There are a million (and one) baby shower themes out there on the web that you can choose from. When I found out I was having a girl – I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the choices. She’s my baby girl after all; I wanted every theme. I also have to say that this would be my second baby shower. We felt like we shouldn’t have a baby shower because well, we already had one which you can find HERE.
I’m a firm believer that if you want to throw a party… then – throw a party! Sometimes we get caught up in made up ‘rules’ that prevent us from doing things we want to do. Parties are my thing and my mom loves them too so… dang it, let’s throw another one.
I will add that my first pregnancy was during the height of Covid so, a lot of my family couldn’t make our first baby shower. There were two things wanting me to do this: 1. It was a chance for me to throw a girly party. 2. I wanted to celebrate our new baby with anyone who wanted to celebrate her too. Some call a second baby shower a “sprinkle” but I call it a Celebration of a New Baby!
Lastly, I never throw a party to receive gifts. I throw a party to celebrate. As I say to my son, “You don’t NEED anything other than food and water” although these days I might add sleep and shelter because #kids.
The Invitation: We purchased the invitation from an Etsy Shop that you can find HERE.
Let’s Talk Details
- Date: Saturday, August 13, 2022
- Theme: Swans
- Type of Event: Baby Shower (Sprinkle) for Girl
- Colors: Pale Pink, White, Gold
- Guest Amount: 16
- Time: 2:00pm-4:00pm
- Indoors, At home
- Casual Attire
Topics That Will Be Discussed
- The Theme
- Decorations
- The Tables (including guest favors)
- Food & Beverage Table
- Games & Activities
The Theme
I have a design background so my parties always have a theme. It doesn’t matter how big or small, I will always come up with something unique to connect my party together.
Since this was our second baby celebration, we felt that we didn’t need to over do it. We chose swans because as I was searching and searching for what seemed like our soon-to-be daughter ‘felt like’, I couldn’t exactly pinpoint that feeling. Nothing I found felt like her. That may not make any sense to anyone considering she wasn’t even born yet but I wanted something that was special and unique for her.
Then – I came across the beautiful pure white swan. Check out this from Reflection Psychology Group: “A swan has often been seen as a symbol of wisdom and includes awakening the power of self, balance, grace, inner beauty, innocence, self-esteem, seeing into the future, understanding spiritual, evolution, developing intuitive abilities, grace in dealing with others and commitment.”
Swans also remind me a lot of ballet and if you know me at all – you’ll know that I have a huge dream for my baby girl to be a ballerina. There is also a huge history with swans, Europe and The Crown. The Notebook is my ultimate favorite movie (I have 3 copies). You know a scene from that movie, where Noah and Allie are boating in the sea of swans? Look at this beautiful image (not my photo).
Decorations
We wanted to make this gathering simple, sweet and elegant. This second celebration didn’t need a whole lot of fuss; our main goal was to toss in pops of swans where appropriate and a dash of pink here and there.
The Tables
I discovered an extremely cost effective local company who rents out tables, chairs and other various furniture. This was the first event I did with them and have used them for future parties because of how great of an experience I had with them! My place is not set up for really fancy parties so I have to get creative on what to do and use for seating. We relocated my large brown couches and repurposed some of my tables to use for the party.
The 8′ tables took over 3/4 of my living room so it was a little snug. I used some tablecloths that my friend had at her wedding but I will post some Amazon dupes down below. I always like to pre-set the table because it makes the party a little bit more formal. That being said, you can always put the utensils and plates on the food table.
My parents made the beautiful swans that sat in the center of the tables. Ill add the main items below so you can make them too! But – it’s basically done with hot glue and paint! The bottom part is just a small slab a wood that you can get anywhere to get the swan to sit upright. Then after glueing on the feathers and flowers – just paint the eye black and the bill or mouth part pink. Pink & Black Paint can be found at any hardware store depending on your choice of paint
We had two favors – one was a mint box with a thank you note on top and the second was a swan filled with homemade white chocolate swans/crowns and chocolate candy. It looks like the swan holders we got are out of stock but I’ve listed a similar one below!
Shop Items From The Tables
- Tables Rented from Avila Event Rental
- White Tablecloths
- Dusty Rose Pink Chiffon Runner
- 7.5inch Baroque Pink & Gold Disposable Dessert
- Gold Utensils
- White Swan Candy Holder
- Swan & Crown Candy Mold
- Personalized Mint Favor Tins
- Swan Chocolate Wrapper
- Swan Napkins
- 7″ Napkin Holder – Double Swan Heart Design
- Artificial Flowers Pink White Fake Rose and Silk Peony
Shop Items For The Handmade Swans
Food & Beverage Table
I have a good amount of white platters and serving dishes that I use for parties I host that I don’t need specific trays for. If you want me to help find items like mine for you please let me know and I’d be happy to do so. That being said, I will focus on providing links to items that are unique to this party.
We used a local catering company called Upstairs Downstairs Catering for the first time.
The Menu
- Tea Sandwiches: Turkey & Cheddar, Chicken Salad and Tomato with Fresh Mozzerlla and Pesto
- Caesar Salad
- Wisconsin Cheese Board with Assorted Gourmet Crackers
- Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
- Mac & Cheese Bites
- Various Chips
- Swan Cupcakes and Cake
- Pink Lemonade
- Sweet Tea
Shop Items From Food & Beverage Table
- Pink Plates
- Gold Utensils
- Light up Swan
- Swan Cake Topper
- Glass Drink Pitchers
- Swan Backdrop
- Pink Tablecloth
- Swan Planter Set
- Pink Flowers
Balloon Arch
I’ve done a balloon arch before so I have a little bit of experience doing these. It is not that difficult of a process but it can take a very long time to put together so my main tip is to build in a good deal of time blowing up the balloons and building the arch. Depending on how big you are making it – I would also highly recommend purchasing an electric balloon pump to save you some time!
Shop Items From Balloon Arch
Games & Activities
All of the games were done DIY which means we didn’t go and buy any game sets that being said, I have found some very nice sets that include the price is right game. One set I found is a floral princess themed set from Amazon and one is a swan princess set from Etsy. You can find the links down below.
- Baby Food Game
This game is pretty common in the world of baby showers. Cover the label of each baby food jar and write a number on each. Provide your guests with a sheet of paper and a pencil. Your guests will then examine each jar, smelling and even tasting it to guess which flavor the baby food is. The guest with the highest number of correct answers wins!
- How Old Were The Parents
Play this fun and unique baby shower game by having your guests guess the age of the parents in various childhood photographs. The guest who has the most correct answers wins!
- The Price is Right
Describe each item to your guests while showing them the image and have them note down their estimated price. For each item, the guests with the nearest price to the correct retail value without going over wins a prize.
Game Prizes
My mom works for Ulta Beauty at the time of this shower so, a good amount of the gifts were products for both men and women. Pampering type of gifts. But, we also had a ‘movie theater’ type gift that included popcorn and various treats and candy. Lastly, there was a gift where my mom put candy in a large baby bottle!
Shop Items From Games & Activities
- Amazon Pink, Princess Game Set
- Etsy Swan Princess Game Set
- Etsy Mommy and Baby Swan Game Set
- Large Baby Bottle Gift
Extras
Here you can find some of the extra items we had around the party. I listed the dress that I wore for the party as well. The Swan Rocker is an EXCELLENT gift for baby and is long lasting. My guestbook I show is no longer available so I have listed some alternatives below.
Shop Items From Extras
In Conclusion
Overall the party was a huge hit and everything worked out very smoothly. Looking back, I really wouldn’t change a thing and I think my mom did an excellent job as host of my celebration! Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this party and of course, what your favorite parts are in the comments below! Thank you so much for reading along!
This post has affiliate links where I may receive commission for if purchased.
In honor of my darling girl, I created this journal that is inspired by swans and perfect for a baby shower gift for a new mama to write down words for her new baby. This blank lined journal is listed on Amazon and features a few pages of quotes to inspire your daughter when she reads your words. You can find it HERE.
