Baby Shower Planning Checklist

Baby showers and baby sprinkles are such great ways to help the mama-to-be and baby-to-be get everything they need.  It is important that the mother focus on taking care of baby and herself immediately postpartum, and not have to worry about running to the store.  Not to mention, baby showers are just a fun way for everyone to get involved!

If you are the thoughtful one who has decided to plan the baby shower, then you likely see all of the work ahead of you.  In order to plan a successful baby shower, it’s best to get started a few months before the planned shower date, so that you can ensure you don’t miss a thing.  Wouldn’t it be helpful to have some type of baby shower planning checklist?  Yes!

Here is a baby shower planning checklist and timeline of everything and anything that you might need to throw the baby shower.  Also, never be afraid to ask for a helping hand; many people would jump on the opportunity to be a part of the planning!  Also, No procrastinating!

Baby Shower Checklist

3 months before:

Set a date	If the mama-to-be is finding out the gender, you will have about three to four months to plan the shower, so the first thing you should do is set a date!  The date should be no more than one to two months out from the estimated “due date.”
Pick the host	Maybe it’s you!
Set a time	Preferably an early afternoon time, before the mama-to-be is completely exhausted.
Set a budget	Set a realistic budget and stick to it!
Choose a theme	Everything will be centered around this.  Hint: Center the theme around the nursery theme, so decorations can double as nursery decorations!
Choose a venue	Consider the season.  Avoid the great outdoors if it’s too cold or too hot!  It’s important to book in advance because hotspots book up quickly!
Compile a guest list	Consult the mama-to-be, unless it’s a surprise, then get feedback from family and friends.
Send out save-the-dates.
Find helpers	Don’t try to do it all on your own; it’s overwhelming!

6 weeks left!

Send out invitations	Make sure to include date, time, location, and any special instructions.  The RSVP date should be about one to two weeks from the date of the shower.
Plan a menu	Consider easy to make foods. Buying already prepared food is much more expensive, but can save you lots of time.
Start shopping	Begin shopping for decorations, favors, game prizes, and any needed supplies.

1 month to go!

Party rentals	If you were planning on getting any party rentals, now is a good time to call around and make some reservations.
Plan games	Game supplies will depend on what games you are playing, so here are some tips for planning the games: Have at least three games planned. Make sure at least one game centers around the mama-to-be/pregnancy. Include a mix of group games and single games. Take into account if the shower is being held indoor or outdoor. Avoid any game that might gross out or embarrass the mama-to-be. Keep the party theme in mind.
Order the cake and other food	Never forget a pregnant woman’s cake!
Order flowers.
Shop for non-fresh food items.

1 week left!

RSVPs	Follow up on no-reply RSVPs
Party Favors	Put party favors together
Decorations	Finish up any DIY decorations

3 days left!

Clean up	Clean the house (if the shower is in home.  Wait until the day before if you have busy kids!)
Time to Decorate	Get those decorations up! It’s easy to underestimate the amount of time it takes to wrap those streamers around every surface of the house!
Shopping	Finish any shopping that you might have left.
Check-ups	Call all vendors you’re using such as the baker, florist, etc to make sure everything is on schedule and there are no surprises.

The day before:

Clean	Get any cleaning that needs to be done out of the way.
Arrange party-room	Get all of the chairs and tables that are needed into the room.
Precooking	Prepare all food that’s not being cooked at the shower (i.e. don’t start grilling burgers and chicken yet!)
Decorating touch-ups	Finalize all of the decorating.

Day of the shower: Crunch time!

Do a touch-up cleaning.	It’s amazing what can get dirty in a day, especially if you have kids.
Pick ups	Pick up the cake, flowers, balloons and anything else you may have ordered.
Finish setting up.	Do one last sweep to make sure all decorations, food and other arrangements are in place.

Baby Shower Shopping Lists

Below are some shopping lists for each of the above stages that you might find useful.

3 Months Before Shopping List

6 Weeks Before Shopping List

Invite-related:

Tip:  Purchase invitations online at Etsy or Zazzle.

• Invitations
• Envelopes
• Stamps

Decorations:

Tip: Be sure to cover all bases: Walls, ceiling, floor, doors, windows, tables, mailbox, road signs for direction, and so on.

Favors/Game Prizes ideas:

Since there is no one-size fits all for favors and game prizes, here’s a list of ideas for you!

Supplies:

Tip:  Make a list of what you already have and go from there.

1 Month Before Shopping List

Rentals:

Food/beverage:

Other:

• Flowers
• Other game supplies needed

1 Week Before Shopping List

No shopping list for this stage.

3 Days Before Shopping List

Food:

Day Before Shopping List

No shopping list for this stage.

Day of Shopping List

We don’t procrastinate! No shopping list for this stage either 🙂

Baby Shower Checklist Wrap-up

Now that you have a good on what you will need form this baby shower planning checklist, it’s time to get organized!  Be sure to keep all of your baby shower planning stuff in one place to avoid anything getting lost.  A binder is a good idea because it can help keep your organized while keeping paper secured in a single location.

Have fun planning it all, because your attitude during the planning process will surely show at the baby shower.  What are you waiting for?  Make that guest list and address those invitations!  The clock is ticking, and the mama-to-be isn’t getting any less pregnant (yet)!