Baby showers are a great way to celebrate pregnancy with loved ones and build excitement about the miracle of life. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to baby showers. If you’re planning on hosting your own celebration, you have full creative freedom to make it the perfect event for you, your partner, and your guests. You can host your baby shower at any point in your pregnancy and in any location. You can also create your own schedule for the baby shower, offer your favorite snacks, and play whatever music genre you like as your guests socialize with one another. If the idea of hosting a baby shower sounds more stressful than enjoyable, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered in this article, where we will discuss the key steps for hosting the perfect baby shower event.

What is a Baby Shower?

A baby shower is an event hosted by expectant parents at some point during pregnancy. Often, the parents-to-be will host their baby showers toward the latter end of the second trimester or sometime in the third trimester). The purpose of a baby shower is to celebrate the baby and support the expectant parents along their journey to parenthood. Generally, baby showers are intimate and personal. Parents-to-be invite their closest friends and relatives to their homes, where they can spend the day or evening socializing and celebrating together.

Guests to the baby shower usually bring gifts for the expectant parents, such as newborn necessities like baby sleepers, baby clothes, diaper-changing essentials, or baby jewelry. There may be drinks and snacks at a baby shower, depending on how the soon-to-be parents have organized the day. Additionally, there is often music and games to turn the baby shower into an enjoyable and collaborative event for all.

Steps to Host the Perfect Baby Shower

Below, we’ve covered the essential steps to take when hosting the perfect baby shower to celebrate your pregnancy and journey to parenthood.

Determine the Date and Location of Your Baby Shower

The most obvious first step when organizing a baby shower is determining when and where you’d like to host it. Most people choose to host their baby shower in their homes because it’s comfortable and convenient, but you might want to hire a venue if you’ve got a lot of guests.

Liaise with your partner to figure out the best date to host your celebration. Weekends are often a safe choice since most people work standard office hours during the week. However, consider your unique schedules and your guest’s preferences to find a date and time that is most suitable.

Write a Guest List

Next, you need to sit down and think about who you’d like to have at your baby shower. If you want a smaller, more intimate event, you might want to invite your close friends and family only. However, if you want to celebrate in style and make the most of your baby shower, you can invite a wider circle of friends and more distant relatives. The choice is in your hands!

When you’ve created a guest list and chosen your date and location, you can use this free baby shower invitation maker and invite people to your baby shower. Thankfully, the internet has made it quick and simple to invite people to an event. You can create a Facebook event page, send a mass message on Instagram, or text each guest individually.

Plan Themes and Decorations

You don’t necessarily need to create a theme for your baby shower, but you can do if you want to add a personal touch to your event. You might want to choose a blue or pink color scheme if you know the gender of your baby. Alternatively, consider going for a storybook or vintage theme. You could even ask your guests to follow a certain dress code to enhance the theme even further.

You can incorporate your theme into your décor to create a cohesive event. Decorate your home with ribbons, banners, and balloons to make your home look welcoming and inviting. If you know the gender of your baby, consider hanging up a ‘welcome, baby boy’ or ‘welcome, baby girl’ sign. If you are hosting a buffet as part of your baby shower, decorate your dinner table with ribbons, bows, glitter, and a large tablecloth.

Create a Gift Registry

You might feel a little strange and out of place asking your guests for specific gifts, but this is a common aspect of baby showers. As the expectant parent, you can create a gift registry that details all of the things you would love to receive at your event.

You can either include baby gift registry information on your invites or post it on your events page online. If you prefer, you could also share the details of your gift registry with each guest separately.

Build a Welcoming Atmosphere

At the time of your baby shower, make sure to invite every guest with open arms and a smile. Consider offering a drink (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options) or a refreshing snack at the door when each person arrives. Doing so immediately creates a calming atmosphere and makes your guests feel welcome.

When everybody has arrived safely at your baby shower location, raise a toast to you, your partner, your future child, and your guests. Give a small speech to thank your loved ones for being there and supporting you through the exciting journey into parenthood. Ask your guests if they’d like to say a few words, too.

Offer Thank You Cards

Giving each of your attendees a thank you card is a lovely way to end your baby shower. It shows your appreciation for their care and support and gives them something to keep as a memory of the event.

Consider writing each thank you card individually, including names and a personal quote or joke that you know each guest will love. This will make your thank you cards more memorable and unique and will undoubtedly bring a smile to your guest’s faces.