How to plan a drive-by baby shower
Drive-by baby showers are a new take on the traditional baby shower and became quite popular worldwide due to social distancing and Covid-19.
If you’re not familiar with the concept, a drive-by baby shower simply means that friends and family drive by the pregnant mom’s house to greet her and drop off a gift if they have one.
The idea behind drive-by baby showers was to ensure social distancing and to remain safe from getting infected with the coronavirus – especially if you’re a pregnant mama. But, at the same time still giving the mom-to-be and her friends and family the opportunity to still celebrate this new life she is bringing into the world.
“We decided to have a drive-by baby shower because it wasn’t worth taking the risk especially with hubby and I needing a COVID test done just before my baby arrived,” says Lau Smith.
She says it was their third and last baby, and finally a little boy after two girls, and they didn’t want him to go “unnoticed” just because there was a pandemic happening. “We wanted to at least get a few items we needed as well.”
Her sister and best friend organised a surprise drive-by baby shower for her. “It was great fun,” says Lau. “With the previous two we just had the usual baby shower, so this was different and a story to tell.”
Drive-by baby showers are here to stay
Kirsten Daniels, who is the owner of Strawberry Occasions, a party planning company in Weltervreden Park, Johannesburg, believes drive-by baby showers are here to stay. Not only are they the safer option right now, but they’re also more financially affordable, says Kirsten.
“If you do want the traditional baby shower, with a sit-down atmosphere, you should have it if you can afford to, but a drive-by baby shower is a great alternative for moms who can’t afford the traditional affair.”
Lau agrees with Kirsten: “It’s a lot cheaper than actually having a baby shower, not much décor is needed (personal choice), no food or drinks needs to be provided, a little thank you gift can be given if decided.”
The cost of a drive-by baby shower
You can get away with almost spending next to nothing if you plan and host it yourself, or if a friend or family member surprises you with one. Or, you can hire a party planning company to take care of all the details.
Working on a tight budget?
Plan your own drive-by baby shower with these cost-saving tips:
- Always have a host. Ask a friend or family member to host a shower for you if you don’t feel up to stressing about the event.
- Plan the drive-by for early morning (so it’s not too hot in summer), and so you are well-rested.
- Set the mood for the baby shower with a theme and some décor to still give it that special feeling.
- Take photos of everything as it’s a memorable time and something to show our children one day.
- It really is a nice touch to give each guest who drives by and drops off a gift a little thank you gift to show your appreciation.
- Host a Zoom call after the drive-by for those who want to “open” the gifts for you.
