How to Plan a Baby Shower in the UK: Step-by-Step Checklist

Planning a baby shower comes down to eight main steps: agree who's hosting and the budget, pick a date, choose a venue, sort the guest list and invites, decide on a theme, arrange food and drink, plan a couple of games, and settle gifts. Done roughly in that order, most of the bigger decisions fall into place naturally.

Here's the full checklist, in the order it usually makes sense to tackle it.

Step 1: Confirm Who's Hosting and the Budget

Before anything else, agree who's actually organising the shower — traditionally a close friend, sister, or the mum-to-be's mother, not the mum-to-be herself. If more than one person wants to be involved, decide early whether you're co-hosting and splitting costs, since this affects every decision that follows.

Set a rough budget covering venue, food, decorations, and games before booking anything. It's much easier to scale a shower up or down early than to cut corners later once bookings are made.

Step 2: Pick a Date

Most UK baby showers land in the third trimester, roughly six to eight weeks before the due date, and take place on a weekend afternoon. Check the mum-to-be's diary (and comfort levels) before locking anything in, and try to give guests at least three to four weeks' notice once a date is set.

Step 3: Choose a Venue

Venue choice depends mostly on guest numbers. Smaller showers (under 15 people) often work at home or in a café; anything larger tends to run more smoothly in a hired hall or function room, where there's space for games, catering, and gift-opening without everyone standing on top of each other.

If you're hosting in East London, Crown Banqueting Suite's baby shower venue in Ilford gives you a private space to decorate freely, with room to comfortably seat larger groups.

Step 4: Sort the Guest List and Invites

Once the venue and date are confirmed, finalise the guest list and send invites three to four weeks ahead — a little earlier if you expect guests travelling from further away. Digital invites (via a group chat or an app like Evite or Canva) are increasingly common and make tracking RSVPs far easier than paper invites.

Step 5: Choose a Theme and Decorations

A theme isn't essential, but it makes decorating, food, and games easier to plan around cohesively. Popular UK themes include neutral florals, safari, "twinkle twinkle little star", and simple colour-based themes tied to a gender reveal. Balloon arches, table runners, and a dedicated photo backdrop are the most common decoration choices.

Step 6: Arrange Food and Drink

Most showers go for a light buffet or afternoon-tea style spread rather than a full sit-down meal. Factor in any dietary requirements when you send invites, and decide early whether alcohol is included or whether you're keeping it a dry event out of solidarity with the mum-to-be.

Step 7: Plan a Couple of Games

Two or three light, short games are usually enough — more than that and energy tends to drop. Popular options include guessing games (due date, baby's weight), a "how well do you know mum-to-be" quiz, or a nappy-changing race. Keep total game time to under an hour.

Step 8: Sort Gifts and Registry

If the mum-to-be has a gift registry, share the link alongside the invite so guests aren't left guessing. If there's no registry, it's worth a quiet word with a few close guests to avoid duplicate gifts, particularly for big-ticket items like prams or car seats.

Once your date and guest list are set, Crown Banqueting Suite's baby shower venue in Ilford can take care of the space, so you can focus on the rest of the planning.