COVID-19 has not only changed the way you all party but has also taken you into a virtual world. That's why expecting moms rethink having a traditional baby shower and opt for a virtual baby shower instead. But what exactly does it mean? A virtual baby shower is a wonderfully creative and versatile alternative to make memories with the expectant mother and father to cherish forever.

A Virtual Baby Shower for Upcoming Parents

Since virtual showers are still pretty new things to hosts and expecting parents, we're here with different ways to keep your baby shower party and not turn it into a conference call.

Keep it short and sweet

Create a schedule for your party, especially if you want to keep it short and sweet. Consider making a list of what you want to do at the celebration to importance, like five minutes for greeting and welcoming, 10 minutes for raising toast, 30 minutes for playing games, 15 minutes for gift opening, 10 minutes for sharing gratitude, and five minutes for saying good-bye.

Use an accessible platform

This is primarily for the people who are not familiar with technology as much as you are. Set up a Zoom link or Google Meet for your virtual shower. Even you can go live on Instagram, Facebook, or any other social channel, including YouTube. Also, ensure that the person of honor has a good-quality camera on an iPad/laptop for a virtual event.

Test your tech

Before sending the invites, test your tech or platform after determining which platform you will use. Now, it’s time to ensure that everything will work smoothly! It’s also a good idea to test the invite link before the shower to eliminate any difficulties on that day. Send the link to a few of your friends and family for testing.

Send invites

Even though the shower is virtual, consider your guest's list, send out the formal invitations, and request them to attend an event at a specific time. Before that, decide a corner of your house, online platform, date, and time. Once you're sorted, start sending invites. You can even opt for a morning brunch soiree, an afternoon thing, or an evening happy hour.

Have a host

If you are using Zoom for hosting your event, the Zoom host can be you or one of your friends, but not the person of honor. The host will be in charge of greeting guests, moving the virtual event according to schedule, asking questions, entertaining everyone, and managing overall things on behalf of the parents.

Decorate the background

When you’re opting for a virtual party, you can sit wherever you feel comfortable – it might be your living room, bedroom drawing room, or even your backyard. Just ensure you decorate that place with hanging streamers and balloons according to your theme. It will help you to set the mood for a virtual event. Or else, if you’re the host and mom-to-be is your friend or family, consider gifting her the decorations so she doesn’t have to worry about choosing or buying stuff. She’ll even get more excited to open the box!

Do what feels right

Ask one of your friends to capture screenshots. So the parent-to-be has pictures from the party just like they would if it were an in-person party. Even plan certain games at the celebrations and decide whether you’ll give a gift. If yes, provide virtual gifts such as eBooks, gift cards, or other digital products. Also, remember to plan for the game supplies. You can play Name that Tune, How Many?, Baby Scavenger Hunt, and Alphabet Names.

Decide how to handle gifts

The most exciting thing about a virtual baby shower is you can do what feels right, including gift opening. Guests can mail their gifts in advance so that mom-to-be can open them during the event or after the shower. Another way is that guests can buy the gift and open it in front of her during a shower. Also, guests can mail gifts after the celebration. Whatever you decide, ensure that you tell your guests in advance so they have plenty of time to figure out about the gifts and even get time to toast the mon-to-be.

Go beyond the standard shower

Invite your guests to share something special for parents-to-be or only mom-to-be. They can give a word of encouragement, something they’re looking forward to or want to share with them. Also, set up a time limit to share a blessing or consider selecting only 4-5 people from friends and families.

Also Read: What are Some Outdoor Baby Shower Decoration Ideas?

Capture the special moments

Don’t forget to start recording and taking screenshots of the virtual shower! You might be able to record the celebration within the video calling app. However, prefer capturing screenshots or asking someone to record the screen with additional software if the feature is not that. You can ask one of your friends to do that so that parents-to-be can enjoy their day.

Send thank-you notes

After the celebration, take a few minutes to thank all the people who attended the events and send thank you notes. Even write letters or emails with personalized handwritten notes for thoughtful gifts and blessings.

Shower mom-to-be with love and blessings

Even though you can’t be there physically, you can still shower your love and blessing with them from a distance. And mommies-to-be, this might not be the first choice, but remember, this can be the best thing!