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Baby Shower Flowers

Add a special touch to baby showers!

By Stephanie Stopka, flowers by stem April 19, 2013
I'm so excited to introduce you to Friend of Macaroni, Stephanie Stopka! Stephanie Stopka is the owner of flowers by stem - designing flowers for weddings and events of all shapes & sizes in Chicago. They also offers subscription services to those businesses/homes in need of ongoing floral design. In addition, she is a Chicago mom to three of her own beautiful flower girls, Ella (5), Cora (3) and Brisa (1)!

Today she's going to give us some great ideas for floral decorations for baby showers.


Of all of life's celebrations, few are as exhilarating, emotional and nostalgic as a baby shower. They are an opportunity for a group of women to come together, showering their love and support upon the newest mom-to-be in the group. Talk about the ultimate expression of women power!
 
Still, baby showers have a bad rap of being overly stuffy, traditional and generic. To all those veteran moms out there, think back to your own shower. Chances are, you were 7+ months pregnant, and rather than sit in an uncomfortable dress for 4 hours, all you really wanted to do was lie on the couch catching up on Real Housewives. Am I right?!
 
When planning a baby shower, I encourage those planning the shower to truly keep the mom-to-be as their focus. This is not the time to blow the bank on a over-frilly, stuffy event. Rather, use the shower as an opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of the mom-to-be. Do grilled cheese sandwiches top her pregnancy cravings? Serve them - via a slightly more refined grilled cheese bar that includes interesting toppings like green apple and olive tapenade. Is she having a girl and yet abhors the color pink? Make sure the guests know - no pink clothes!
 
The same goes with the flowers. Flowers are an amazing way to breathe life and energy into any celebration. When planning flowers for a baby shower (or any similarly family-focused event like a baptism, child's birthday, etc.), start 1st at the source of your inspiration - the mom-to-be! Ask her if she has a favorite flower, a favorite color. Armed with this info, spend some time (but not too much time!) searching around on Pinterest for inspiration. That will help you start to define the style you want to go for. Modern or rustic? Vibrant colors or pale tones? The key here is NOT to spend too much time obsessing over finding the perfect photo. It probably doesn't exist! Each event has its own unique feel, and thus interpretation of details.

 
Once you have a few pictures that give the right kind of vibe, come up with a budget range. While most people do not have a great understanding of the cost of flowers, at the end of the day, what they DO know is how much they can afford to spend. It is MUCH more helpful to know whether your flower budget is $200 or $2,000 from the get-go. That way, your floral designer can help guide decisions to maximize that budget.

Be flexible! I always recommend using as many seasonal flowers as possible. They are the most beautiful, and best reflect the season. Accept that an all-peony centerpiece will not be possible in January, but using garden roses can give you a very similar effect.

At the end of the day, remember the true intent of the day - to shower the mom-to-be with your love and support as she embarks on the most beautiful, chaotic, exhausting, heart-expanding adventure of her life!

Looking for floral ideas for an event? Contact Stephanie at stephanie@flowersbystem.com.