Inside: Hosting a baby shower? Follow this baby shower planning checklist to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Congratulations, you’re having a…baby shower!
Really, it’s an honor to be able to love on an expecting mama in this way. But, yikes! Hosting a baby shower can be a HUGE undertaking.
I’ve planned SO many baby showers, and between the activities and the food and mingling with different groups of guests, it was a lot of work – a labor of love, you might call it.
Between the planning and the set up and the packing up the leftover food and carrying gifts to the car to shuttle back home…well, you get the idea.
Not gonna lie, I was pretty tired when it was finally all over and cleaned up.
Anything you can do to make planning a baby shower easier, do it!
And that includes following this step by step guide to make sure the planning process goes as smoothly as possible.
(And if you want one word of advice: simply everything, and I mean everything. You don’t need as much food as you think you do, or as many activities as you think you do, and so on.)
Baby Shower Planning Guide – Step by Step
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If you’re not quite sure where to start, this baby shower planning checklist is the guide you need to get the ball rolling.
We’ll keep you on track with an organized list of all the to-do’s you’ll want to consider as you approach the party date.
1. Meet up with the mom-to-be to discuss the details.
Don’t just assume you know what she wants – ask the mom-to-be her preferences for her shower.
She’s doing the hard work of growing a baby, so it’s true you want her to just sit back and reap the benefits of your hard work. However, be sure to make it all about her!
You can actually use this list for talking points. Her input is key, so make sure she feels like she has a say in the look and feel of the event.
Not only that — you want to discuss important things like food allergies or sensitivities.
Does she prefer a small casual gathering in a home, or a more formal setting with a venue?
Does she love baby shower games or hate them (you either love ’em or hate ’em)? And if she does, be prepared with other baby shower activities besides games.
Or, you might find she’s very hands-off and isn’t overly concerned with details; that’s cool too!
But you won’t know until you ask.
2. Double and triple check the date.
I have planned several fundraising events over the years, and you wouldn’t believe how many times we booked our event on a less-than-optimal day for everyone involved!
What I mean is this: coordinate your calendar with the expecting mom and make sure there are no birthdays, kids’ sports events or other big community events that might conflict.
You want to make sure that as many people as possible can attend the shower without having to choose between too many other options. For example: big festivals in your town that everyone usually attends.
If you’re renting a venue, this becomes even more important. Which leads us to our next item:
3. Scope out potential venues right away.
Even if you’re just renting a small party room at a hotel, those rooms can be booked far in advance.
If your schedules are pretty flexible, you might consider a weeknight evening for better availability and pricing.
If you’re renting a space you haven’t seen before, it’s always smart to schedule a visit and make sure it will work for your needs.
4. Have a backup venue for outdoor locales.
If you’re planning on having the shower outdoors- in your backyard, or at a park — you’ll of course want to have a nearby indoor location as a backup plan for bad weather.
Most guests will appreciate knowing at least a day in advance if the location is going to change. So, decide how you (or the mom-of-honor) will quickly get in touch with all the guests.
Also, know that even for park settings, you may need to reserve gazebo areas or risk having to share the space with everyone else enjoying the park that day!
5. Decide on a theme and/or color scheme.
This is where Pinterest comes in really handy!
Browse allll the ideas, and send a few of your favorite themes to the expecting mama. She may already have some ideas in mind, so don’t leave her out of the loop.
Once you have your theme decided, you will be able to choose coordinating invites, decorations, and food.
6. Create and send invites.
For physical invitations, generally anywhere from 4-8 weeks is when you want to mail the invitations.
This will depend on how many guests you’re inviting (for planning purposes), and how many might be traveling a long distance.
If the mom you’re showering is pretty laid-back (or it’s a small gathering), she might be just fine with e-invites. I really enjoy the invites from Punchbowl.
Many electronic invites allow you to set automatic reminders and link to gift registries. Guests can message you back with RSVPs or any questions they might have.
You’ll just need to gather emails OR phone numbers for all the guests.
If you’d rather create your own paper-and-envelope invites, take a look at Canva for pre-made templates that can help you create beautiful designs for free.
From there, you can order the invites from Canva directly, or send them to a printing service of your choice.
7. Choose or order the cake (or other food items).
Along with the venue, you need to allow ample time for any baby shower food you’re not making yourself.
For cakes and cupcakes, this especially applies to small bakeries. Larger grocery store bakeries may have quicker turnaround times.
I usually try to check on these items around the same time I’m sending the invites, so 4-8 weeks in advance. Rather than waiting on RSVP’s, it’s a good idea to plan on a specific number of guests and go ahead and place the order early, if possible.
Pro tip: cake and most food items can be frozen for later, if you end up with a lot of leftovers!
If you are having a bigger event with catered food, you’ll want to contact caterers even earlier than ordering bakery items.
Related: Unique Baby Shower Cupcake Ideas to Go with Every Theme
8. Make or buy decorations.
For those of the crafty persuasion, creating decor for a baby shower might make your heart sing. (For others, not so much.)
In this post, we include some budget-friendly ideas for simple baby shower decor. Take a look!
Whether you’re planning a big gathering or an intimate family get-together, you want to at least have an idea of:
- What you need to buy
- What you’re going to make
- Where and how you plan to display everything.
Pro tip: If decorations really overwhelm you, recruit a creative friend to help. Or, see if you can borrow or repurpose decor you already have around your home (wreaths, wooden signs, etc).
Another idea: ask the expecting parents if they would like to display their own baby photos (or the new baby’s sonogram photos) at the party. Framed photos are a sweet touch that can double as party decor.
9. Choose games or prizes.
This can be another tricky part of planning a baby shower, but we’ve got you covered with tons of ideas:
- Baby Shower Games That Aren’t Lame
- Free Printable Baby Shower Bingo Prizes
- 50 Baby Shower Trivia Questions
- 31 Baby Shower Game Gift Ideas
Or, if you want to forgo games completely (I totally get it) — we also have ideas for what to do at a baby shower besides games.
10. Designate a photographer.
You don’t need a professional photographer, of course, but while keeping the shower moving along, you may forget to take photos yourself.
See if a mutual friend or relative of the expecting mom would like to be in charge of taking photos. Even older kids attending the party can be helpful with this!
A photo booth with fun props is another way to get some great candid photos, and guests can use their own phones for those.
11. Decide how to document gifts.
Whether it’s a simple notebook, or you plan to photograph each gift with a memo in your phone – you’ll want to record who brought what, for thank-you notes later on.
At one baby shower, I even witnessed a host who discreetly wrote out the thank-you cards as gifts were opened, to make this task even simpler for the new (tired) mom!
She filled out the basic details and left room for more personal notes from the mom, below (this is optional). So clever!
Suggested “Day Of” Baby Shower Schedule
If you’ve made it through all the items above on this baby shower planning checklist, you’re on your way to hosting a fantastic, thoughtful baby shower for your friend or loved one.
Here’s a quick to-do list to check off on the day of the shower:
*Be sure to recruit setup help ahead of time, if you need it!
- 3+ hours prior, arrange:
- Fresh flowers in water
- Party decor
- Tables and chairs
- Plates, cups, utensils
- Game and gift supplies (Gift table, paper, pens, prizes etc).
- Homemade food items (finish preparing any food, keeping warm in crockpots or refrigerating if necessary.)
Or, if renting a venue, have all of these items organized & ready to go in the vehicle so you can quickly set up upon arrival.
- 2-3 hours prior:
- Finish assembling any fruit or veggie trays and cover with plastic wrap.
- Make tea / punch / other beverages, refrigerate.
- Make sure any catered food has arrived or is picked up.
- 1-2 hours prior: If cake or cupcakes are refrigerated, set out to allow it to come to room temp (and allow easier cutting)
- 1 hour before:
- Set out refrigerated desserts or appetizers.
- Reheat any premade food or catering trays if needed; cover with foil.
- Just before shower: Set out ice and beverages.
- As guests arrive:
- Direct them where to place coats/bags, gifts; where to sit
- Assign volunteers for help with food, games, photography, or gifts.
And a few last reminders during the party:
- Put your social hat on! Do everything you can to make guests feel comfortable, especially those who don’t know each other well.
- Spoil the mama! Make sure she gets a comfy chair, and bring her food and drinks.
- Bring the gifts TO mom, so she doesn’t have to get up and pick them up from the table. (I goofed on this one time, and we all realized halfway through that our very-pregnant friend had gotten up a dozen times to grab the next gift. Oops!)
- Enjoy yourself! It’s true there is a lot to do even during the shower, but don’t forget to have fun and focus on the celebration of a new little life.
Now, let the planning begin, with more confidence and (hopefully) less stress than you anticipated!
Read Next: How to Throw a Baby Shower on a Budget (5 Genius Ways to Save)
Brandi is a mom of four who can usually be found in the kitchen, the garden, or under a pile of laundry somewhere. She writes about faith, family and homemaking at Chicken Scratch Diaries. You can catch her most recent posts on Pinterest.