As the landscape of in-person social interaction shifts, more and more pregnant women are finding ways to virtually celebrate their journey into motherhood. While this type of baby shower is certainly different from the showers enjoyed before Covid-19, they can still be filled with connection, festivity, and so much joy. And as an added bonus, out-of-town loved ones that wouldn’t be able to attend an in-person shower can easily participate in its virtual equivalent. Essentially, this can still be a baby shower that you cherish, and remember for a lifetime. 

To help you plan an unforgettable virtual shower, we’ve pulled together a variety of helpful tips.  

•     Select a time that works for people in various time zones. As your shower guests likely live in a variety of time zones, it’s wise to select a time that’s not too early or late for anyone. Because of this, start times in the early afternoon often work best.  

•     Leave enough time for gifts to arrive. If you’d like to open gifts during the shower, send invites, with a link to your registry, at least a month before the special day.

•     Set a time limit. During in-person showers, it’s easy for a guest to say a quick goodbye and leave when needed. With a virtual shower, it’s trickier for a guest to slip away, as they might feel like it’s rude to interrupt the celebration to say goodbye, or sign out without a word. 

So, it can be helpful to set a time limit of an hour or two, and make sure things wrap up at the promised time. You can also let guests know that they’re welcome to leave early, if needed. 

To make sure you fit everything in, make a timeline for the event.

•     Get a customized link from your virtual “venue” of choice. Platforms like Zoom and Google Hangouts let you create a special link for a meeting. After you’ve selected the date and time for the baby shower, create this link so you can include it on your invitation.

•     Send a digital invitation. While a paper invitation is the classic way to invite guests to a shower, a digital version is the way to go for a virtual shower. The reasoning is that you want the invite to include a clickable link to the virtual meeting room where the shower will take place. You can also include any additional instructions. 

•     Test your meeting room. Because technical difficulties happen, ask a few friends to do a test run of the meeting room a few days before the shower. This helps you ensure that everyone is easily able to log in, and gives you a chance to tinker with sound and video settings, and other elements that will help the shower run smoothly. 

•     Use a festive virtual backdrop, or decorate. To create a festive aesthetic, select a virtual background that emulates the vibe you want to set for the shower. For example, you could select a photo of a wall of balloons or flowers, a fun jungle scene, or a simple background of stars and the moon. 

Or, if you’re dying to use your DIY skills, go ahead and decorate the portion of your home that will be visible on screen. 

•     Set a dress code. One of the most exciting parts of many in-person events is the opportunity to get dressed up. Give your guests the chance to do just that by informing them of the dress code on the invitation. 

You could up the fun-factor even more by setting a theme. For example, you could have them dress in tea party attire, summon their inner Audrey Hepburn with a Breakfast at Tiffany’s theme, or ask everyone to dress in a certain color. 

•     Share a recipe for a mocktail and appetizer. Infuse the shower with the age-old party ritual of eating and drinking by sending everyone a recipe for a mocktail and appetizer. Then, you can all enjoy the same flavors during the shower. 

•     Ask everyone to prepare a short, special message. Infuse extra meaning into the celebration by asking each guest to prepare a short poem or blessing, or other thoughtful message, for you and the baby that they’ll share aloud during the shower. 

•     Don’t forget the games! Just because you’re meeting online, doesn’t mean you have to skip the games. There are a number of printable games you can send to your guests a few days before your shower (remind them not to peek!), and games like Name That Nursery Rhyme, Don’t Say “Baby,” Guess the Baby Items, and many more, that can easily be played virtually.  

Above all, remember that this should be an enjoyable experience for you. If any aspect of planning feels like too much work, scrap it, or ask a loved one to tackle it for you. In many ways, this is the new frontier of baby showers, and you get to customize an experience that feels authentic and fun. The only rule is that you let yourself feel loved and celebrated during this touching milestone.