I’ve had the absolute joy of helping plan and throw baby showers for some of my dearest friends. There are few things happier than to spoil a mama-to-be who holds a special place in your friend group.

In case you missed it, here’s my post that pairs up nicely with this one on adding special details to a baby shower.

Here’s where to start when it comes to planning your friend’s baby shower…

First, are you hosting the shower or are you hosting it with friends? Identifying who all is going to be involved is important as you start to brainstorm the pieces of this special day. Your guest of honor will be a big help in getting you connected with everyone.

Next, it’s time to start thinking about the theme. I could do a whole post on this. There are so many fabulous themes out there. We’ve done book themes, a beautiful blue and white pumpkin theme (in the fall, appropriately), a precious teddy bear tea theme…the sky’s really the limit! Picking the theme is a natural starting point since you’ll carry it – and the color palette – through the entire shower.

Decide on a budget. This probably goes without saying, but don’t forget to determine a budget for everything that you, and those you might be hosting with, are all comfortable with.

The guest list. This will help you determine the venue, food, and all of the items that come up next. You’ll want your invitations to go out about a month to a month and a half before the shower, so make sure you get a list of guests and their mailing addresses from your honoree 1 1/2-2 months before the shower. Assigning someone to handle RSVP’s and track them in a spreadsheet isn’t a bad idea either.

Now, for the fun details…

Venue: Whether you’re hosting in someone’s home or at a restaurant, hotel, or club, your venue will dictate food, beverages, cake, etc. If you’re hosting in someone’s home, make sure that you have adequate seating for everyone and a big enough space for guests to comfortably mix and mingle. If you’re hosting at an outside venue, make sure you’ve identified the on-site coordinator you’ll be working with to secure staffing, catering, and day-of things you may need.

Invitations: I’ve used Nico and Lala for so many showers I’ve helped host. I love them. I’m also a total pushover for paper and extra details and they’ve nailed it every time.

Flowers: If you’re serving cocktail party or buffet style (i.e. not a seated meal), consider a large arrangement for the main table, like we did here. Don’t forget about your other surfaces. Bud vases or smaller vases containing pretty and complementary flowers sprinkled onto coffee tables, end tables, and cocktail tables add a wonderful, cohesive finish.

Paper goods and branded items: Again, this is why I love using Nico and Lala (promise this isn’t sponsored). They have fabulous party swag offerings, from “branded” paper straws to table tents for the food you’re serving. I also love using Sip Hip Hooray on Etsy for custom cocktail napkins. They are fabulous and super reasonable.

Party favors: For Rachael’s baby shower, pictured here, we gave away sweet little reusable tea bags with loose leaf tea as the favors. It was a brilliant idea of Rachel’s and was such a fun treat for our guests. I usually opt for custom sugar cookies. I’ve used Eleanor’s Custom Cookies and Lucy Berry Bakeshop and have been thrilled with both!

Cake: I go to Buttercream Bakeshop with nearly all of my cake requests. They’ve made some absolutely beautiful watercolor washed cakes for two baby showers I’ve hosted and were able to incorporate our themes, invitation designs, and color palettes perfectly. Better yet, their cake flavor combinations are out of this world.

Food: If you’re not going with a caterer or hosting somewhere where catering is an option, pick a menu that’s going to be guest-friendly – and mama-to-be friendly. Make sure that you have plenty of options that cover the guest of honor’s restrictions during this time in her life. It is her day, after all! Since my friend, Rachael’s, shower was a tea and was not seated, we made little bites that were more “mix and mingle” friendly and in-theme with a tea.

Beverages: Make certain that you have delicious non-alcoholic beverages to go along with alcoholic ones. Depending on the time of day, you may want to include a pick-me-up, especially if you’re serving everything plated. A little coffee bar or tea service is a wonderful option to have for your guests before presents are opened.

Specialty cocktails: One of my go-to’s is to have a punch or fun signature cocktail. Consider setting your liquor or alcoholic component aside and allow guests to add their own alcohol (again, this is if you aren’t hiring a caterer or bartender).

Also, don’t forget to serve water. This probably goes without saying, but there’s been a time or two that I’ve completely forgotten up to the very last minute before the party. I try to keep several glass bottles of S. Pellegrino on hand for this very reason.

Rentals: I first thought that using a rental company would be a tremendous task, but I was quickly proven wrong. When you’re facing a guest list containing more friends and family than your current dinnerware will serve, renting a few pieces is a fantastic option. There is always the option to mix and match from your own sets, but I’ve found that renting is often the way to go for larger parties.

Here’s a myth I’ll dispose of right now: renting is expensive. It’s not always. You’d be surprised how reasonable it can be to rent out gold- or silver-rimmed dishes. Often, you’ll only need a classic goblet for glassware. A dessert/salad plate is the perfect portion for cocktail-style setups like this one. Pro tip: picking up and dropping off the rentals yourself is another easy way to save here. I’ve used DC Rental and have been so satisfied with them. It was a breeze.

Gifting: It’s such a lovely trend for guests to honor the bride with children’s books in lieu of cards to help build their little one’s library. I wholeheartedly endorse this move. While the hosts are certainly not expected to give a gift, it is a nice gesture to all contribute and purchase one of the honoree’s larger items.

Don’t forget to designate someone – hopefully a mama herself – to take down the gifts and who gave them while your guest of honor is unwrapping. It will make her thank you notes a breeze!

Happy hosting!