Organising a baby shower
Creative baby shower ideas
A baby shower is all about the mum-to-be. Traditionally, the people closest to the parents-to-be take on the important task of organising a baby shower. Family and friends will take care of the planning. The parents-to-be can also get help out with planning a baby shower. However, the mum-to-be shouldn’t take on too many tasks as it is her special day.
We will explain below what you need to keep in mind if you want to organise an unforgettable baby shower. To help you keep track of everything, we've also put together a helpful baby shower checklist to help you organise a wonderful baby shower:
Stay organised with our helpful baby shower checklist
When should you organise a baby shower?
A baby shower is traditionally celebrated on or after the 25th week of pregnancy. By this time, the mother-to-be is two-thirds of the way through her pregnancy and there is still enough time before her due date.
You will need around 2 months to organise a baby shower. This will give you enough time to come up with ideas and prepare, but also to invite guests and find the right gift.
Choosing a location for your baby shower
Choosing the perfect location depends on whether the baby shower is meant to be a surprise. If the mum-to-be knows about the party, then the easiest place to throw a baby shower would be at her home, as she would not have to travel or pack up all the gifts and take them back with her.
It is best to prepare as much as possible in advance at home, such as the food and decorations as well as everything you will need for your baby shower games. On the day you will only need to set everything up and add the finishing touches. When getting everything ready, you can surprise the mum-to-be.
If the mum-to-be’s house is not big enough to host a party, then a nearby friend’s house would be a great alternative. Alternatively, you can host your baby shower in a local café or restaurant.
How much should you set aside for a baby shower?
Before you start any preparations, you need to set a budget for your baby shower. Your budget will determine how big the party will be and whether you can rent a venue. You could also organise a baby shower as a gift for the mum-to-be. If everyone agrees, then you could share the costs of a baby shower amongst the guests. It is a good idea to start talking about this with the other guests as soon as possible.
Baby shower invitations
Once you have a guest list for your baby shower, make sure you include details such as home address or email address. If you send out email invitations, then leave a space on your list to make a note of who is coming.
While emails are a practical way to send out baby shower invitations, they aren’t as special as homemade invitations. There are many design options for homemade invitations. If you would like a baby themed invitation, you could cut out some baby socks or a baby bodysuit using coloured paper and then simply decorate it with coloured pens and write your message on the back.
Include the following information on your invitations:
Date and location of your baby shower
What time will it start
The theme of the event (summer party, pink, etc.)
Request an RSVP and give a cancellation date
Link to your gift list
List of items to bring
Contact information from the organiser
What should you wear to a baby shower?
Unlike a wedding, a baby shower does not have a formal dress code. However, it is a special celebration and it is nice to dress up accordingly. Bright colours and some stylish accessories would be a perfect choice for a baby shower outfit. If you already know the gender of the baby or the colour theme for the baby shower, you can use these colours as a guide. For the mum-to-be, there is a wide selection of amazing maternity wear to choose from that is suitable for all occasions.
Surprise the guest of honour with a homemade wreath with colourful wildflowers, which is a fabulous decoration for any baby shower.
More creative baby shower ideas
The easiest way to organise a baby shower is to decide on a theme and then base everything around it. If the decorations, food, and games all match, this will add a professional touch to your baby shower. We have lots more information and inspiration on decorations, party food and great baby shower games.
Guest book
A guest book is a great idea for your baby shower, as you can look back on all the wonderful memories time and time again. You can individually design the guest book depending on how many people will be attending your baby shower. Generally, baby showers tend to be smaller, with around 6 to 15 guests.
Below, you will find step-by-step instructions on how to create a fingerprint guest book:
Depending on the number of guests, you should use an A5 or A4 sheet of paper.
Paint or print out a picture in advance. A great example would be a picture of a rabbit or a bear holding some balloons.
The balloons themselves are designed from the guests' fingerprints using watercolours or a stamp pad.
This baby shower guest book can also be put into a photo frame and then hung up on a wall.
Alternatively, you can buy a small, white baby bodysuit and let the guests decorate it with their best wishes, messages, and names. The baby bodysuit guest book would also look fantastic framed on a wall. If you choose a larger bodysuit, then the baby can even wear this guest book later as an outfit.
Baby shower favours
It is traditional to give the guests at a baby shower a small gift to take home. Small sweets and a little gift are perfect for a baby shower.
A great way to wrap the baby shower favours is to use empty baby food jars. After thoroughly washing them out and leaving them to dry, fill the jars with pink and white chocolate chips and decorate them with bows and ribbons. Nail polish is another great gift idea. You could match the colours of the party theme or the gender of the baby.
Taking photos to remember this special occasion
A baby shower is a special occasion, and you will want to remember it for many years to come. You could set up a photo booth in the corner with lots of props where the guests can take lots of photos. For example, you could add some balloons and ask guests to take a ‘pregnancy picture’ of themselves. Alternatively, you could add some sunglasses, feather boas, and various hats, so your guests can get creative and take some fun photos. With an instant camera, you can give your guests the best snapshots to take home.
Create a group chat to organise your baby shower. Here you can easily keep in touch, send updates and divide up the tasks. After the organising everything, you can add the mum-to-be to the group and use it to share your photos from the baby shower. A photo book with a collection of the best photos from a baby shower also makes a great gift for a newborn.
Conclusion: ideas for planning a baby shower
A baby shower is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the last few weeks of pregnancy and to look forward to the arrival of your baby. To ensure that your baby shower planning runs smoothly, you should start collecting ideas and get everything ready in good time. Family and friends can also get together to help you organise a baby shower. This way, you can divide up the tasks and decide on a budget. You can also use our handy baby shower checklist to keep track of everything you will need in order to organise an unforgettable baby shower.
Download our helpful baby shower checklist
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The image sources in this text are in chronological order:
Cover photo: iStock.com/Zinkevych
1. Image in text: iStock.com/jacoblund
2. Image in text: gpointstudio – stock.adobe.com
3. – 5. Images in text: C&A
6. Image in text: Natalie – stock.adobe.com