As you all know, our lives turned upside down in March 2020 when COVID-19 hit! We were all forced into a shelter-in-place, some places had curfew and it was just a strange time. Many lost their jobs and one thing I was thinking about was how to keep myself and this pregnancy safe!
I had JUST announced that we were expecting…DAYS before quarantine! I knew for sure by the time we were ready for baby showers, this would all be a distant memory! oh, how wrong I was!
My husband attended our very first ultrasound at 8 weeks, and our 12 week prenatal appointment, but after that I was on my own. My husband was no longer able to join me at appointments due to hospital COVID restrictions.
Fast forward to week 31 of our pregnancy! It’s our first virual baby shower! I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to have a virtual shower, I knew it just wouldn’t be the same! The night before our shower, my husband asked if I was excited…I couldn’t string 2-words together to answer but what I eventually came up with was something that wasn’t excitement nor dread. I was indifferent, I didn’t know what to expect and I was super anxious as to how it would all go.
Turns out…IT WAS AMAZING! People were just so happy to be there, they were engaged, asked questions, laughed with us and cracked jokes in the comment seciton! It was unlike anything either of us had ever experienced and the love just radiated through the screen!
OKAY, here is how it went down!
We first set up a private Event inside Facebook. This allowed us to be in control of who saw the invitation and the personal details (like our registry & address). We invited everyone through that platform and asked for people to mark their decision (RSVP) by a certain date. Why Facebook? No time contraits or guest number limitations! Myself, my husband and a few other key family members were “co-hosts” of the event since our friends lists varied, it gave us a wider scope when sending invites. Only co-hosts could invite guests. We set the date, time, added a beautiful photo (thanks Steph) and added our registry links/information. We requested books for baby girls library in lieu of cards and added that information as well.
People sent their gifts to our house. Most items were bought off of our registries and mailed to the address that I had pre-selected inside the registry when I created them. We also listed our address in the private group as some people may have trouble shopping online. We also had some people drop gifts off at our door and again, we are VERY grateful for everyone’s generosity!
I posted some fun photos inside the event so folks could keep up with the pregnancy. Other people wrote sweet and thoughtful messages as well. One week (7 days) before the event date, I posted a message expressing our excitement to celebrate with eveyone. 3 or 4 days before the event I posted again, expressing how time flies and the event date would be here before we know it! On the morning of the event I posted one last time explaining the logistics. Here is that “day-of” message:
“Good mrning! We are all set & ready to celebrate with you today! All you need to do is just come right back here to this exact event page at 2pm and join the LIVE stream broadcast. Not to worry, you can show up in your pajama lounge wear if you'd like - only our camera will be active so you can be super comfy & laid back while tuning in No need to be “camera ready” for us! Bring your snacks, beverages and libations to celebrate! See you all very soon!
Love,
-B, D & Baby Girl M”
We streamed the event Live on Facebook - available only to those who were invited! At the time of our shower, we went into the event page and began a Facebook Live Stream. Friends and family were able to join in and view the whole thing! They left comments, introudced themselves, asked us questions and even interacted with one another in the chat function!
Our Events! My husband created our baby shower agenda, an itinerary full of fun games, Polls, Questions and times to open our gifts! He planned every minute perfectly. It was so amazing he gave me permission to offer it to you all for free! Click here for your FREE Virtual Baby Shower Agenda!
https://mailchi.mp/72f1e4f9bb6b/free-virtual-baby-shower-agenda
For games, we utilized the “Poll” and “Question” functions inside the live event. On our end we were able to set up polls (multiple choice questions ie: “guess the Total Cost of these baby items”) where guests could select an option we provided to submit their guess. We utilized the questions (open ended response to a question we typed in ie: “guess the baby’s birthday and weight when she arrives”) for guests to share their thoughts. The Polls and Questions were entered by us then shared so guests could enter responses. It poppe dup on their screen. If guests joined via FB phone app, they answered in the chat/comment section. We had preselected friends and family to monitor the chat to gather guesses so we could select true game winners! We could also share the poll results, so guests could see how many other guests chose similar answers. It was super fun & interactive!
For gifts, we had the gifts set up in the room the night before so that when it was event time we weren’t scrambling around the house. We alternated between answering questions, talking about the pregnancy, playing games and opening gifts so guests could remain engaged. I will link to our baby shower haul video below! if you would like a closer look!!
During the last 5 or so minutes, I stood up and shared what my bump looked like, we have a brief nursery tour and thanked everyone for attending, sending gifts and lifting us up in prayer! It was fantastic! If guests were unable to attend or had to join late, Facebook automatically recorded the entire event and guests were able watch or re-watch the entire event. After the event ended I realized that I was able to go to that replay video recording and download it to my computer for future trips down memory lane :-)
I have to admit, I was hesitant, unsure and confused by it all in the beginning - but when began, I was able to enjoy it! When it was over, I had nothing but positive & fun memories of the entire thing that will last me and our little family a lifetime! I can’t wait to share with baby girl all about her virtual shower and all the love she received!
Thank you all so much for reading, I hope it was informative and helpful! I’ll see you all in my next one! Take care and remember to fill your cup!
With Love,
DaShanna
PS: If you’re interested in the items I share in this haul video, I linked them all in my last blog for you!