Your essential checklist for planning a successful baby shower

Planning a successful baby shower is simple, as long as you think ahead and don't wait until the last minute. By using this baby shower checklist, you'll be able to celebrate and enjoy the company of your friends and family without having to worry about the details. Here are a few steps that will help you make sure the event goes smoothly.

The first thing you have to decide on is the baby shower location. It could be a restaurant, a hotel, a park, your home or the home of a friend. Many factors will help you decide where you'd like to host your baby shower, such as the number of people you plan to invite and the cost of the venue.

You'll want to serve your guests food and beverages at the event. It's a good idea to get this aspect of planning out of the way early. It could be small snacks and finger foods that you prepare yourself, or a full buffet or sit-down dinner catered by a local company. As for beverages, you'll have to decide whether to serve simple drinks, or offer a few cocktails and fancy juices. Remember to consider where you will get tableware for serving.

Wherever you're holding the event, you'll want to decorate the space with a few simple items like balloons, candles, flowers, and so on. Also, consider how you're going to set the space up. If the shower is at a restaurant, you won't have to worry about seating and tables, but if you're hosting it at your home or at an event space, you might need to rent tables and chairs.

There are quite a few ways to send out invitations. You can send them electronically via an invitation service, or you can print invitations you made yourself and send out hard copies.

It's a great idea to plan some games for the big day. You can bring materials for games or play simple word games, but don't forget that you might also want to bring prizes for the winners. It's also a nice touch to bring party favours to give to your guests as a thank you for coming.

You'll definitely want pictures to remember the event. Decide whether you want to hire a photographer or just have a friend or family member snap some candids.