Are you expecting a baby or planning a baby shower? We’ve rounded up some of our favorite ideas for throwing a sentimental and memorable baby shower! We love any kind of celebration and take any opportunity to throw a party! If your friends are planning a celebration for your little one on the way, share these ideas with them or keep them in your back pocket for the next shower you plan for friends or family. We hope this post inspires you to celebrate!

The Basics

First, decide where the party will be held. There are so many options for locations including restaurants, a friend or family member’s home, or an outdoor location. Once the location is decided, ask the mother (or parents-to-be if you’re planning a couple’s shower) to prepare a guest list. Next, decide when to schedule the shower. Most mothers choose a date later in their second trimester or one early in their third trimester. 

One of our favorite parts of planning any party is choosing the invitations! We love beautifully painted cards from Dogwood Hill or Magnolia Boone Paperie. Make sure to include an RSVP to get an accurate headcount for food and drinks. 

Lastly, choose a theme and plan the menu. There are so many creative themes to choose from including ones for baby boys, girls and gender neutral themes. From a “baby on board” beach theme to a classic Peter Rabbit party, choose from a plethora of ideas listed here and here. Plan a menu that coincides with the theme you choose. Tiny tea sandwiches would be perfect for a classic shower, but if you are planning a couple’s shower, you may consider serving BBQ. If you’re hosting a virtual shower, send guests a simple list of ingredients to create a fun beverage ahead of time, and virtually toast when you're all together on camera.

Gifting

Picking out the gift you’re going to give to the mother-to-be is another one of our favorite things to do! As a baby clothing brand, we love precious baby outfits and just released a set of newborn baby gowns and blankets. They make the perfect shower gifts! The sweet print features bonnets, rocking horses, and rattles in both pink and blue painted by Claire of Flower and Vine. Some other gift options include items on her registry, baby carriers, diaper subscriptions, books, stuffed animals, picture frames and keepsake items. 

Set up an area for the mother to sit and open gifts. Decorate it according to the theme you chose. We love how this shower was decorated with Custom Smocked outfits featuring baby’s name! Don’t forget a chair for the mother and a table to display the gifts. Guests will love seeing the precious items for the baby.

Games 

No baby shower is complete without a game to entertain guests and encourage them to mingle. We love a classic guessing game. Ask guests to bring a baby photo of themselves to the party (or have them send it in advance). Pin the photos on a bulletin board and number each photo. Guests will guess which photo belongs to each person. 

Another game to keep guests interested while the mom-to-be is opening gifts is Baby Bingo. Use a template or create your own. Have guests fill in the bingo card squares with gifts they think the mom-to-be will receive. The guests play bingo as she opens her gifts. Whoever wins, gets a prize! 

Sentimental Details

A sweet way to make the shower sentimental is to display photos of the parents-to-be as babies. It’s fun for guests to see the mother and father and imagine how the new baby will look. Another great gift for the parents is to frame an image of the ultrasound and have guests sign the mat for the frame. Once framed, the parents have a sweet memento of their baby’s ultrasound and well wishes from their family and friends.