower.

You may be thinking, “I barely have time for one shower. Now you want me to host several of them?” But don’t worry, hosting virtual baby showers is easier than you think.

Virtual baby showers aren’t as time-consuming as in-person ones since you don’t have to clean and decorate your house, make food, get a caterer, etc. So, hosting multiple is no big deal.

In many cases, hosting several virtual baby showers is preferable because you’ll have a smaller and more manageable guest list. You’ll also get to spend more time with each guest, allowing for a more fulfilling experience.

Prepare Your Registry

Let’s get to the fun part – creating your baby shower registry!

It’s best to complete your registry before you send out invitations. This way, you can include the registry link on your invites, giving your loved ones ample time to browse for the perfect present.

On WebBabyShower, you can add your registry directly to your baby shower website. This means your guests will only need one link to access all of your baby shower and gifting info. Pretty cool, huh?

While gift registries can be fun, we understand they aren’t for everyone.

Perhaps this is your second or third child, and you don’t need anything. Or, maybe you live in a small apartment, and getting a bunch of gifts would be a hindrance instead of a help.

Whatever your situation, do not feel pressured to create a baby registry if you don’t need one. Long-distance baby shower etiquette should make your life easier, not harder.

Send Your Invitations

Next up on your long-distance baby shower to-do list is sending invitations.

Plenty of great platforms allow you to create and send invitations. They usually have a free and paid option, accommodating those on a tight budget.

When creating your invites, don’t forget to include important event details, such as the date, time, video platform you’ll be hosting on, and a link to your registry. Additionally, try to use cool invitation wording to make your baby shower invites stand out.

If you decide to create a baby shower website on WebBabyShower, you’ll be able to send unlimited invitations to your guests. The invites have RSVP tracking, so you’ll immediately know who can and can’t attend.

WebBabyShower also allows you to create different guest lists. This makes it effortless to send separate invites when hosting multiple baby showers. To learn more about how WebBabyShower works, check out this article.

Decide Which Games to Play

Games are a big part of most baby showers. They add to the event and make guests feel more comfortable and relaxed.

On WebBabyShower, we have game ideas for every kind of shower. So, no matter what you’re into, we’ve got something for you.

Before selecting the game, we recommend thinking about the types of guests you’ll have at your party. For example, if you’re going to have a coed baby shower, the games you pick will likely be different than for a women-only shower.

Don’t want to worry about organizing games? No big deal. On WebBabyShower, we have built-in games through our instant video chat platform. Simply select which ones you want to play, and you’ll be off and running – no downloads or extensive game prep required.

On the Day of the Event

After following our long-distance baby shower etiquette ideas, you should feel so prepared that there is barely anything left to do on the day of your event. But don’t put your feet up just yet! There are still a few small things you need to take care of.

The first thing you’ll need to do is prepare your baby shower background. Your selected background can be used on your WebBabyShower website and as the backdrop for our built-in video chat feature to keep everything ‘on theme’.

Once you’ve selected the perfect background, feel free to familiarize yourself with WebBabyShower’s excellent video features. Our favorites are the emoji-reaction animations that allow your loved ones to send reactions in real-time and a screen capture feature to catch all those special baby shower moments.

If you are hosting the shower on a Zoom call, you’ll want to do a quick technical check to ensure your video, microphone, and internet are working. Then, you’re good to go.

Baby Shower Favors

Even though your event is online, long-distance baby shower etiquette still allows you to send your loved ones a party favor. You can send virtual gifts – like an online gift card – or ship party favors in the mail.
Are you in need of some long-distance baby shower ideas for gifts? Check out this article for some of the best favors for shower guests. Whether you want favors related to food and drinks, self-care, home decor, or budget items, we’ve got presents your guests will love!