So, you've decided to celebrate the birth of a child or a wedding by throwing a friend a shower. A critical component of an event like this is to take advantage of the old saying, "Many hands make light work", and ask a few friends of the honored person to be hostesses.
How you organize and coordinate your hostesses will determine how smoothly your event will go. (And how much work you may actually be able to share and not do all by yourself in the hours leading up to your event.)
Here are 8 tips on how to coordinate your hostesses and help them to make your event a wonderful experience for everyone involved.
1. Try to have at least one hostess for each 5% of number of people you plan to invite. This will make sure there are enough ladies to run the shower smoothly.
2. Set expectations early on what will be the financial/contribution responsibility of each hostess. Some people choose to ask each hostess to bring an assigned item and an additional gift to contribute to the "Hostess Gift" that will be presented to the honored mom or bride. You might consider asking each hostess to bring a set amount of money - like $25 each (the budget will depend on time of day, expected refreshments, etc.) and ask each to bring a pack of diapers as a great gift for a new mother or make an additional contribution to purchase something from a registry.
3. Set up a mode of communication and set some guidelines. You might consider asking that all suggestions and questions go through one person. Otherwise you may have dozens of emails flying through all of your accounts. Consider setting up a Facebook account for your event and ask all the hostesses to join the group.
4. Make a list early of the activities associated with the shower, when they need to be done and when and where. Send this out to all the hostesses early so they can choose what they'd like to do. These activities might include hand addressing invitations, taste testing cakes, ordering napkins, planning for flower arrangements, planning the layout of the food table, layout of chairs, any games or party activities, and beverage selection and preparation.
5. Send out weekly communications letting hostesses know where things stand and keep them posted on events so their excitement level stays high.
6. Be open to suggestions but keep in mind that you may have to say no as part of the process. Pick your battles and try to keep all your friendships in tact. Everyone has an idea of what they'd like to see and you'll have to handle things delicately. Pre-planning can eliminate some of these types of surprises.
7. Keep it fun. Allow for enough time to set up. Make sure things that can be done in advance are done in advance so setting up your decorations, making tea and preparing food is all you have to worry about at your big event.
8. Send a Thank You note. The hostesses you have worked with have just had a great time, worked really hard, and contributed money and time to the shower you are coordinating. If you'd like them to work with you again, jot off a quick Thank You note the day after your big party. They'll appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Relax and enjoy this wonderful time with friends and family. Don't forget that a little pre-planning, preparation and communication will help your wedding or baby shower hostesses work together for great event.
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