Are you pregnant or planning a baby shower? This post contains everything you need to know about baby shower essentials!
There is so much joy and love surrounding a new baby and baby showers for the firstborn are always a blast. Unlike with a bridal shower, watching an expectant mother opening her gifts is one of the highlights of baby shower in my opinion. The tiny clothes and all the cute little odds and ends are precious and have a way of bringing about some baby fever too.
But if you are the one planning the baby shower, there are some very important baby shower essentials that you need to consider. In this post you will learn all about baby shower themes, baby shower decorations, baby shower games, baby shower food, baby shower favors, baby shower gifts and so much more!
After reading through this post, you will feel more comfortable and confident to start planning the baby shower!
And just for fun, I will share some pictures from my baby shower along the way! I helped to plan the event so I was involved in every last detail and loved seeing examples of things like baby shower decorations and baby shower favors.
This post is all about the 17+ baby shower essentials you need to have in 2021.
Baby Shower Essentials List
1. Create a Guest List
This is an important first step because the number of people you have helps determine which venue you can book. Whether it will be a small, intimate gathering or a bigger crowd, creating a guest list is necessary when starting out.
2. Pick a Date
Usually baby showers are scheduled for around the 7 month mark. I recommend discussing the date with your family and/or close friends that you really want to attend because it is always possible that someone has a prior commitment.
When selecting a date and moving onto #3 below, I also recommend being flexible and having a few back up dates that would also work. When planning anything, it is possible that the location you fall in love with cannot accommodate you on a certain date.
3. Decide on a Budget
Knowing how much you are willing to spend will help you in all aspects of planning a baby shower. Not only will you need to spend money on a venue but you will need to buy decorations, favors, food (if you are not hosting it at a restaurant) and all the little things that come up along the way.
4. Pick a location
Unless you already have a place in mind, this will require a little research. Baby showers can be hosted at a variety of locations – a restaurant, hall, outside or even in a family member’s house. The options really are endless and it is ultimately up to you to decide what you would like most.
This step requires a little research to be done but is one of the initial baby shower essentials that needs to be done. More likely than not, you will also have to put down a deposit on the location that you choose so keep that in mind too.
5. Pick a Theme
Now comes the fun part: picking out a baby shower theme!
There are sooo many options out there for baby shower themes and you can find tons of inspiration on Pinterest too. You might already know what you want or perhaps you do not know where to start. Either way, this is the fun part of planning a baby shower!
Examples of Popular Baby Shower Themes:
- Twinkle Twinke Little Star
- Animal
- Jungle
- Floral
- “Baybee”
- Nautical
- Little cutie (with little oranges)
- Taco Bouta Baby (taco inspired)
- Trucks/Trains
- Rainbow
- Winnie the Pooh
6. Start a Baby Registry
This is where the real fun starts 🙂 Regardless of if you are family/friends planning the baby shower or the one who is pregnant, this is one of the TOP baby shower essentials!
Just like a bridal registry, this is the time to select everything you want for the baby and takes the guesswork out of it for the guests. People love buying baby shower gifts so do not hold back!
I recommend registering for about 2-3 items per person invited. It is common to register at one or two places and most stores will give the expectant mother a discount when purchasing anything after the baby shower that was not bought.
Popular places to do a baby registry include: Target, Walmart, Amazon, Buy Buy Baby. You can also opt for an all-in-one option that BabyList offers too.
Related: 37 Baby Essentials You Need In the First 3 Months
7. Create Baby Shower Invitations
There are so many places to make baby shower invitations but I am always a big fan of Shutterfly or Tiny Prints. There is usually a sale and shipping is usually really quick!
I recommend ordering the baby shower invitations approximately 9-10 weeks before the event. You want to mail them about six weeks before the baby shower so this gives you plenty of time to create the invitation, get them shipped, address the envelopes and get them to the post office.
Make sure you know where the expectant mom is registered so you can include it in on the invitations!
We made the baby shower invitations for my big day on Tiny Prints. I knew I was having a boy but kept coming back to baby shower invitation ideas that were very simple and this is what I ultimately decided on!
8. Decide on Baby Shower Food
This really depends on the location you have chosen. If the baby shower is being held at a restaurant, the event coordinator will give you options to choose from and may even help you create a mini menu for the day of. But if you are hosting the baby shower at a house or outside at a park, you may need to hire a caterer. It is totally doable but will involve more time and research.
At my baby shower, we were able to create a mini menu that guests could order off of. It was so much fun and the everyone loved the baby shower food!
9. Order Cake
Cake is one of the baby shower essentials – am I right?!
If it is not cake, then some sort of dessert like cupcakes or another baked good would be appropriate. If you are hosting the baby shower at a restaurant, check what kind of desserts they may be able to offer you. Otherwise, a local bakery can do a wonderful job!
10. Buy Baby Shower Decorations
The options are endless! Things to think about include balloons, centerpieces, onesies on a clothesline, a welcome sign, pink or blue necklaces for people to wear and so many others. You may also consider something special to put on the mom-to-be’s chair.
11. Choose 2-3 Baby Shower Games
Most baby showers include two to three fun games or activities for guests to play while they are there. Depending on the game, it may be something that is ongoing during the baby shower or something that is easy to play before or after they eat
Popular Baby Shower Games Include:
- Pacifier hunt
- Baby registry bingo
- Don’t say the word “baby”
- Wishes for the Parents to Be
- Who Knows Mommy Best?
- Baby Bingo
- What’s in your purse?
- Diaper raffle
One of my favorite “games” was a baby shower diaper raffle. The guests received this card with their baby shower invitation, brought a pack of diapers in any size and brand (I was not loyal to a specific brand yet) and they were entered into a drawing for a basket of goodies.
12. Order Baby Shower Favors
This is one of the baby shower essentials but for some reason can be so hard to decide on. I always recommend something practical but fun and not too expensive, especially if you have a bigger guest list. You can also keep your theme in mind when selecting a favor but that should not restrict you in any way.
One other nice touch is purchasing cute stickers or cards from Etsy to attach to the favor to thank the guests.
Some examples of baby shower favors with cute sayings on them:
- Mini champagne bottles – “Pop it when she pops”
- Mini succulents – “Love makes little things grow” or “Watch me grow”
- Small bag of popcorn – “Popping with excitement”
- Bath bomb – “Girls/Boys are the bomb”
- Cake pops – “Hugs and kisses – thanks for the baby wishes”
Here is an example of my baby shower favors. We had a local bakery make the cake pops and I bought these personalized tags from Etsy.
13. Finalize the Guest List
This is the time to get a final headcount for the big day and follow up with anyone who has not RSVP’d yet. Your location will most likely be looking for a final number so they know how many places to set and know what to expect on the day of.
14. Confirm Everything
Finalize everything with your vendors – Confirm guest count, any catering/bakery or balloon orders, pick up times, payments, special requests and anything else that needs to be taken care of.
15. Gather All Items You Will Need
A few days before the baby shower, gather all of your decorations, favors, etc in one place. This will make the day of the baby shower feel so much more organized and less stressful.
16. Arrive Early and Set Up
Plan to arrive early to set up the decorations, put out the food and get ready yourself. You will feel so much better to get everything set up well before any guests start to arrive.
17. Take Pictures of the Location
All of your hard work has paid off! Take a few minutes to take pictures of the location all set up and decorated before the guests arrive. The mom to be will be really happy you did too!
Here are a few pictures from my baby shower! We had a nautical theme but kept it very simple.
18. Enjoy!!
Throwing a party like this takes a lot of work and can be overwhelming at times – there are a lot of baby shower essentials to remember – but now is the time to finally enjoy yourself!
Recap of Baby Shower Essentials:
- Create a Guest List
- Pick a Date
- Decide on a Budget
- Pick a Location
- Pick a Theme
- Start the Baby Registry
- Create Baby Shower Invitations
- Decide on Baby Shower Food
- Order Cake
- Buy Baby Shower Decorations
- Choose 2-3 Baby Shower Games
- Order Baby Shower Favors
- Finalize the Guest List
- Confirm Everything
- Gather All Items You Will Need
- Arrive Early and Set Up
- Take Pictures of the Location
- Enjoy!
This post is all about the 17+ baby shower essentials you need to have in 2021.