Baby showers celebrate an ever-joyful milestone in one’s life, but they can be hectic to organize. There are invitations, decorations, catering, and most importantly, costs, to worry about. But how much should a baby shower cost? Will it dent your wallet, or will you get away unscathed?
Short Answer
The cost of a baby shower ranges anywhere between $100 and $1000, but it depends on many factors. For example, if you’re inviting a large number of guests, it might exceed that. The same goes if you want extravagant decorations and fun activities.
Luckily, you can arrange your plan so that it’ll fit your budget. To know how to do that, read on!
How Much Does an Average Baby Shower Cost?
After telling you the general price you should expect, it’s time to get into more details. So, without further ado, let’s jump in!
Venue and Location
Generally, the venue’s budget should be about 5-10% of your total baby shower budget. For example, if your total budget is $1000, you should look for venue rentals like restaurants and clubs in the range of $50-100. You can also look for a park if you want an outdoor party.
But this only goes if you’re planning to throw the party in a rented venue. If your house is big enough to accommodate guests, you won’t need the extra costs.
Invitations
Invitations are mandatory if you’re inviting a large number of guests. They’ll save you the hassle of calling each one and telling them the place and the time. For example, an average baby shower should have about 15 guests or more if it’s coed.
As a rule of thumb, you should leave 5-10% of the budget for invitations. However, the number may vary if you have custom-made invitations in hard materials. And if you want digital invitations, you might pay less than what you planned.
Decor
Decorations complete the baby shower aesthetic. If you want a themed party, you should set aside about 10% of the total budget for decor. You can also plan the designs so that you’ll know exactly how much they’ll cost.
Games, Favors, and Party Supplies
Baby showers are a lot of fun when there are games around. If you want to entertain your guests, you should save about 10% of the total budget for games and supplies. However, you don’t have to go overboard with your planning. For example, you can provide simple games with inexpensive materials, like dancing or singing programs.
Thank You Notes
As etiquettes necessitate, the parents should send out thank you notes for the guests who attended the baby shower. Typically, paper thank you notes cost about $3 per one. So if you’re inviting 10 guests, set aside $30 for the notes.
Food and Drink
Food is famously the most costly part of the baby shower. So, as a result, we recommend leaving about 50% of the total budget for food and drinks. You might think this is extreme, but believe us, you don’t want to throw a baby shower where guests leave hungry. But, of course, this price includes full-course meals, snacks, and beverages.
However, you can cut down the cost a bit by serving only finger food and snacks.
Baby Shower Cake Cost
If you want a dazzling cake with customized colors and design, be prepared to pay about $90 for it. However, this may be too extravagant if you’re throwing a small baby shower. In this case, you can pay $40-50. But the cost may vary depending on the number of your guests.
Baby Shower Photography Cost
Baby shower photography can cost you anywhere between $100 and $300. It depends on the number of guests and how many photos you ask for. Also, if you request edited images, you might pay a little more than that.
How to Have a Baby Shower on a Budget
Don’t let a tight budget stop you from having an entertaining baby shower. We’ll give you many ideas on how to cut down your party costs and still impress your guests.
To begin with, you can plan the party at your place instead of renting a venue. You can also send your guests e-mails instead of printed invitations or use budget-friendly materials for printing.
As for the decorations, sites like Pinterest are your new best friends. You can look for DIY ideas and try them out yourself. This way, you’ll save the cost of having someone set up the decorations for you, and people won’t even tell the difference. Also, you can make it a group activity and invite your close family members to decorate with you.
Luckily, there are many games you can organize without paying a penny. For example, you can arrange a group bingo game using printed paper.
If you think thank you notes cost way too much, you can send your guests e-mails instead. But don’t ignore the gesture altogether because it’s essential.
It’s challenging to save money when it comes to food and drinks. But you can plan a potluck baby shower where every guest brings a homemade or a grocery-bought dish. This way, your guests will have plenty of food to eat, and you won’t dent your wallet too bad.
Finally, for the cake and photography, you can make a homemade cake and settle for no photographer. Instead, you can assign a family member or a close friend to take memorable photos of the party. And since most mobile phones nowadays have top-notch cameras, you won’t feel the difference.
Summary and Recap
There are many details you should take care of when throwing a baby shower. For example, you should rent a venue, print invitations, and provide food and drinks. While those might cost you a hefty amount of money, there’s a budget-friendly alternative for nearly every detail. For instance, you can throw the baby shower at your house and send virtual invitations.
No matter what you’ll do, you’ll enjoy a memorable day surrounded by family and friends.