How to Host a Beautiful Baby Shower: Decor Ideas, Food, and Etiquette
My friends recently hosted the most beautiful baby shower for my daughter Ellie, which inspired me to share this how-to guide for hosting a fabulous celebration!
Zane and I are thrilled that our twin daughters, Ellie and Jud, are both expecting babies just a few months apart! We are so looking forward to being grandparents and have cherished this exciting season. Recently some dear friends hosted a baby shower for Ellie, and it was such a beautiful time together! In this post, I am sharing the details of Ellie’s shower along with my best advice for hosting a baby shower. From what to serve to how to decorate to baby shower etiquette and more, I hope this blog serves as a “baby shower checklist” to help you celebrate the parent-to-be in your life!
Who should host a baby shower?
Similar to wedding showers, there are many people who could host the baby shower! Typically friends of the mother-to-be or the grandmother-to-be will host the shower, but cousins, aunts, or sisters-in-laws of the expectant parents can also host. The immediate families traditionally do not host the baby shower since gifts are usually involved. Depending on who is hosting, the guest list usually includes the new mom’s close friends, family, and sometimes even coworkers.
What activities happen at a baby shower?
This is completely up to the hostesses and their preferences! Typically guests visit and enjoy desserts and hors d’oeuvres at the beginning of the shower. Sometimes there is a theme with baby shower games, but this is not a requirement. Since Ellie’s shower was a come-and-go gathering, we didn’t have games. We simply mingled and loved every moment of it!
Traditionally, there is a time for gift opening so the guest of honor can thank the attendees for their gifts. However, for Ellie’s shower, she decided to open her gifts in private, so it’s totally up to the mom-to-be’s preferences.
What is the best “baby shower etiquette”?
A baby shower is usually hosted four to six weeks before the baby’s due date, but many showers are hosted earlier than that. The hostesses will send out baby shower invitations, and these might include registry information for gifts. It’s always a thoughtful gesture to bring a gift from the baby registry since this is a great way to help the mom-to-be prepare for her transition from pregnancy to parenthood!
Typically the baby shower venue is someone’s home, but you could also reserve a room in a restaurant, tea room, or event space. As far as planning goes, it’s always kind to take the responsibility away from the expectant mother and her family so they can simply enjoy visiting with guests. The only thing my friends asked our family to provide for Ellie’s shower was childhood photos of Ellie to use as table decor.
What should I serve at a baby shower?
Finger foods or hors d’oeuvres are the perfect shower food since you want guests to visit while enjoying bite-sized treats. I love offering a mix of sweet and savory bites, with both lighter and more indulgent options. At Ellie’s shower, the menu included Edgar’s petit fours, Jordan almonds, cheese straws from Edgar’s, clear cups with carrot sticks/celery & ranch dressing, a beautiful fruit assortment, chicken salad tea sandwiches, punch, and fruit water.
Savory Bites
- Cheesy Sausage Balls – Prep these four-ingredient sausage balls ahead of time for an easy, crowd-pleasing finger food.
- The Best Pimento Cheese – This is fab as a dip or for tea sandwiches.
- The Best Chicken Salad – This chicken salad and my curried chicken salad are great for making tea sandwiches or serving as a dip with crackers and crudités!
- 3-Ingredient Apricot Glazed Meatballs – Is there anything better than a three-ingredient recipe you can throw in a slow cooker and forget about?
- Whipped Feta Dip – This dip is salty, creamy, and a little sweet. I love to serve it with pita bread.
- The Best Black Bean, Corn & Feta Dip – You can make this fresh and flavorful dip up to two days ahead of time.
- Spinach Artichoke Dip That Tastes Just Like Houston’s – This is my all-time favorite dip.
Dessert
- Ice Cream Coffee Punch – Is it really a Southern shower without coffee punch? Your guests will rave over this delicious treat, and it’s a great excuse to break out your punch bowl!
- Strawberry Brownies – These are a fab “touch of pink” if the new baby is a girl!
- Lemon Brownies – These are a perfect option for a spring shower.
- Strawberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies – These cookies are another pretty and pink option if the baby-on-the-way is a girl.
All of my Bundt cakes start with a cake mix and are doctored up to taste homemade. These are fabulous as a whole Bundt cake or you can bake them in mini Bundt pans to serve as “Bundtlets!”
- Spectacular Red Velvet Cake with a Cream Cheese Glaze
- The Best White Cake You Will Ever Make with Buttercream Frosting
- The Best Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Delicious Carrot Cake with a Buttermilk Glaze
- Sensational Strawberry Bundt Cake With Lemon Glaze
- Easy and Delicious Lemon Poppyseed Cake
- The Best Funfetti Bundt Cake with an Almond Glaze
My favorite serving pieces for any shower:
Beautiful serving pieces make all the difference when you’re setting up a table! For a Party-Ready Water Display, I love to use a pretty glass water dispenser and add fruit, such as sliced citrus or berries. This marble acrylic water container from Crate & Barrel is also a favorite.
For a timeless, elegant look, Annieglass serving pieces are my go-to. I use them constantly when hosting!
Shop my favorite Annieglass pieces below:
- Ruffle Dip Bowl
- 3 Section Tray
- Ruffle Buffet Plate
- Ruffle Cake Plate
- Appetizer Tray
- Square Platter
- Pedestal Cake Plate
- Heart Bowl with Gold trim
- Large Ruffle Shallow Oval Bowl
What kind of decorations are best for a baby shower?
Lots of flowers, balloon arches, and even pictures of the mother and father-to-be as babies make lovely decorations. My friends did this for Ellie’s shower and it was such a sweet, personalized touch! They also used faux gold trees as centerpieces and hung sentimental silver baby keepsakes, such as rattles, cups, and spoons.
Shop similar trees here:
Should I buy hostess gifts?
It is always a kind gesture to get gifts for the hostesses of your shower! This is a great way to say thank you and show your appreciation for their generosity and thoughtfulness. For Ellie’s shower, there were eight hostesses, and I gifted each of them this Strawberry Restorative Cleansing Masque. (If you decide to purchase this as a hostess gift, you can use the code FAMILYSAVVY10 for 10% off.)
Have any tried-and-true baby shower tips? Share them in the comments below—and let me know how this post helped you plan a beautiful celebration for the mom-to-be in your life!
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Hi judith, that belongs to my friend who hosted the shower. I’ll ask her!!
Where can you purchase the pedestal the gold tree is sitting on?