Our cousins across the pond, the USA, have been hosting baby showers for years and years. They’ve been organising baby-themed games et all and they're generally far better at cutesy stuff than us Brits.

But we’ve definitely made an effort to catch up. Baby showers have grown in popularity in the UK and are now a common rite of passage for the expectant mum. Celebrities tend to throw lavish bashes, complete with mega-cringe and impractical elements like nappy cakes (how impractical?! Why would you pull out the nappies from their packaging, only for the mum-to-be having to put them away again?), and even cringier gender reveal announcements.

 
But cringe aside, there's isn't any better way to celebrate the imminent arrival of a mini-me. At our London bakery, we love a good baby shower and although they might not be everyone’s cup of Earl Grey, they’re definitely a great way of getting people together and having one last hurrah before sleepless nights and dirty nappies become a way of life.

Whether you’re planning a shower for a loved one or you’ve got a bun in the oven (geddit?) and are throwing your own knees up, we’re sure you’ll enjoy our guide to planning a totally banging, non-cringe baby shower.

Timing 

When to hold a baby shower is a very personal decision. For first time families, they may prefer holding off till the final trimester so they can feel more comfortable that all is going well with the pregnancy. If however you’re holding a shower for someone with children already, it might just be about when they can actually find the time!

 
Traditionally, baby showers are thrown later on in a pregnancy, around the seven to eight-and-a-half-month stage. This means you’ve got plenty of time to plan and get all the finer details ready for the big day. 

Baby Shower Location 

If you’re holding a party for someone else, it’s more considerate not to host it in their home. With a huge belly and aching back, not many pregnant ladies are going to love the idea of tidying up before and cleaning up after a house-full of guests, no matter how fun the party was. So make sure you find another willing party host! Depending on the number of people attending, a home-based baby shower feels comfortable and chilled out.

If the mum to be likes to be out and about or you’ve got a fair few people coming along, hiring a venue is always an option. The top tip here is to read the room. Who is the party for? What do you think they would prefer? After all, it’s all about them so you want to plan something they’ll love.

I'll be honest, I'm not the keenest on baby showers / gender reveals per se (if you haven't guessed that already). But I love gatherings, and any excuse for a gathering is good for me! My favourite baby showers are the ones my friend Sophia has organised for our common friends. She tends to find cosy pubs and restaurants with private dining areas which you don't have to pay a hire fee for and we all select our food and drink from a set menu. It's super chill and a wonderful way to catch up with everyone and the mum-to-be.
 

The Guest List

Is this a modern mama or a more traditional mum-to be? Do you invite the dad-to-be and his pals? Or is it more a ‘ladies who lunch’ sort of affair? Baby showers are typically associated with females. But there are no rules. Why not break away from tradition and get everyone involved, boys, girls, aunts, uncles, granddads and the lads. After all, it takes two to tango so why not celebrate both sides of the gene pool?  

To Theme or Not to Theme? 

Who doesn’t love a themed party? As it’s a baby shower, it’s pretty obvious that cute kid stuff should feature in the decorations. But how cutesy you go depends entirely on the mum-to-be. You could go for the cliched pink or blue colour themes if you know the sex of the baby, or yellow and influencer-fave beige if you’re leaving the sex as a surprise for the big birth day. Personally, I'm a fan of colour and brightness. Give me ALL the rainbows!

Depending on your budget, you could go simple with balloons and flowers, or full-on with a balloon arch, floral crowns and centrepieces, personalised napkins and favours. Again, there are no rules other than read the room. 

Gender Reveal Parties

If you’re the parents-to-be and planning your own pre-baby do, you might fancy the American imported craze...a gender reveal.

A gender reveal party combines elements of a traditional baby shower but the big moment is when everyone finds out the sex of your baby. (TIP: if you’re planning a baby shower for another person, make sure you’ve got their permission before you plot any gender reveal activities).

Many couples choose to reveal the gender of their little one through cake and we obviously think this is the best way. The cake sponge is either pink or blue and all is revealed once the parents cut into it. We’ve helped to reveal the gender of many little munchkins through the delights of our baby shower cakes.

The coolest trend though is the gender reveal burn-away cake. This is when the top layer of the cake is set alight, slowly burning away in a ring of fire to reveal the message underneath.

Just let us know the plan when you order and we’ll do all the rest.  

Fun and Games

Baby shower games can be a lot of fun. They range from classy to cringe. And you know what, it doesn't matter which end of the spectrum you go for. Because any game will be a fun way to get everyone involved and get laughing.

The dirty nappy game is particularly disgusting but very funny. Choose a selection of your favourite chocolates and get them nice and warm so that they are ready to melt, place them in the nappy and fold up. Guests then have to guess which chocolate is in which nappy. The person who gets the most correct answers wins!

But if the vibe is more white table cloth and silverware, then having a quiz with everyone guessing the name, baby's weight, due date, amongst others, and having everyone read out their answers aloud at the end is another way to get the chuckles in. 

Catering

I'm going to say it again - there are no rules. Fancy a sit-down three course meal? Of course, feel free. But some nicely laid out finger foods also works.

If you're personally hosting, we suggest a simple menu with finger sandwiches, salads, pastries, cheeses and crackers. AND CAKE OF COURSE. These ideas are filling and take minimum preparation time (provided you buy in the cake - unless you want to add that stress on too).

In terms of drinks, it depends on the type of crowd that’s coming. It's best to have an even mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options as chances are, it's not just the mum-to-be who would be avoiding the hard stuff. Wine, champagne, prosecco, alongside mocktails like Preggers Punch, virgin mojitos, elderflower presse, non-alcoholic gin and tonics. Tea, coffee and decaf options of the same are a great bet too.

Gifting Etiquette 

Now this subject can get a little bit touchy. There’s definitely no obligation for guests to bring gifts but they generally do. The sensitive bit comes with the gift list- normal for a wedding but controversial for a baby shower.

Some people don’t think gift lists are a big deal but you may find that others find them a little bit presumptuous. By setting up a gift list, you’re sending out a message that guests must buy a gift, whether they planned to or not. It’s definitely your choice, but sometimes a little bit of subtlety goes a long way. Some people also feel uncomfortable getting a gift BEFORE the baby arrives, and some may feel it's jinxing the arrival.

And I'll say it again - read the room. It can be a nice idea to dedicate part of the shower to opening the presents, so everyone can ooooh and aaahhh together. But this is probably best reserved for smaller gatherings. Watching half an hour of gift unwrapping is super boring for everyone. The mum-to-be may also get tired of having to feign the same level of enthusiasm for each gift. Those who didn't bring gifts might feel othered. So you get me...reading the room is very important.  

Baby Shower Cake

As with any party, a cake is crucial and often makes the centrepoint of the gathering for photos that go into the lasting memories bank. As shown above, it might be an extra special gender reveal cake, with a pink or blue sponge to wow the crowd. a trendy burn-away gender reveal cake.

At Anges de Sucre, we’ve made plenty of baby shower cakes and love adding those precious little details to make the event extra special. You can order one directly from our great selection of baby shower cakes or contact us to create a customised sweet treat for you and your guests.   
 
Best of all, you can order your cake online for convenience and we deliver hassle-free to various locations around London and Surrey. 

Favours

A going home gift is a nice way to round off the main event. Who doesn’t love a little jar filled with sweets? Or a little favour bag stuffed with chocolate truffles? If the guest list isn’t too big, personalising the going home gift is a lovely way to say thank you and always goes down well.
 

Top Tip 

If you’re planning a baby shower for a friend or loved one, make sure you are 100% sure that the expectant parents will be happy with you doing so. While this is a popular American tradition, us Brits might be a bit more attention-averse and may prefer going for a Sunday Roast in a relaxed pub setting instead.

At Anges De Sucre, we always love to party, whether to welcome a new baby, celebrate a wedding or a birthday. But it’s always a good idea to make your plans based on the guest of honour. So, if you know they hate the idea of a baby shower and find it all a bit cringe, don’t do it! Go down a more subtle route instead. For example, if you want to do something special for your baby shower hating bestie, organise a fun treat day; manicures, pedicures, pregnancy massage and all that jazz will have her relaxed and ready for the first few months of baby chaos. Or treat her to a spa-day. Make it calm and easy instead of inviting the whole clan.
 
Happy baby showering!