How to Host a Long-distance Baby Shower

If a loved one is hundreds or thousands of miles away from friends or family during her pregnancy, you may be sad at not being able to throw a baby shower for her. But there is an alternative: a long-distance baby shower, also called a virtual shower. While it doesn’t provide the fun and games of a traditional baby shower, it’s a thoughtful way to help long-distance loved ones celebrate the mom-to-be and her special time. Read on to learn how to host a long-distance baby shower.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baby shower invites
• List of names and addresses for the invitees
• Email addresses
• Camera film

1. Clear your idea with the mom-to-be. Some people think the idea of a long-distance shower--where people send gifts and then the recipient opens them at a designated time--is tacky. If the expectant mother is one of those people, respect her wishes and simply send a gift on your own. But if she’s away from her loved ones at this time, she’ll probably be thrilled that people are thinking of her.

2. Create the invitations. You can start with any baby shower invitations that you like, but you’ll have to add your own explanation. It must be crystal clear that the “shower” is simply an opportunity to send a baby gift to the mom-to-be and that she will open all of the gifts on a specific day. Explain that it’s a heartfelt way to send a little love to someone who’s far away from friends and family at an important time.

3. Mail the invites. Get a list of names and addresses from the mom-to-be and then mail your carefully worded invitations. In your RSVP, ask the invitees to send their email addresses.

4. Prepare for the onslaught of questions. No matter how well you word your invitation, some guests will still have questions, so be sure you’re ready to answer them. And some guests will also have complaints, so prepare a tactful way of answering those as well.

Tips & Warnings

• The alternative way to throw a long-distance shower is to have the shower without the mom. Ask the guests to bring unwrapped gifts, which you can record with either a video camera or a digital camera. At the party, you can play games, have food, record special wishes for mom and baby, and wrap the gifts. Afterward, mail the gifts and video to the mom (or send the digital photos to her). This type of party is perfect for guests who know each other well.
• Suggest to the mom-to-be that someone take pictures of her opening each gift, which can be included in the thank you notes. If she has a traditional camera, supply her with the film she’ll need.
• Think carefully about the people you invite to a long-distance baby shower. It’s essentially asking for gifts for the mom-to-be without any of the games, food, and baby chatter of a traditional shower. And while lots of people will be glad to help her get off to a great start, some invitees (possibly older relatives) will be offended because it seems like a tacky “gift grab.” So weigh the potential for insult at being left off the invite list against how likely they are to be offended by the idea of a long-distance shower.