If you’re hosting and unsure of how long should a baby shower be, the best length would be around three hours. This allows for activities like games, food, and everything that will make the party enjoyable for the parents-to-be’s guests.
We will also discuss below what time duration is expected for the different things in baby showers. And regarding who should be responsible for the event’s budget, you can read who pays for the baby shower.
How Long Should A Baby Shower Be: The Right Length
Baby showers are usually between two to three hours, which is the ideal length for the host to create an effective timeline of activities. The baby shower is a party for the guests to give their gifts, eat food with the parents-to-be, and play games to celebrate the upcoming birth of their baby.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to allocate at least two hours for the event to ensure that everything will have enough time to be enjoyed by the friends and family of the couple. However, you can always modify this length according to your budget.
For example, limiting the baby shower to two hours means you can cut costs. This way, the venue rental will also be shorter, and you won’t need as many activities, games, and food, affecting the expenses.
The host can also modify or omit traditions to shorten the baby shower length. Instead of opening gifts, the guests can bring the items unwrapped to cut their length.
What Is The Shortest Length A Baby Shower Can Be?
A baby shower can be for two hours only instead of three. Depending on the things in the party, it can even be shorter as the guests just have food and chat with everybody.
Another example of a short baby shower is a long-distance or virtual baby shower. It can be between one hour to an hour and thirty minutes only.
Short baby showers are perfectly acceptable, not just from a practical standpoint. After all, most guests attending this event are parents with other duties to attend to, and they can’t stay away for a long time.
What Does A Typical Baby Shower Schedule Look Like?
After deciding on the party’s date, time, and duration, you can modify the activities and other things that will make up the timeline of the baby shower. Here’s an example of the breakdown of activities that the host should organize for the guests and the baby’s parents:
- 30 minutes: guests arrive and mingle; you can also serve appetizers and cocktails during this time
- 60 minutes: three or more baby shower games like parent-prep or baby trivias
- 30 minutes: gift opening; the host can always ask the parents-to-be if they want to include this in the party
- 60 minutes: lunch and cake is served; you can also include other activities when food is served, such as a video montage from family and friends who can’t attend, or shorten this time to half an hour if you only serve desserts
How Long Should Gift Opening Last At The Baby Shower?
Baby showers started as a way to celebrate the mom and her baby, where guests also shower them with gifts. This is why gift opening is included among the activities at the party, and everyone discusses the gifts they got for the baby.
Understandably, it can be awkward for some people to open gifts in front of their guests. You want to show your graciousness, and the guests themselves can feel shy as the other people at the party will also know what you get the couple and their baby.
Therefore, consider not going over an hour for the gift opening. It can even be 30 minutes or shorter, but it’s also acceptable if you opt to remove this from the baby shower activities.
If it’s unclear who is the host for the baby shower, learn about the tradition and expectations of who throws the baby shower. They’ll be responsible for arranging the schedule and timeline of activities.
How Long Should The Baby Shower Games Last For?
The baby shower games can take anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. Typically, baby showers have three to five games, but it will depend on the host and parents-to-be.
You might want to squeeze in other things at the baby shower, so the games will only be for half an hour. The host might also be limited with their budget, so only one to two games are realistic.
Some alternative activities for baby shower games include presentations that the guests can watch. The host can arrange a slideshow of the couple’s childhoods and how friends and family look forward to them having a baby of their own.
How Long Should The Baby Shower Lunch Last For?
Most baby showers happen during lunch when the guests can enjoy food. This can run for 45 minutes, depending on the meal setting and menu.
What Time Should The Baby Shower End?
Baby showers can end around 2 to 3 PM, starting at 11 AM, since this party is a lunchtime affair.
Conclusion
And that’s it! To recap how long should a baby shower be, two to three hours is ideal for the lunch party.
You can modify the length of each activity, and you can even omit some if it’s what the baby’s parents prefer. Furthermore, the host’s budget will dictate how many things you’ll have at the party.