Baby shower events have been in existence for a long time. Many cultures celebrate expectant mothers by giving them advice and gifts for the baby. In the current society, a baby shower is an often elaborately organized event. The planning process may involve event-planning professionals, the parents-to-be, or close friends and relatives. You can plan the party with the mother-to-be or surprise her with one.
If you have to host this event, the best way to make it successful is to plan it in advance. Successful planning involves organizing the event, sending invitations, and consulting professionals. A baby shower checklist is one of the essential tools to ensure your planning runs smoothly.
A checklist lists items and activities you need to conduct and follow up on when planning an event. For baby showers, checklists help ensure you conduct the event efficiently. They can be used as reminders for events, items you need to buy, the tools and materials you need, and information you need to inquire about. As a host, you may find it challenging to organize the baby shower because of all the activities involved.
This article provides a guide to what you need to consider to make the baby shower successful. It discusses why you need a checklist, how to plan the baby shower and tips on using a template to create a practical checklist.
Free Templates
Given below are baby shower checklist templates:
Why Should You Use a Baby Shower Checklist?
Recently, baby showers have been diversified from the usual in-person gatherings to hybrid and virtual showers and small and large events. To ensure you plan your shower effectively, you should use a checklist. The checklist helps you understand what tasks you need to accomplish. You can use the checklist to select games you will play, themes to deploy, and even decorations that will be used at the event.
A checklist will also help you stay organized; you can use it to select an order of tasks during the planning and on the actual day of the event. Using the checklist, you can schedule when to meet with other participants, set the date to send invitations, and set the date to follow up on RSVPs. Overall, a good checklist can reduce the stress of organizing such an event.
How to Plan a Baby Shower: A Complete Checklist
Planning a baby shower can be challenging and time-consuming. To ease the planning process, you can use a checklist to create a schedule for the days leading to the main event.
The checklist below would be an excellent place to start:
6 to 8 weeks before
At least two months before the baby shower, you should begin planning. This period is the most preferred as it allows you to select the theme and consult the expectant mother on her tastes and dates.
The events below should be organized six to eight weeks before the shower:
- Decide on the budget: Your budget for the baby shower is determined by various factors, including; whether you will be requesting the invitees to contribute and the type of event, whether virtual or hybrid. Once you determine the budget, you can decide the number of people you will invite, the decorations, and even the event’s timing.
- Select a date and time: Once you have a budget, you can select a date and time. Most baby showers are held at least a month before the expectant mother’s delivery due date. By this time, you may start a registry based on the child’s gender. You can also give the mother time to rest before delivery.
- Choose a venue: Baby showers can be hosted anywhere, at a resort, hotel, park, or the host’s home selected by the host or expectant mother. It is essential to ensure the venue is suitable and accessible to the guests. You should also consider whether the venue is within your budget for the event.
- Create a guest list with RSVP: You should consult the expectant mother on the number of guests to invite. Your list should include the guests’ names, addresses, and an RSVP section where you will record the guests that respond to your invitation.
- Select a theme: The theme you select should reflect the expectant mother’s preferences and be a theme you can fully accommodate in your budget. One of the excellent ways to choose a theme is to create a list of ideas and allow the mother to select one. Some theme ideas include; rubber duck, dinosaur, mustache, cowboy, bee, mermaid, balloon, lush & luxe, and high tea themes.
- Consult the baby shower registry: If the pregnant mother has a registry, it is advisable to include it in the invitation so the guests can select what to bring as gifts. The registry will also help guests with ideas on gifts to get the mother-to-be.
- Prepare the invitations: As the host, you may design the invitations, hire a graphic designer, consult online sites, or use your preferred designs. You can also utilize technology by building a website and sharing the link with guests or creating a Facebook event and updating the guests on the baby shower events.
Five weeks before
At this time, you have already decided on a budget and theme. You can now select foods, decorations, and other things you may have to order from professionals, like decorations.
At five weeks, you should do the following:
- Send the invitations: Once you have your list of guests, you can send invites to let them decide whether they will come or not. It will also allow them to take time off work and plan to come to the baby shower.
- Decide on the food: Once you have sent your invites, you can determine a tentative number of guests that will come. With this number in mind and the predetermined budget, you can decide the cake size to order and the type of meal you can serve the guests. For instance, you can start with cupcakes as a snack and determine if you will plan a full meal for the guests afterward. Before you decide on the food, you should inquire whether any of the guests have allergies so you can prepare food that caters to everyone’s needs.
- Plan the decoration: Whether the event is online or in-person, you must plan the decorations you will use. You can select an online theme for virtual events that will match the occasion. You can also choose the decorations based on the theme and size of the venue. Suitable decorations include banners, bouquets, and centerpieces.
Four weeks before
A month before the event, you should focus on activities that will happen on shower day. They include games to be played and RSVP.
Some of the events you will plan include:
- Order baby shower cake: Most bakers require orders to be made with sufficient time for them to bake and deliver. Therefore, making your orders at least a month before the event date is advisable.
- Plan baby shower games: You can select your favorite games for the baby shower event. You can make the games more fun by awarding prizes to winners. Some games you can play include: guess who, find the guest, what am I? baby babble, nursery rhyme quiz, short poot, the baby animal game, and place your bets.
- Music and photography: You may decide to hire an entertainer and photographer to cover the event. Most professionals must be booked ahead of time to avoid last-minute inconveniences. It is also essential to book them early and give theme ideas for what you would want the event to look like.
- Send RSVP reminders: At this point, most guests would have received the invites and had time to consider whether they would attend. You can send reminders to those that have not yet responded to the invitation.
2 weeks before
As the event day comes closer, you must review what you have prepared and make final arrangements. You should ensure all gifts and games are ready for your guests and the expectant mother.
Some of the activities you should be doing two weeks before the shower include:
- Get ordered supplies: Ordered supplies include balloons, tablecloths and decorations, non-perishable food, cutlery, plates, cups, napkins, party favors, and banners. These items will be needed to prepare the venue before the event. You can select a designated area where they will be safe but easily accessible.
- Prepare gifts and favors: You should already have selected party gifts and favours you will use for the event. You can now put the prizes together and store them safely. If you have posted the shower as a Facebook event, you can post pictures of the prizes to give your guests more incentive to attend.
- Housekeeping check: The housekeeping check will generally be to follow up on times and scheduled events. You can follow up on reservations for the venue and check with guests as a final reminder of the event and logistics. If you had arranged for the transportation of the mother-to-be, you should find her arrival time.
2 to 3 days before the event
You should have done most of the planning at this point. You must be left with last-minute activities like setting and shopping for food and bar items.
You should plan for the following:
- Shop for menu and bar items: If you have hired a caterer, you should consult them on items you need to buy. You can purchase drinks for the bar and other menu items.
- Pick food and serving supplies: Food and serving supplies include napkins, cups, and plates. At least three days before the event, you should pick them and store them near the venue. This accessible storage allows for easy preparation at the time of the event.
- Send reminders to helpers: If friends and family have agreed to help you prepare, you should remind them of the expected arrival time. You can also talk to other people involved in the planning, including caterers and decorators.
Day of the baby shower
On the day of the baby shower, the only activity that you need to do is prepare and have fun. The day should move smoothly because all relevant activities have been planned and sorted.
What you need to do on the day includes:
- Assemble food and drink: As part of the preparations, you should assemble food and drink. If you opted for a few drinks on the tables, you should organize them before the guests arrive.
- Designate a place for gifts: Since the guests will be expected to come with gifts, you should designate some space for the gifts at the venue. It is best to use a designated corner so that the center of the room is free for interactions and games.
- Final touches: Once everything is ready, inspect the venue arrangement to ensure nothing is out of place. You should remember the designated seat for the mother-to-be.
Why Should You Use a Template to Create a Baby Shower Checklist?
Checklists are not always complete and accurate, especially if you do not have previous experience with creating one. You can use a template to ensure you have captured all the information and activities you need for your baby shower event. They help you save time because you do not have to start from scratch. Since they are editable, you can save and reuse them the next time you plan a baby shower.
Bottom Line
While baby showers are expected to be fun and engaging, they take a lot of time to prepare. They can be difficult, especially if you have a lot of activities in mind. You can make the planning process easier by having a checklist template. Besides being a reminder of your schedule, a template can also help you track your progress.
You can create one from scratch or download a baby shower template online. Before you execute your plan, you should consult the expectant mother to understand her likes and dislikes. This will help you plan a successful baby shower.