How do I personalize a restaurant baby shower dinner?

[Mommy_Again]

I posted a while back about a dilema I had with throwing a shower for a friend who lives in a different city. I've decided to hop over to Atlanta while I'll be vacationing in NC for a night, and gather a group of girls to go out to dinner and celebrate the impending arrival of her baby girl- not EXACTLY a shower because I am not technically hosting. It's in two weeks, so I am just going to call the girls and explain that it's a dutch treat dinner (I've reached deep down into my ettiquette moral compass and have decided that this is not tacky - do you agree)? I will only know the mom to be and one other friend.

So, even though I am not throwing a full fledged shower, I want to do a few things to let her know I have put some thought and effort into this (WITHOUT spending a ton of money). I'm guessing we'll end up with 5-7 people total. We haven't picked a restaurant, but it will likely be somewhere trendy in Atlanta. (Restaurant suggestions welcome for Buckhead, Midtown or Highlands).

What can I do to personalize the table? I don't want anything too "cutesy" or "homemade," because we'll be in a sophisticated atmosphere- so no diaper cakes. I'm thinking something to decorate the table, whether it be a centerpiece or scattering things across the tables (I have ceramic Beattrix Potter figurines that are very sweet).

One idea my mother and I just hatched was to do a book theme and buy cute bookends to put in the middle of the table, and ask everyone to bring their favorite children's books wrapped, place them between the bookends, and she can open them later in the night. Maybe also buy a small brag book/scrapbook - I'll decorate it and leave spaces for journaling, pass it around and let the girls write a message. She has not registered yet, so that would be helpful for people who would be at a loss for what to bring her (I'm guessing a good number of the women will be single).

Any other creative ideas? I'd love to do some kind of favor, too...but again, nothing too expensive.

[August Mom]

As far as the dutch treat thing, I do think you should pay for the mom-to-be even if you don't pay for everyone else (or ask all the guests to chip-in for the mom-to-be's meal, but that would be the more confusing way to go, especially if you don't know all the women). The bookend/book idea is cute. They other thing you could do is get some metallic baby-themed confetti. They do confetti at a fairly upscale restaurant DH and I like on special occasions. You could bring a baby bottle to use as a vase with some cut flowers, but that might be too cutesy. I assume that you don't want the guests bringing in big packages, so limiting it to books or maybe outfits would probably be a good move.

As far as favors, one of my friends did baby powder scented candles (actually handmade in baby food jars). Another did mini potted plants. I've seen homemade cookie lollipops or chocolate lollipops and candybars with homemade labels with appropriate sentiments. I'm trying to remember what else... You could do chocolate covered almonds in a little box with sentiment.

Have fun.

[Mommy_Again]

oh yes- we will definitely pay for mommy's dinner- forgot to mention that.

I do like the confetti idea and I will look for some. I also had thought about decorated cookies so will look into that too.

Thanks!

[mama2galpals]

i just had a thought. for our second dd's birth good friends of ours bought us a really bright happy silk arrangement of flowers in yellows and pinks that were in a baby type container you'd get from a florist shaped like a carriage. she's four now and we still have them in her room. that might make a good centerpiece and it's something that could be nice in the baby's room.


rita
mommy to
olivia '97
stella '00
emma '03

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
--Henry David Thoreau

http://lilypie.com/baby3/030123/3/4/1/+10/.png

[jamsmu]

just wanted to tell you that I love the bookends idea with wrapped books in the middle--its so classy and useful!!

I recently got bookends personalized at www.mybambino.com. They offer tons of themes, so if you know the theme for the room, this may work out really well.

[lynettefrancois]

Good ideas! Wonder if any of the attendees own a polaroid so you can include photos of the shower in the scrap book? If you are interested in doing some inexpensive guest favors, how about making bookmarks? You can make really pretty bookmarks from nice papers from the craft store. Have fun at the shower!

[octmom]

I really love the bookends idea and the bookmark favor that another poster suggested. Also, I agree that you can get some cute baby shower-ish confetti to sprinkle across the table and it will look nice. Just do it with a fairly light hand, sprinkled around each place setting. We did this with silver wedding bell confetti for two bridesmaids lunches that my mom threw for my male cousin's wives-to-be on the day before their weddings. We also got some silver curling ribbon and just curled some strips and scattered those down the center of the table too. You could do that with some curling ribbon in the same colors as the baby shower confetti, but again, I'd use a pretty light hand.

The second lunch we did was two years ago at a cute restaurant in Alpharetta (Atlanta area). I'm not from there and don't remember the name of it, but I'll see if I can find out.

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

[kristine_elen]

I think it's fine for it to be dutch treat, as long as people know ahead of time and it sounds like you're taking care of that. (Do pay for the mom-to-be, or have everyone chip in.)

To personalize and have a "favor," how about small frames with the mom-to-be's baby picture in it (I mean of her 30 years ago). That makes it personal, then the guest can take home the frame and put a picture of their choosing in it. I'm sure you could get the frames for under $2 each at a craft store like Michael's.

[Mommy_Again]

Julie and Lynette- you guys rock! love the bookmark idea and the link for the personalized bookends- if only she had chosen a name yet!!

thanks to everyone for the creative ideas, I'm very excited to start shopping now!

[jamsmu]

Ashley, still do the theme!! They're beautiful gifts :)