Yay! Your best friend in the whole world is having a baby. And you’ve been tasked with arranging the baby shower. But what’s next? If you don’t have a clue where to start, read on to find out the answers to all the big questions. These baby shower basics should set you up to host the best shower ever.
Who plans the baby shower?
It’s up to you whether you keep the baby shower plans a secret from the mum-to-be or if you want to get her involved in the planning. Does she like surprises or is she more of a planner? If she’s the latter it might be a good idea to keep her in the know, as the last thing you want to do is stress her out! On the other hand if she loves surprises and has enough on her plate, leave her to relax and keep all of the details a secret. Get a couple of her other close friends involved to help with the planning too – planning any party is much more fun with a bit of help.
When should the baby shower happen?
You can of course throw a baby shower at any point in the pregnancy, but we think the perfect time is around the 7 month mark. It’s super exciting because it’s almost time for the baby to arrive, but it’s also great for mum to have something fun to look forward to, as the last weeks can start to drag. Plus she’ll have a lovely big bump, so it’ll all be feeling very real.
Who should be invited to the baby shower?
You should be inviting all of the mum-to-be’s close friends to her baby shower and of course any family she’d really like to see. In fact, if you’re only going to involve her in one aspect of the shower, it should be the guest list. You don’t want to forget about her favourite workmate or beloved auntie.
Baby showers are traditionally a chance for the women in the new mum’s life to get together and celebrate, but if you want to involve the dad, go for it. It is after all his baby too! Mixed baby showers are becoming more popular, so if you want to invite the dad and his friends there’s nothing stopping you – just check with your friend if she likes the idea. Mixed showers work really well when you keep things casual – get everyone together in a garden with a BBQ and you’re sorted.
What kind of invitations should I send?
You’ve got a few options with your baby shower invitations. If you’re keeping things super casual it’s totally acceptable to send an email invite. You could even use Paperless Post and upgrade your email with one of their beautifully designed e-invitations. For a special touch it’s nice to go for printed baby shower invites, these will feel more formal and the mum-to-be will be really excited when one shows up on her doormat.
If you’re keen to save money there are plenty of ready-to-print designs that you can add your own details to. Or you can make your own from scratch – if it’s going to be a small group it won’t take you long to put together a few handmade invitations and everyone will appreciate the effort you’ve gone to. Send these out 6 weeks before the big day so her friends have time to make plans, RSVP, and arrange babysitters if necessary.
Where should we hold the baby shower?
It depends how many people you’re inviting, if the guest list is over 30 then you might need to look into hiring a venue. Most baby showers tend to be a smaller, more manageable group, so it’s best (and cheapest) to host it in a house. As the organiser it will fall to you to offer to host, but if you don’t have the space you can ask another friend if they would mind. It’s also perfectly acceptable to ask the mum-to-be if you can host the baby shower at her home, just make sure you get her out of the house for a few hours beforehand so you can set up. Send her out for a mani/pedi while you hang your baby bunting. Then make sure you stick around for the clean-up afterwards so she can put her feet up.
What should we do at the baby shower?
Play games! There are so many brilliant baby shower game options out there and they really are the best way to bond and have fun. We love the old favourites like ‘guess the bump size’ – all you need for that are string, some scissors, and a bump. Buy a bundle of babygrows and material pens and have everyone decorate them for the baby, then get mum-to-be to pick her favourite. It’s a nice touch to have some prizes for the winners – they only have to be little things like stickers and sweets.
Depending on what the mum-to-be has requested gift-wise, she might spend time opening presents too. Then just factor in lots of time for chatting, laughing and getting excited for the baby’s arrival.
How much is the baby shower going to cost?
It doesn’t have to cost a bomb. There are plenty of ways to keep baby shower costs down: host the party at home, make your own decorations, and ask everyone to chip in when it comes to the food and drink. Asking friends to bring a dish is the perfect way to save money and cater for everyone.
You won’t need to spend a lot on drink – since the baby mama can’t partake, baby showers tend to be mostly alcohol-free occasions. Although a little champagne toast among the rest of you is definitely okay – just make sure you have a delicious non-alcoholic option for your bezzie.
If you’re looking for an easy, stress-free way to organise a baby shower, setting up a patchwork will take the hassle out of it for you. You can show everyone the plan with beautiful images and your own descriptions, and ask everyone to chip in towards the shower with their time, money, or skills. You could ask granny-to-be to bring a cake, ask your friends to prepare some sandwiches, and get another mate on bunting-making duty. And if you need to ask for a cash contribution towards the day, include that in the patchwork too. Then you can collect the money for the bits and bobs you need, and easily keep track of who’s doing what in your account. It couldn’t be easier.
Customise our template baby shower patchwork or make your own from scratch.