A baby shower is the ideal way to show love and support to any parents-to-be, as well as providing them with essential items they’ll need when their little one arrives. The modern baby shower we know today originated during the 1950s baby boom, serving as a way to ‘shower’ the pregnant mother-to-be with gifts and emotional support. Nowadays, baby showers are commonly held for any parents expecting a child!
So, whether you’re hosting a baby shower for a single parent, adoptive parents, or anybody else in between, this special occasion should be a time of celebration and warmth. However, planning the perfect shower may feel a little overwhelming with the amount of preparation it can take to fully realize your vision! That’s where we step in. Continue reading to uncover our ultimate “how to plan a baby shower” timeline and checklist. We’ve provided our readers with a handy guide for both the parents and the hosts!
FAQs – Baby Shower Party Planning
Usually, the parents-to-be themselves are not directly involved with the planning of their baby shower – they’re already busy enough! Instead, most baby showers are kindly hosted and organized by family members or close friends.
Typically, baby showers are usually held about two months before the baby is due to arrive; however, this can differ depending on your circumstances. Above all, it’s important to offer the parents-to-be enough time to decorate and prepare their nursery with the lovely gifts they receive at their shower! Make sure to talk with the parents-to-be, taking into account their schedules, desires, and pre-baby plans in order to give them the best experience possible.
Timeline Guide for the Parents
3-4 Months Before Your Baby’s Expected Arrival
The first step for any parents-to-be is, well, deciding if you actually want to have a baby shower! If the answer is yes, now’s the time to begin talking about the topic with your family and friends, to let them know that having this type of celebration is something you’d be interested in.
Next, you’ll need to help create the guest list to ensure that the family member or friend planning the shower knows which people you’d like to invite. Finally, we recommend creating a baby gift registry! This is a sure-fire way to help your guests pick out the perfect gifts for you and your new little one. Trust us, they’ll appreciate it! After all, this might be some of your guests’ first time attending a baby shower, so they may be stumped on what items to give you.
The Day of the Baby Shower
As we discussed before, the planning of the baby shower will be left up to the loved ones graciously hosting the event! So, parents-to-be, now’s the time to simply relax and enjoy this wonderful day that has been lovingly put together for you. After all, you are the guests of the hour!
The Weeks after the Baby Shower
Now that the shower is over, all that’s left on your agenda is to send out some thank you cards, if you’d like to! We’ve got a wonderful selection of baby shower thank you cards to suit everyone’s style and tastes.
Timeline Guide for The Hosts
2-3 Months Before The Baby Shower
Once you’ve decided who will host the baby shower, it’s time to let the planning begin! The first step should always be choosing the date that the shower will take place. Next, a good idea is to set an approximate budget for the shower and the costs it will entail.
After this, it’s time to start venue hunting! With so many venue choices available, it’s key to speak with the parents-to-be in order to find out what venue they would be most comfortable with. Some parents will opt for a casual baby shower hosted at home, some would love brunch in a local café, and some may wish for a larger, more formal venue.
Once you’ve chosen your date and venue, it’s time to start preparing the decorations and stationery supplies for the event. Zazzle is your one-stop-shop for unique and personalized baby shower party supplies, so look no further! Design your own custom baby shower invitations with our easy-to-use design tool, and get ready to impress those guests! Pick out your choice of decorations and game or activity supplies now, too. We like the idea of running a fun diaper raffle, playing baby shower bingo, or passing out some blank advice cards to fill in for the new parents! We also love the idea of designing a special guest book to help commemorate this milestone occasion.
1 Month Before The Baby Shower
About a month before the celebration, it’s good practice to arrange your choice of refreshments. Whether you’ll be enjoying some light bites or a full meal, preparing caterers or shopping lists ahead of time helps avoid any unnecessary stress. Be sure to take into account the foods and drinks favored by the parents-to-be!
After this, send out the physical invitations or digital baby shower invites, and sit tight as your RSVPs roll in.
About 1 Week Before The Baby Shower
Just under a week before the baby shower, it’s now time to finalize the confirmed guest list, which will provide you with an idea of the number of people you are catering for at the event. Once this is done, you can begin to arrange the refreshments and the event space accordingly!
The Day Of The Baby Shower
When the big day has finally arrived, focus on shopping for any last-minute items you’ll need, decorating the venue, setting out any snacks or drinks, and preparing the games or activities your guests will take part in. Also, it’s a good idea to set up a specific table for the many gifts that will be provided to the parents-to-be!
We hope our “how to plan a baby shower” party planning guide has aided you in your pursuit of creating a beautiful, memorable day for the parents-to-be and their loved ones. We truly wish you all the best on this new and exciting journey!
Ella is a content specialist from Cork, Ireland. Her passions include spending time with her two energetic dogs, fashion, photography, and trying new vegan food!
