So someone you know is having a baby? Congratulations! Now you get to have some serious fun, planning their baby shower.
This is a lovely time for all concerned with the excitement of the impending little arrival. Whether you are holding the shower at home, in a cafe, or a restaurant there are plenty of options available to you to help make the gathering really special!
To help you host a memorable, fun and stress-free baby shower we have compiled all our knowledge to give you the ultimate baby shower guide. Follow our easy to do steps and remember we are always here to answer any questions or give more advice on anything party related.
Steps for Planning a Baby Shower
1. Baby Shower Guest List
The first step to planning and hosting a successful and fun baby shower is to make a guest list. Creating a guest list will help you get an idea of how many people will be invited to the baby shower, which will help you figure out what your budget will be and where you would like to hold the gathering. It's always a good idea to find out if the mum-to-be is having other baby showers hosted for her. Talk to the mum-to-be's family members about other shower dates and invite list. Other than family members, you don't need to invite people that are attending the mum-to-be's other showers, unless you want to.
Decide whether to invite babies, children and husbands. Traditionally baby showers have been a “girlie” event, but it all depends on what the mum-to-be would like best. These days baby showers can be for both parents, and are a real family affair.
2. Baby Shower Budget
Figuring out the budget for your shower early will help you determine the location of the shower, its menu, decorations and more. If you have a smaller budget, don't worry - you have options:
If you have a smaller group, your home or someone else's may be a good idea. Location and food are typically the biggest costs so if you're able to host the baby shower at a home you will save a significant portion of your budget that can be reallocated to food, decorations and other fun items.
If you have a large guest list you will probably need to host the shower at a restaurant or other venue. This means you may want to look for co-hosts to share the costs. Good co-hosts can be other close friends of the mum-to-be or her family members. Family members may even just want to contribute money to the event. Once you have a budget you should make a list of all of the baby shower costs.
3. Baby Shower Theme
Choosing a theme will help set the scene for your shower. If you know the sex of the baby, pink or blue is the traditional choice but if not, then minty green or yellow are a good choice. Think about the personality of the mum-to-be and pick something they would enjoy. Have fun with it! If you want a girly themed shower, something similar to the pink themed decorations on the right might do just the trick. If you are setting a theme remember to include instructions, if any, in your invitations as to what you want your guests to do, bring etc.
Here a few of our favourite themes:
- Black and white party theme.
- Black, white and splashes of hot pink or pale blue. Very Parisian chic.
- Rainbow theme. This is great because it is ambiguous and colourful.
- Children's book character theme, like Hungry Caterpillar, Winnie the Pooh, Dr Seuss etc.
- Nursery Rhymes or Fairy Tales
- Cupcake theme.
These are just a few ideas and if you need more inspiration just click here.
4. Baby Shower Date
There are no set rules of when to plan a baby shower although it is wise to hold it in the middle of the pregnancy - four to eight weeks before the baby is due, as opposed to the end in case of early 'arrivals'. This also allows the 'Mum-to-be' to change her gifts or order/purchase anything that she didn't receive on her list.
With the baby's due date in mind decide on a few potential days that you can host the baby shower, we would recommend a Saturday or Sunday. Then it is wise to contact important guests, especially out-of-town family, to make sure they are available on the dates you have in mind. Remember that Friday night and Saturday baby shower parties are usually more expensive than Sundays if you are having it anywhere but at home.
5. Baby Shower Location
The number one rule is to make sure that the baby shower location is large enough for your guest list. No matter whether you're having the baby shower at a home, restaurant, hotel or rented space, make sure everything is planned ahead of time and you'll have a great baby shower!
You'll save a lot of money if you host the baby shower at a home. However, you will need to spend money on things like plates, napkins, cups, eating utensils and possibly table rentals.
If you're hosting the baby shower at a restaurant, start looking for locations early. You will want to call and even visit possible places to make sure they can accommodate your group, work with your theme and serve food that the mum-to-be and your guests will enjoy. Make sure you also consider whether your location will allow you to come in and decorate.
6. Baby Shower Invitations
Ideally, you want to be finalising your guest list about 8 weeks before your baby shower and sending out invitations as soon as you can. By giving your guests lots of notice you might get a better turn out. Receiving an invitation is fun for your guests and gives them a wee taste of what is to come. We love to match our invitations with our theme as there are so many types and styles of invitations so more often than not you will be able to find one that matches your theme.
Top three things to keep in mind when picking and writing your baby shower invitations:
• Do they match your theme?
• Include its location, date, time, your phone number and the RSVP date, we would suggest about seven days before the baby shower.
• Include a map to the baby shower location.
We especially love this Dr Seuss baby shower invitation! After the baby shower you can even thank people for coming with matching Dr Seuss thank you cards and of course have your whole baby shower themed Dr Seuss..too cute.
Lastly before the shower, call any invited guests who have yet to RSVP.