Yep, you read it right! I chose to create a ”send and view“ shower this time around and it couldn’t have been better! The best part: EVERYONE who rsvp’d attended!! Round of applause for that, ladies and gentlemen! I am so very blessed and thankful for all of the wonderful gifts I received. I can’t wait to use them for baby Gabrielle!
I enjoyed being in the comfort of my home, being able to relax and not feel rushed as I have in times before. I was able to take my time stringing balloons and setting the area. Is setting the area necessary? No. Am I extra? Yes. I was very limited to the amount I could do because mama is BIG and this belly gets bigger by the day, ha, ha! I am the planner/decorator in my family and by profession, sooo.... there goes that! My crew provided bountiful loads of encouragement (that's where their expertise ended, lol). Even with my extra, we kept it super simple. We received plenty of unicorn gear that was beyond cute! I think that's going to be her theme!
Now, at about 5 weeks away, we are full speed ahead in efforts to get everything ready to accommodate our new family member! The countdown begins!
The benefits of a "send and view" shower:
Convenient
Set your date and start your camera! This type of shower makes in both easy on you and your guests because it takes all of the guess work out! Set a date for gift sends and another for viewing. Guest don't have to leave their home to send their love and shower the new baby. So many of our family and friends travel frequently and have hectic schedules. This took the pressure off of attendance and encouraged participation!
Cost Effective
I funded both of my previous showers and was totally against doing it again! It also didn't help that I plan beautiful shindigs for a living and was totally burnt out. With this option you can decorate as little or as much as you desire! You can also utilize a small area and cut the cost of renting a whole space, saving the extra cash for the baby!
Guest Friendly!
Guests were able to view at their convenience. That alone was a whole win!!! Whether phone or computer, the opening was available for view. Many participants were excited about this feature and loved being able to watch wherever they were.
Now, the Con:
Choosing a proper hosting platform!
We were thankful to have YouTube as a back up BUT we were prepared and excited to be able to interact with everyone live! We had games planned and couldn't wait to read comments in real time. Right before it was go time, the streaming platform we chose, was glitching and threatened to shutdown the whole operation. So, in hindsight, I learned to do a thousand dry runs actually utilizing the chosen system prior to needing it.
We are so thankful for all of the beautiful gifts we received and love everyone tremendously! We're in the home stretch, folks!