Monday, July 7, 2008

Planning Tips for Your Baby Shower Menu

There are a lot of factors to consider when you're planning for your baby shower menu so take out your thinking caps, grab a pen and paper, and get ready to list your way to a perfect baby shower feast!

Budget
Baby shower menus will be ultimately dictated by your budget so it's best to figure out early on how much you can afford to spend on food.

Number of Guests
How many have you invited or plan to invite? How many are certain to come? Knowing the number of guests that you expect to attend your baby shower will help you determine the type of menu you can afford. Having a buffet is generally expensive but not if you're only going to serve a small circle of friends.

Time and Venue
When and where will your baby shower be held? This will let you know whether it's appropriate to prepare a light or heavy meal. Baby showers held in the morning are uncommon but they do occur from time to time and the menu for such is easier to prepare than what you'd normally have to do for lunches and dinners. Baby showers in the afternoons are the best and allow you to serve a moderate affair, which would include snacks or finger foods and something slightly heavier like salad or pasta.

The venue will also clue you in what's appropriate to serve or not. A baby shower held in a hotel ballroom will of course demand something equally grand while a baby shower held in an outdoor setting allows for something more casual.

Preferences and Exceptions
If you want to please all of your guests, you should take the time to ask each and every one of them if they have any special dietary requirements. Take note, for instance, of who maintains a vegetarian diet, are lactose intolerant or diabetic.

Cook or Cater?
It's all up to you. Catering generally costs more, but it also takes a load of worry off your shoulders. Cooking will require a lot of your time and effort, but it can also be a fun endeavor if you ask loved ones to help you out.

Theme
Last but not the least, don't forget to match your baby shower menu with your theme. If you've decided to go Hawaiian for your baby shower then your baby shower menu should definitely include tropical fruits rather than Chinese delicacies.

Once you've prepared your baby shower menu, don't forget to have it printed out and display it on the tables.

No comments: