No matter what type of shower you’re throwing, it can be a daunting task to get started. Where should I have it? How much will it cost? How do I decorate? Don’t worry – I’m here to help plan your next shower, no matter if it’s a Baby Shower, Couples Shower, or Bridal Shower. Take it step by step and you’ll be on your way to a perfect event! 

In this post, we’ll cover:

Download my Shower Planning Checklist here for a summary of steps in planning your next event. 

Decide on Hosts, Budget and Guest Count

When throwing anything from a baby shower to a couple’s engagement shower, there are typically possibilities for multiple hosts. Trust me, I’m the first to resist having a lot of people involved because I personally like to be in control and there definitely is such a thing as too many cooks. However, more hosts means more budget which means more of what you want for your event. If there is a great number of hosts involved, it’s always helpful to assign jobs or responsibilities for as seamless of a planning process as possible!  

Once your hosts are decided and you have a good idea of how much you want to spend, you’ll also need to reach out to the person or people you are celebrating to get a guest list confirmed. This will help you understand the size of the event and what is needed for event space. 

Pick a Venue

Once budgets and guest count is set, you can get started finding somewhere to throw your shower. There are endless possibilities for events depending on your budget. 

  • It is very possible to throw a beautiful shower and create a theme at someone’s house for no charge at all. Reach out to your hosts or people close to the couple to find out if there is a possible space – inside or outside – that can accommodate your event. This option gives you total control over schedules, parking, decor options, and much more when it comes to planning the rest of the shower. 
  • You can also browse through local restaurants, bars, breweries, etc. Many places offer an event package with possible private rooms, oftentimes with a required budget for food or drinks from their own kitchens. This option is often very expensive compared to others because their minimums tend to start very high for private events. On the other hand, private event spaces typically require a lot less decor because they already have an aesthetic of their own. You can browse local venues through The Vendry for an easy starting place.
  • There are event rental spaces, such as PeerSpace offering a few hours at a time. These platforms offer hourly rentals for all different kinds of spaces in major cities, with the owners managing hourly rates and rules for each venue. This option is usually more affordable than restaurants or bars, but since the owners manage these properties, you may run into rules or restrictions that limit your time for setup, things you can do with decor or what is available to you such as a kitchen. 

Pick a Time 

One of the final details before jumping into the fun parts is going to be picking a time of day for the shower. Different times throughout the day can mandate lots of little details, such as which food is served and how much. 

  • Morning: Mornings can be great for baby showers or couples showers. Typically, you can serve brunch or breakfast foods fit for a crowd. 
  • Afternoon: Afternoons can be great for showers because there isn’t a big meal between 1 PM and 6 PM. This means you can serve snacks and bites throughout your shower without your guests expecting anything too filling. 
  • Night: Keep in mind the closer to dinner you have your event, the more food you’re expected to serve at your shower. People will come to a 6 or 7 PM event expecting to eat a LOT! 

One more thing to consider is if the couple you’re celebrating has any preference on time of day. Sometimes, if visitors are coming from out of town or more family is around, they may want to spend more personal time with them outside of the shower throughout the weekend. When we threw my sister a baby shower, she wanted to have dinner with friends on Saturday night while they were in town, so we had a shower from 3 – 6 PM to give them time together later. 

Pick a Theme

Now is one of the fun parts – picking a theme! Sometimes the couple may already have some ideas in mind. If not, try not to overwhelm them with questions over every detail. Remember you’re throwing this shower FOR them, not WITH them. They should feel relaxed and celebrated throughout the entire process. 

Picking a theme can feel endless. I like to narrow down my themes by looking at a few different details you’ve already gathered: 

  • Time of Day – For example, if you’re throwing a morning brunch in someone’s backyard, you can have a fruity or floral type theme such as ‘A Little Cutie is on the Way’ or ‘Bride in Bloom.’
  • Venue – For example if you’ve found a rustic rental space, you can have a ‘Brews Before I Do’s’ or a ‘Backyard Baby Q’ 

Your theme is going to decide the rest of the shower, from food to decor. Consider the couple you’re celebrating and the mood you’re looking to create to find the best theme for your event. 

Theme Ideas

Browse through some popular themes to get started!

Send out Invitations 

You’ll want to send invitations out about 6 weeks before your event. There are many, many options for invitations these days.

  • Paper – I personally prefer paper invitations. People love mail and having something in your hands is just a feeling I love invoking before an event. If you choose to send out invitations, make sure to get an address list from your couple as you’re thinking about guest count!
  • Digital – There are endless options for digital invitations. These are very convenient, tend to have many options for design and usually have platforms where you can manage RSVPs and send messages out to guests. Typically, you can send either through email or text message, so make sure you have your contacts collected as the guest list is gathered! 
Decide on Decor

Decor can be the most daunting part of a shower. I don’t know about you, but I sit and wonder how people pay for these giant, lavish decorations for the perfect Instagram shower. It feels excessive and unnecessary. Don’t get me wrong, though – if you have hundreds or thousands of dollars to throw at an event, you can make beautiful spaces that make even the best jealous. 

For a more DIY approach, with your theme and your venue –

  1. Start with one statement piece – this can be anything, but decide where you want to put the greatest percentage of whatever budget you have. If you want to do an elaborate photo backdrop, invest in pieces to create your vision. If you want a beautiful set of cocktails, invest in a bar cart rental and bartender. If you want delicious and beautiful foodscape, invest in a grazing table. 
  2. After you pick one larger piece, decorate around that. Think through the spaces in your venue to find areas to hang things, surfaces for flowers or table decor, room for gifts and a spot for guests to leave a note for the couple. Always keep your theme in mind, but you don’t have to always take it literally. If you’re having a fall pumpkin baby shower – use buffalo plaid patterns or fall greenery throughout the pumpkins to create your aesthetic. If you’re having a Written in the Stars couples shower – use navy and gold geometric patterns throughout the star decor to create your aesthetic. 
  3. I’ll tell you now – you DO NOT have to give out favors. You’ll see pictures on pictures of Instagram-beautiful showers and every single one has a favor they’re giving away. But favors can be expensive, and you’ve already spent a lot on the event. Don’t feel obligated to provide favors! However, favors can be fun especially for smaller groups. If you DO want to provide favors, match them to your decor for a greater immersion into your theme! 

Little things can go a long way, when it comes to decor. Candles, flowers, paper garlands, etc. can be cheap to purchase, but can look expensive. Don’t always feel the need to buy theme specific decor when more neutral decor pieces can create the space. You can always use those types of things for another event in the future too! 

Decide on Flow of Event

What will you do with the couple of hours for your event?? Sometimes, all you need is good food, good drinks and a fun group – that can fill all the time in the world. Most times, though, you need to think through the schedule of events.

  • You’ll want to have some room in the schedule for people to get there, get some food, say their hellos and get comfortable before anything is scheduled. 
  • Once people are settled, you may want to consider a game. You can think about if you want just the couple involved as guests watch – such as a ‘Wedding Shoe Game’ – or if you want a larger group involved, such as a ‘Guess the Baby Food’ or ‘Name that Tune’ game. 
  • You can also consider laying out your shower for things to do – a place to eat, a place to get drinks or desserts, a place to have guests write notes to the couple, a place for a guest book, etc. This can also help with not only the flow of events, but with the flow of people being able to move around your space and pass the time. 
  • Another thing you’ll want to consider is whether the couple will want to open gifts in front of everyone. Let’s face it, at most couples showers, guests don’t expect or even want to watch the couple open gifts. For a wedding couples shower we threw recently, we asked guests to bring unwrapped gifts so they could be seen without having to watch a long unwrapping of gifts. Sometimes, however, for certain events – especially a bridal shower or women’s baby shower – gifts are expected because we love seeing those cute baby clothes or beautiful new serving platters! 
Plan Ahead for Setup and Vendors

Once your event time, your theme & decor and your schedule of events is decided, make sure you take some time to gather those hosts of yours and plan for how you’ll set everything up. Getting food ready, setting out decor and being prepared can take time – more time than you think! Take advantage as soon as you can before your event so you’re ready when those guests that come early walk in the door 10 minutes before the event! 

If you are leveraging any vendors for your event, get in touch beforehand on drop off or pickup times and make sure you allow for any travel time. Try to assign one of your hosts to be the point of contact to take care of vendor communications, as setup can be distracting from being able to answer your phone. 

Enjoy Yourself

Everything has been planned, everything is set up, guests are eating and happy – it’s time for you to enjoy yourselves! As a host, it’s hard to remember to have fun at your own event. Grab a drink, talk to the couple and revel in your amazing work!  

Download my Shower Planning Checklist here for a summary of steps in planning your next event and get started now!

Photo Credits:
Venues: 
The Vendry - Little Hen
PeerSpace
Etsy 

Decor: 
Meri Meri
Savvy Swarey 
Green Wedding Shoes

Vendors:  
Traveling Spirit
A Southern Wedding