Baby showers, or Godh Bharai in Indian culture, are a precious event. While the family joins in as everyone showers the expectant one with love and gifts, what becomes a challenge is putting together a very personal and unique celebration. This ceremony is used to honour the mother-to-be and reunite family and friends to bless her with their love.
This blog explores ten ways to make your baby shower extra special. Whether planning a traditional event or adding a modern twist, you can create and photoshoot lasting memories through unique decorations and meaningful rituals. Personalise the occasion to match your style with these best baby shower ideas for a memorable celebration.
Ten Best Baby Shower Ideas
Are you excited to discover how to make your baby shower extraordinary? Let's delve into ten professional godh bharai ideas to celebrate your forthcoming baby!
Choose a Colourful Theme
Opting for a colourful theme is one of the most effective ways to make your party feel festive and joyful. You can opt for bright colours like orange, yellow, or gold. For a gender reveal, pick blue or pink. These colours symbolise good luck and positivity and add festivity to the event.
Use colourful drapes, flowers, and decorations to create a happy atmosphere. Consider incorporating traditional elements, such as floral rangolis or marigold garlands, which enhance the festive vibe and create a perfect backdrop for a baby shower photoshoot.
Send Beautiful Invitations
Customise your invitations with traditional motifs like lotus flowers or elephants to give them a personal touch. Send both physical and digital invitations that reflect the theme of your baby shower.
Make sure to cover the basics, such as date, place, what guests should wear (if any), and any directions they need to know. Mail the invites three weeks early to offer friends time to plan and attend the event.
Incorporate Traditional Rituals
Baby shower ceremonies are deeply rooted in tradition. Make sure these rituals form a key part of your event. The mother-to-be is clothed in a saree along with jewellery and flowers. The elderly bless her and give fruits, sweets, and other things as symbolic of richness and wellness for both mum and baby.
You can also arrange a traditional 'aarti' or 'puja' to seek blessings. These customs preserve the event's cultural significance and make the day even more meaningful for family and guests.
Create a Memory Wall
Create a space where guests can leave heartfelt wishes and blessings for the expecting mother. Provide colourful cards, markers, and envelopes for them to write personal messages. The mother can cherish these notes whenever she needs encouragement after the shower.
You could also showcase photos of the parents-to-be from their childhood or their journey to parenthood. This personal touch adds sentimental value, making the baby shower memorable.
Organise Fun Baby Shower Games
You could even have some games like Antakshari or Tambola that will help keep the guests entertained. In addition to that, you should also pick some of the more recent baby shower games, such as guessing the gender, weight, and due date.
They even get to guess on what the baby looks like more, mum or dad. A small prize to the winners will add to the thrill of the games. To break the ice and ensure everybody has fun engaging in these activities.
Pic credit: www.babyfirsttv.com
Host a Henna Station
Set up a henna (mehndi) station as a beautiful way to add a cultural touch to your baby shower. Invite a skilled henna artist to apply designs on guests' hands. It's a lovely way for everyone to bond while getting pampered.
Additionally, arrange for a special mehndi design for the mother-to-be, symbolising love and protection for her baby. This makes the celebration more memorable and adds to its cultural richness.
Serve Traditional Food and Sweets
Stick to a menu featuring traditional favourites like samosas, pakoras, and chaat. For the main course, serve a mix of North and South Indian dishes, depending on your preferences.
Desserts hold particular importance at baby showers. Offer a variety of mithais, such as laddoos, barfi, or gulab jamun, to satisfy everyone's sweet cravings. You could also add a modern touch by including a beautifully themed cake.
Gift Baby Shower Favours
Thank your guests with thoughtful baby shower favours. Opt for small gifts that are useful and memorable, such as customised candles, fragrant potlis (small bags), or potted plants. Bangles or scarves also make symbolic gifts that guests can cherish.
Personalising these favours with the event date or a note from the mum-to-be will add a special touch.
Plan a Blessing Ceremony
Invite family elders to bless the mother-to-be with good wishes for her and the baby's well-being. This ceremony is a key aspect of the baby shower. The elders can also share traditional advice stories from their motherhood experiences and offer encouragement.
You could dedicate a segment of the event where each elder speaks a few words and offers gifts or sweets. This heartfelt gesture adds depth to the ceremony and makes it more personal.
Take Lots of Pictures
You should record memories from the baby shower. Hire a skilled photographer or persuade one of your closest friends to snap photos, both candid and posed, to capture some of the most memorable moments on this endearing day. Make sure they shoot the important moments such as when the mom-to-be got some blessings, the laughter in playing games, and the love shared between family and friends.
Pic credit: bangalorephotographers.in
Inspire your visitors to enjoy the moment and perhaps set up a baby-themed photo booth with some crazy props. You will treasure these photos throughout the years.
Cultural Differences Between Indian Baby Showers
Indian baby showers hold rich cultural significance and vary widely across regions, each showcasing unique customs and rituals.
Here's an overview of some prominent traditions, including Valaikappu, Godh Bharai, and Dohale Jevan ideas for photoshoots and celebrations.
Dohale Jeevan
A traditional baby shower in Marathi culture revolves around the unique cravings of a pregnant woman. The mom-to-be wears a new saree while she sits on the swing, and guests bless her with kumkum and haldi (turmeric powder). They apply it to her forehead during the ceremony. They also place coconut, rice, and fruits in her saree pallu.
Some dohale jevan ideas to make the event fun include singing, dancing, and games like guessing the baby's gender based on the mother's cravings.
Valaikappu
Valaikappu is primarily celebrated in Tamil Nadu. The mother-to-be dresses in colourful clothes and jewellery, symbolising the joy of welcoming new life.
This event often includes singing traditional songs, applying kumkum, and offering blessings to older women. Families hold it in the seventh month of pregnancy and use Valaikappu photoshoot ideas to capture moments.
Godh Bharai
Godh Bharai, translating to "filling the lap," is a baby shower tradition in northern India. During a puja, family members honour the expectant mother with blessings and gifts, including fruits and sweets. The ceremony is traditionally women-only, though men sometimes participate in modern celebrations.
Pic credit: Pinterest
Games and activities like guessing the baby's name or light-hearted competitions feature heavily. A lavish vegetarian meal, often including traditional sweets, rounds off the celebration.
Seemantham
Seemantham is also a South Indian tradition followed in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The ritual extends to applying sindoor on the mother-to-be and requesting seniors for blessings. Like in Valaikappu, Seemantham ideas include music and dance performances by professionals to entertain guests at the baby shower ceremony, focusing on the mother.
Celebrity baby showers often beautifully showcase how to make the party an unforgettable event. Famous television actress Shirin Sewani, known for Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, shared glimpses of her dreamy Godh Bharai ceremony. She looked radiant in a rani pink sharara with contrasting pastel green details, accessorised with traditional jewellery like a choker, maang tikka, and nath.
Photoshoot Ideas for Indian Baby Showers
To capture the essence of these celebrations, consider these photoshoot ideas:
- Baby Bump Art: Capture the beauty of pregnancy by tenderly holding your belly in several poses. Use natural light to emphasise the curves, a warm feeling of the bump in full body and close-up shots.
- Group Pose: In a circle or heart shape, get everyone to sit around the expectant mother to click a group picture. This close-up portrait symbolises the familial and friendly support with which the event is being celebrated.
- Belly Kiss Pose: In this, get your partner to come close with a smile on their face and give a gentle kiss on your baby bump. You can choose to have close-up shots filmed from different angles or wider shots to illustrate the bond of the parents with the unborn child.
- Fun with Gifts: Now have some fun and set up a gathering of baby shower gifts and let the soon-to-be mother sit among them. This is a pose that says the new arrival is now ready and excited with color abound.
- Candid Moments: Capture greetings and laughter without the knowledge of the guests. These candid moments often capture the true happiness of the event and are more personally memorable than posed photos.
Why Choose Us?
Now that you know that photography is an important element for any baby shower. It helps you create memories so you can show it to your children when they have grown up. Hiring a reputed photography firm is best for the best shots of your baby bumps. One such photography company is VsnapU.
Here is why they stand out:
Experienced Photographers
The team comprises photographers specialising in baby shower events. They deeply understand cultural rituals and ceremonies, ensuring they document every meaningful moment with precision. You can treasure these memories for a lifetime.
High-Quality Photography
They are committed to providing high-quality photos, capturing every detail—from vibrant decorations to heartfelt emotions. They ensure your baby shower is documented to allow you to relive the celebration for years.
Affordability
They provide photoshoots at a budget-friendly price so you can capture the moments without breaking your bank. You can also customise your package as per your wishes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. When is Godh Bharai celebrated?
Ans. Families traditionally celebrate Godh Bharai during the 7th or 9th month of pregnancy. Some families looking for Seemantham ideas may hold it only for the first pregnancy.
Q2. What gifts do people give at baby shower?
Ans. Gifts include jewellery, clothes, dolls, make-up, and sweets. The doll symbolises the wishes of many children.
Q3. Is baby shower celebrated in all Indian communities?
Ans. Some have baby showers for the first pregnancy, and some people celebrate all pregnancies.
Q4. What happens during the baby shower?
Ans. Most baby showers include 2 or 3 games with anywhere from one to two dozen guests. The elders bless the mother-to-be, shower her with gifts, and feed her favourite meals.
Q5. Who hosts the baby shower ceremony?
Ans. The in-laws usually host the first baby shower, while the girl's parents may host the second (if held).
Q6. How do I book a photographer for my baby shower through VsnapU?
Ans. Visit the platform, choose your preferred date and time, and they will assign an experienced photographer. They will handle all editing and delivery through our tech platform.
Q7. Will the photographer understand the cultural rituals of a Godh Bharai?
Ans. The photographers are well-trained and experienced in capturing traditional ceremonies like Godh Bharai. They understand the Valaikappu photoshoot ideas and will ensure every important moment is beautifully captured.
