A baby shower is a sweet way to celebrate your little one on the way with all those closest to you. It's also a fun way to get all the baby essentials you will need thanks to the gifts your guests will buy off your registry (if you plan on making one!).
Anyone in an expectant parent's life can host the baby shower, including friends, relatives, and even partners. Or the parent-to-be can throw it on their own. Either way, with this step-by-step guide for planning a baby shower, you're guaranteed to throw a festive celebration!
Select a Date and Time
Most baby showers are held when the expectant parent is about seven months pregnant—they are well into their pregnancy by then, but they are probably still pretty comfortable. This time frame will also give them plenty of time to organize gifts after the shower and decide what they'll still need to purchase before the little one arrives.
Determine the Guest List and Budget
Come up with a budget. That can be helpful to do after the guest list is narrowed on. This will guide the selection of a venue and food services. "If you have $500 and 10 people, you can probably splurge a bit on the venue and food," says Sabrina Hill, of Everyday Event Planner in Los Gatos, California, and co-author of The Everything Baby Shower Book. "If you have $500 and 50 people, you might need to scale back."
Pick a Venue
Consider the time of year, number of guests, and budget. Hosting a shower in your backyard or living room is intimate, and you won't have to pay a fee to reserve the space. If the guest list is large, or you have a bigger budget, consider a nearby hotel or restaurant. "The setup, catering, and cleanup will be managed by their staff, so the host can sit and enjoy the event," says celebrity party planner Mindy Weiss.
Parks can be a good option if you're hosting a shower in summer or fall—just ask your local parks department whether you need a permit, and make sure to have a backup plan in case it rains.
Send the Invitations
Guests should receive their invites about six weeks before the shower. "That way they'll have plenty of time to reserve the date, RSVP, shop for gifts, and find a babysitter if need be," Weiss explains.
For a casual shower, an email invitation is perfectly fine. If you're hosting a more formal shower, go with a paper invite.
Choose a Theme
Choosing a theme can feel hard to do but there are ways to narrow it down. The theme can be based on the season. For example, if it's a winter baby, the party can be a winter theme. Or opt for the parent-to-be interests. If there's a certain city around the world they love, like Paris, try a French theme. Or if they loved Winnie the Pooh growing up, you may want to stick with that. You can also just go with a color scheme and get decorations that match it.
The options are endless, but you'll want to nail down these details weeks before the shower so you have time to purchase decorations and put in orders for details, such as the flowers, ahead of time.
Plan the Menu
Finalize the menu to mesh with the guest of honor's tastes. If they are craving comfort food, try mini sliders, mini fried chicken, small bowls of potato salad, and mini cupcakes. Expectant parents who are into Mexican cuisine might like tacos, guacamole, salsa, and nonalcoholic margaritas. Keep in mind, though, if the party is taking place at a restaurant, you'll likely have to choose from their options.
Don't forget about dessert. You may want to keep it simple with a cake to serve with coffee and tea or do a dessert display table. Either way, make sure to decide what kind of dessert and flavors you want ahead of time so you can put an order in. If you're hosting the event at a restaurant, ask what their dessert options are or if they work with any vendors.
Come Up With an Agenda
Next up is planning a baby shower timeline. Most showers include games, eating, and drinking. The key is organizing these activities to create a fun flow that keeps guests entertained and engaged.
Give guests 15 to 20 minutes to arrive and offer drinks to people as they come through the door. Once everyone is there, start an activity. You might want to set up a bodysuit-designing station, for example, or have guests add photos and thoughts to a scrapbook for the guest of honor. If you happen to be opening gifts at the event (many people now have them sent to their homes instead), serve food during that time, followed by dessert and coffee.
Include Some Fun Games and Activities
Baby showers usually last between two to four hours. Having games and activities throughout the event can help keep guests entertained. There are ton of different ones to choose from, but here are some popular options you may want to add:
- Guess the number of candies: Get a big baby bottle and add jellybeans or wrapped mini chocolates inside and have guests write down their guess of how many are inside. The winner gets to take it home.
- Diaper raffle: Give a raffle to guests who bring a pack of diapers for the baby-to-be. Whoever wins the raffle at the end of the event gets a gift.
- Onesie decorating station: Have a small section where guests can decorate a baby onesie with markers. If your venue doesn't have space for that, this can also be done wherever guests are sitting.
- Guess the candy bar: Melt different kinds of chocolate bars separately and pour one type in a baby diaper. Label each diaper with a number that matches each specific candy bar. Offer a prize for the person who guesses the most candy bars correctly.
- Wishes for the baby: Have a section where guests can write down wishes for the baby-to-be on paper and hang them on a clothesline. Make it cute by getting paper that fits the baby shower theme.
- Advice cards: Pass around cards where guests can write their best advice for the parent-to-be. These will be fun (and helpful!) for the parent to read before and even after the baby arrives.
- Baby trivia: You can create your own trivia card, or download and print one from the internet. The guest that guesses the most answers correctly wins a prize.
Pick Baby Shower Favors
A parting gift is a simple way to thank your guests for attending, and it doesn't have to be extravagant, Hill says. One approach is to stick to your theme—for example, give iTunes gift cards for a musical theme, and give take-home bags of candy or homemade chocolates for a sugar-and-spice theme.
When considering how to plan a baby shower favor, you should also think about your guests. Other parents might appreciate picture frames, while paperweights are thoughtful if your party is packed with coworkers. Scented soaps, candles, or bath bombs are also crowd-pleasers.
