How to Plan a Baby Shower That Everyone Actually Enjoys

The group chat pinged at 8:47am. "Soooo... who is doing Sarah's baby shower?" Silence. Three typing bubbles appeared and disappeared. And then, somehow, your name was volunteered.

If that sounds familiar, congratulations. You have been appointed Chief Shower Planner, a role you did not apply for and cannot resign from. But here is the thing: planning a baby shower does not have to be stressful. It does not require a Pinterest board with 400 pins, a colour-coded spreadsheet, or remortgaging your flat. It just requires a bit of thought, a rough timeline, and the willingness to ignore anyone who says you need matching chair sashes. 🎈

Start Planning About Six Weeks Out

Baby showers traditionally happen around weeks 28 to 34 of pregnancy. Early enough that the mum-to-be can still enjoy herself comfortably, late enough that the nursery list is real and the excitement is properly building.

Six weeks before the date is the sweet spot for starting your planning. That gives you enough time to sort a venue, send invites, and organise food without it taking over your entire life. Two weeks before the date? Stressful. Three months before? You will change your mind about everything twice.

First things first: check with the mum-to-be. Some people want a surprise. Others would rather chew their own arm off than walk into one. Ask early, ask honestly, and respect the answer.

Picking a Theme (Without Losing Your Mind)

You do not need a theme. Let me say that again for the people in the back. You do not need a theme.

But if you want one, keep it simple. The most beautiful baby showers right now lean into soft, nature-inspired palettes: sage greens, warm creams, dried flowers, and natural textures. Think cosy rather than elaborate. A few coordinated touches go much further than an entire room drowning in one colour.

Gender-neutral themes work brilliantly here. Wildflower, woodland, or "little star" themes look gorgeous and avoid the whole "is it a boy or girl?" pressure entirely. Bonus: the decorations double as nursery decor afterwards.

The budget sweet spot for decorations sits around £50 to £80. A balloon garland kit, a personalised banner, and coordinated tableware will make the whole thing look like you hired a stylist. You did not. You just chose three things that matched.

The Guest List: Smaller Is Better

Here is where it gets delicate. The mum-to-be should have the final say on the guest list. Always. Even if her aunt twice removed is absolutely desperate to come.

Smaller, more intimate showers tend to be the ones people actually enjoy. Eight to fifteen guests is the sweet spot. Enough people to create energy, few enough that everyone gets to actually talk to the guest of honour. Nobody wants to sit in a room with thirty people they barely know, playing pass the parcel with a stranger.

And yes, partners are welcome. Co-ed baby showers are properly mainstream now, and they often end up being more relaxed. More of a garden party vibe, less of a forced hen-do energy.

Food That Makes People Genuinely Happy

Afternoon tea is your friend here. Sandwiches, scones, a cake, and plenty of hot drinks. It is easy to prepare, scales well for different group sizes, and nobody has ever been disappointed by a scone.

If afternoon tea feels too traditional, a sharing platter setup works beautifully. Breadsticks and dips, cheese boards, mini quiches, fruit skewers. Things people can graze on while chatting, rather than a sit-down meal that creates that awkward "who sits where" situation.

For drinks, a jug of something fancy-looking (elderflower pressé with sliced cucumber, sparkling water with fresh strawberries) takes three minutes to make and photographs beautifully. Non-alcoholic is the standard move, since the guest of honour cannot drink, and it keeps things inclusive for everyone. 🍰

Games That Do Not Make Everyone Cringe

Baby shower games have a reputation problem. And honestly, some of them deserve it. Nobody wants to sniff a melted chocolate bar in a nappy and pretend to be having fun.

The good news: there are games that people actually enjoy. The key is keeping them short, optional, and genuinely entertaining.

• Baby photo match: Ask each guest to send a baby photo beforehand. Print them out and have everyone guess who is who. Always hilarious.
• Predictions card: Hand out cards where guests write their predictions for the baby: date of arrival, weight, first word, who the baby will look like. Seal them in an envelope for the parents to open after the birth.
• Onesie decorating: Lay out plain white bodysuits and fabric pens. Guests design their own. Some will be artistic. Some will be hilariously terrible. All of them will actually get worn.
• The price is right, baby edition: Show photos of baby products and have guests guess the price. The shocked faces when someone sees what a pushchair costs are worth the entire party.

Skip anything that puts someone on the spot or requires physical challenges. This is a baby shower, not a hen do.

Gifts the Mum-to-Be Will Actually Use

This is where a registry makes everyone's life easier. Instead of ending up with fourteen stuffed elephants and no muslins, a wishlist lets guests pick something the parents genuinely need, in the right size, colour, and brand. No awkward duplicates, no returns queue.

If you are looking for inspiration, here are the kinds of gifts that always go down well.

A proper baby shower gift set takes the guesswork out entirely. Everything coordinated, beautifully packaged, and ready to hand over without any wrapping stress.

Keepsakes are the gifts that make people cry (in a good way). Something to capture tiny handprints or footprints in those first precious weeks is the kind of thing nobody thinks to buy themselves but everyone treasures forever.

Milestone cards are one of those affordable, thoughtful gifts that always hit the mark. They look gorgeous in photos and give new parents something fun to do during those early weeks of "what day even is it?"

Skincare for tiny humans is always needed and rarely remembered. A gentle, natural essentials kit is the kind of practical gift that gets used up fast and appreciated deeply.

And there is always room for one beautiful outfit. A knitted romper in a neutral tone works for any baby and looks stunning in those first photos. Go one size up from newborn, because babies grow at a frankly alarming rate.

If you want to make gift-giving even easier for guests, set up a shared wishlist on BubsNest and pop the link in the invitation. Everyone can see what has already been claimed, and the parents-to-be get exactly what they need.

The Bit That Actually Matters

Here is a secret that every baby shower host figures out eventually: the details do not matter nearly as much as you think they do.

Nobody will remember whether the napkins matched the balloons. Nobody will care that the cake was from a supermarket and not a boutique bakery. What they will remember is laughing until they cried at the terrible onesie drawings. The mum-to-be getting emotional opening a tiny knitted hat. Everyone gathered in one room, genuinely excited about this new little person who is about to arrive.

Keep it warm. Keep it simple. Keep it about the people, not the props. And if you are the one who got volunteered in that group chat? You are going to absolutely nail it. 💛