When getting ready to welcome a baby, many new mothers celebrate with friends and family before their baby arrives. If you are looking for a beautiful and functional event venue to hold a baby shower near you, look no further than Colonial Golf and Tennis Club.
When you choose us as one of the best baby shower venues in Harrisburg, PA, you’ll enjoy a number of different amenities and a variety of options. Our lovely indoor and outdoor spaces can be decorated to create the exact feel that you’re looking for. Whether you’re planning a more formal luncheon or a simple party with hors-d’oeuvres, we will help you plan the perfect baby shower in Central PA. Please note that all Colonial Golf and Tennis Club Catering is done in-house.
Our Catering Director has been with us for many years and is ready to help you coordinate the perfect event. She has helped plan and execute all kinds of events, including baby showers. To give the new mom in your life a special day, plan her baby shower at Colonial Golf and Tennis Club.
The perfect baby shower venue will accommodate the number of guests that you wish to invite and provide the amenities that you need. At Colonial Golf and Tennis Club in Central PA, we have options for both indoor and outdoor baby showers of any size. We’ll accommodate small, intimate events as well as events with longer guest lists.
When you’re putting together the list for your baby shower, you can invite everyone who you want to celebrate with. You don’t have to leave anyone out — family, friends, co-workers and more can all come to celebrate this special time in the life of the mom-to-be.
Baby Shower Catering Options
One of the best ways to celebrate is to enjoy a meal together. Even if you don’t choose to have a brunch or luncheon as part of your shower, it’s customary to provide some kind of snacks or hors-d’oeuvres.
At Colonial Golf and Tennis Club, we have a selection of catering options available for your upcoming baby shower. Each of our packages allows you to make selections from our different menus. With these selections, you can put together a wonderful array of foods for your guests to enjoy together.
We have a menu option for every type of baby shower. These are our catering options for your baby shower:
Light Delights
Eagle Brunch
Ladies Lunch
Luncheon Buffet
Bar Packages
Each option has a selection of different dishes. For example, our Luncheon Buffet includes a number of appetizers and beginners and allows you to select two entrees and one dessert from the options listed there. Please view our full listing of catering options for baby showers to learn more.
Usually, a close friend or relative of the mom-to-be hosts a baby shower. If you’ve been tasked with planning your loved ones’ special day, follow these tips for a successful get-together:
Coordinate with the guest of honor about the best day and time for her party. Most baby showers occur when the mother-to-be is about seven months pregnant, when she’s well into her pregnancy but still comfortable enough to enjoy herself. She also needs enough time to sort through her gifts and buy what she needs before the baby arrives.
The staff at our catering hall can fit parties of any guest size. As a rental venue for baby showers, we offer plenty of space for your guests to enjoy themselves. Once you have a date and a budget in mind, you can make a reservation for your party with us. At that time, we’ll go over all the preliminary details with you.
Though the party doesn’t have to follow a theme, talk to the guest of honor about any specific themes she may have in mind. You can have the party be as formal or relaxed as you want. Knowing what colors and designs to use can help you plan games, invitations and thank-you cards.
Create a plan to follow on the day of the event, including whether you want to have a meal, games and gift opening. Make sure the flow of the event is fun and keeps guests engaged. Allow a few minutes for guests to arrive and get settled in their seats. After everyone has arrived, you can start an activity or serve food. You can also offer dessert while the guest of honor is opening presents.
Discuss with the guest of honor whether she wants to open gifts in front of her guests. At a traditional baby shower, the mother-to-be opens her presents at the party. If you have a large guest count or the mother-to-be doesn’t feel comfortable opening gifts in public, you can have a display shower. In that case, ask your guests to wrap the gifts in clear wrapping paper or to bring them unwrapped.
Choose a thoughtful parting gift to thank your guests for attending and supporting the mother-to-be. You can choose a simple item that goes along with your theme. Think about what your guests would like and get a gift that reminds them of this special day.
Your guests will appreciate getting a thank-you card in the mail. It helps to personalize the card based on the person and what gift they purchased.
Planning a Baby Shower Timeline
If the mother-to-be has asked you to plan her baby shower, you may want to start about two and a half months before the event itself. Follow this timeline to keep track of everything you need to do:
About two and a half months before the shower, take care of these items:
Set a budget: After going over the initial details with the mother-to-be, create a realistic budget of how much you’re willing to spend. Set a budget as soon as possible to know where you can save and where you can splurge.
Book your reservation at Colonial Golf and Tennis Club: After you research baby shower venues in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and decide on Colonial Golf and Tennis Club, schedule your reservation to make sure we have the date available. Since we want to give you the best experience and care possible, we only book one party at a time.
Create a guest list: Consult with the mother-to-be about who to invite to the baby shower. At the top of the list will likely be family members and close friends, but she may also want to include co-workers or neighbors. It helps to make a list of everyone she wants at the shower before sending out the invitations.
About a month after setting up the initial details, you’ll want to have these items completed on your to-do list:
Send out the invitations: Six weeks is plenty of time for guests to receive their invitations so they can save the date, RSVP and shop for gifts. You can send a virtual invitation for a casual gathering or a paper invitation for a formal shower.
Plan your catering menu: When you book a reservation with us at Colonial Golf and Tennis Club, we’ll create a customizable menu filled with dishes that feature our locally sourced ingredients. Think about what kind of food the guest of honor would enjoy, or plan cuisine that accommodates your theme.
Get the decorations: Let us know what decorations you need to use that we have on hand. You may also want to purchase or make your decorations to fit your unique theme.
A few weeks after sending out invitations and getting the decorations, you can take care of the following items:
Figure out what games to play: Usually, baby showers include a few themed party games. Figure out what kind of games the mother-to-be would enjoy and tie them into your party timeline.
Ask for help: Since the day of the shower features a lot of little details, you may want to ask for help from your friends and family. Delegate tasks such as coming up with games, creating favors and purchasing decorations.
Hire a photographer: If the budget allows, you may want to book a photographer to capture the memories so you can focus on the party and have fun. Book a professional photographer a month before the party so they can fit you into their schedule. If you have a limited budget, you can also ask one of your friends or family members to take pictures for you.
A few weeks before the shower, get these last-minute details taken care of so you can deal with any unexpected obstacles:
Reach out to guests who haven’t responded yet: You’ll want to get a final headcount of your party two weeks before the party. Follow up with anyone you haven’t heard from to remind them to RSVP and let you know whether they’ll attend the party. Then, you can let our staff know how many people you expect to be at your shower so we can provide enough food and seating.
Prepare your party favors: After you’ve figured out what you want to give as favors, order the gifts or make them ahead of time so you can focus on the last-minute details of the shower.
On the day of the party, remember to do the following:
Show up a few hours early: Arrive at the shower venue a few hours before the event starts so you can set up the decorations and make sure everything goes according to plan. You may want to enlist other people to help if you need to decorate or set up a table for favors.
Enjoy yourself: After months of planning for the big day, it’s finally time to have fun and enjoy the party with your friends, family and the guest of honor. You can let our staff handle the rest of the details while you relax and enjoy our delicious food and beautiful scenery.
Contact Catering Director Online
Contact Colonial Golf And Tennis
If you’re looking for a wonderful venue in beautiful Central Pennsylvania to host a baby shower, please consider Colonial Golf and Tennis Club. We know that our gorgeous spaces, excellent customer service and delicious catering options will help you throw a baby shower that the mother-to-be will never forget. You can fill out our contact form today to schedule a tour or check our availability.