Planning a Baby Shower: A Simple Checklist to Follow

With there being about 2.4 million weddings every year in the U.S. alone, there are also a lot of bridal showers, engagement parties, and even bachelor and bachelorette parties to plan. But because a lot of people put a heavy focus on wedding events, other events, like baby showers, often don’t get the attention they need when it comes time to plan. So if you’ve been given the task of planning a baby shower, we’ve put together a simple checklist for you to follow.

Make the guest list: One of the first things you should do is put together the guest list. Fortunately, the expecting parents usually help put this together so they can know who is going to be invited. You want to make the guest list first because the number of people invited will ultimately determine other factors, like possible baby shower event locations, the amount of food you need, and how many favors you’ll have to get.

Set a budget: Before you start doing anything else, it’s important to determine a budget. A budget for a baby shower may vary depending on what the parents-to-be is looking for. If they want something simple, the budget is going to be lower than if they want something extravagant. Additionally, you should base the budget on how many people are hosting — if it’s just you, you don’t want to have to spend an arm and a leg on the shower.

Book the venue: Once your budget is set and you know how many people are being invited, it’s time to start looking at possible baby shower venues. You want something local and preferably a venue that also does catering so food is one less thing you’ll have to worry about. There are plenty of options for baby shower event locations, like event banquet halls, that can help manage several aspects of the shower, like food and tables.

Decide on decorations: You can’t have a party without having some nice decorations. There are tons of themes to choose from for a baby shower — from “under the sea” to princesses to Disney, you can really have some fun with choosing the theme for the shower. You can consult the parents to see what they’d like or you can keep it a surprise. Either way, it’s important to not leave decorations to the last minute.

Plan the activities: No baby shower is complete without games and activities. Check out some ideas on the Internet for some fun-filled activities to plan for the shower. You may want to keep the ages of the guest in mind when planning activities. Also, it’s a good idea to have a mix of sit-down games and games where you have to get up and moving.

Planning a baby shower can take a lot of work, which is why it’s important to start early. So look at possible baby shower event locations, plan the activities and decorations, and you’ll be well on your way to planning the best baby shower possible.