Throwing a baby shower? Here's a useful checklist

If one of your close friends is expecting, they’ll be touched and excited if you decide to throw them a baby shower, especially if it’s their first child. To make sure your celebration goes without a hitch, here are some considerations for the big day. 

The timing

The best time to plan a baby shower is for the third trimester of pregnancy. Mum-to-be will probably be a bit restless as this stage, and any festive distractions from the increasing chore of being a human grow-bag will be most appreciated. You’ll probably know the baby’s gender at this stage, which will make it much easier to plan your decorations and for those attendees who are planning on bringing gifts. Make sure the proposed date will be convenient for parents, relatives and close friends of your expecting friend, and start the planning at least six weeks in advance.

The menu

A sit down evening dinner might not be the best idea, as your friend will be abstaining from alcohol, and may have a reduced appetite in the later stages of her pregnancy. Show some solidarity with an afternoon tea party instead. Fairy cakes, light vol-au-vents and flavoured teas are all sophisticated choices, or introduce some non-alcoholic punch, served in style from dainty teapots. Seek out some vintage china and tea-roses to complete the look.

The theme

You might want to keep things simple and just go for colours which reflect the gender of the baby, but if it hasn’t been disclosed, feel free to get creative. If it’s spring, for example, opt for fresh-cut blossoms, pastel colours and butterfly embellishments, or if your friend loves fashion, go for a glamorous yummy mummy theme and ask everyone to arrive in their most stylish attire. 

The cake

No baby shower is complete without a beautiful cake. Bear in mind not everyone loves rich, traditional fruit cakes slathered in stodgy royal icing, so choose something your friend will really enjoy: a light sponge cake with fresh cream and strawberries is perfect for summer, carrot cake will go down well with a non-conformist, or a tiered cascade of cupcakes or scones will delight a girly girl. 

The giveaways

It’s traditional to include gift bags as part of a baby shower: it’s your way of thanking the guests for bringing presents and good wishes for your friend’s new baby. These don’t need to be elaborate: scented toiletries, little posies of fresh cut flowers, packets of wildflower seeds or pastel-coloured bon-bons all make pretty, tasteful gifts. You might also want to buy a few ‘star prizes’ for the winners of party games: bottles of bubbly, chocolates and t-shirts are all cheap but fun souvenirs of the day.

 

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