Have a Baby Party That Says Welcome to the World, Little One!

A baby shower doesn't just shower the mommy-to-be with love and affection (and gifts!) but is also a welcome to the world, baby party!

This type of baby shower or baby party is one with a twist. They are usually gift-free and they happen after the baby is born. It's a type of baby viewing and visit the new parents celebration. While this type of party is a choice for parents that don't want to have a religious celebration for their children, it can have a few spiritual connotations as well.

In the welcome to the world baby party, the parents and optional godparents make a vow to love and nurture their child, as well as bring them up in a manner that befits them. Unlike a purely religious Christening, the ceremony can be performed at home or in the place where the party is planned. Some parents opt to have a minister perform the ceremony for them, which doesn't take longer than fifteen or twenty minutes.

Another ceremony that can be performed at a welcome to the world baby party is to plant a tree that symbolizes the baby at the family home or present a certificate that has a star named after them. These gestures show a grounding and a feeling of permanence and support that the family has to give.

The guests are also asked to speak to the child and offer words of love and support, promises to nurture, or a favorite poem concerning children and childhood to them. This often very emotional part of the ceremony is usually accompanied by the guest putting a rose or other flower in an empty vase or lighting a candle to symbolize the wishes they have for the baby.

The décor for the welcome to the world baby party can be as complicated or as simple as you wish. Since the baby is the guest of honor and the star of the show, decorate the crib area or the baby's room with child-friendly decorations that can be hung from the ceiling and otherwise kept a good distance away. It is safer to leave the balloons and streamers directly away from the crib. A nice touch would be to suspend sparkly stars and fairy lights above the baby's crib. This would also double as a type of mobile for the baby after the party.

Keep the party menu and food simple, too. After all, you have a baby to take care of! A buffet is the easiest way to go and platters of vegetable sticks and chips with dips and salsa, pasta dishes, whole fresh fruit, a selection of bread, and a deli platter would be a great menu. Serve a dessert buffet with the cake as the highlight, and some cookies or brownies on the side. For beverages, keep your life simple and serve bottles of juice and iced tea together with cans of soda and beer in a large tub filled with ice.

This welcome to the world baby party usually involves older children and it would really help you if you can provide ways to keep them interested. You could blow up balloons for them to make volleyballs, or provide a basket filled with bubbles, crayons and coloring books, sidewalk chalk and play-doh.

Welcome to the world baby party favors don't need to be complicated, either. If the baby has a favorite playlist of music, burn each guest a copy of the playlist and make a cover for each CD jewel box with the picture of the newborn and a list of the music on the CD. Twenty songs should be the max here.