Who Pays For The Baby Shower? (2024)

Who pays for the baby shower? It’s a question every parent-to-be asks themself. A baby shower is a joyful gathering that celebrates the expecting parents and the impending arrival of a new family member. These gatherings tend to have an intimate atmosphere, with friends and family members coming together to share in the excitement and anticipation of the arrival of their bundle of joy!

Those organizing a baby shower might be wondering about the etiquette surrounding payment for the event. As a rule, who pays for the baby shower? You may also have other questions about baby shower customs and traditions. 

If so, keep reading for our answer to the question, “Who pays for the baby shower?” We’ll also address other important etiquette considerations, providing all the knowledge you need to make your baby shower a smooth and enjoyable event for everyone involved.

Who pays for the baby shower?

There is no set answer to this question, but we can generalize. In most cases, the person or people hosting the baby shower are also responsible for paying for it. This means the people who organize and plan the shower typically also take care of the costs associated with it.

For example, if your sisters are the ones who organized your baby shower and are officially hosting it, then they’ll likely also take on the costs of the baby shower.

However, if there is any confusion about who’s paying for things, make sure to iron these details out in advance. Don’t be afraid to bring it up directly and discuss it with the hosts, if needed. After all, direct communication can prevent a lot of misunderstandings!

Location is everything! So learn how to elevate your baby shower with unique venues.

Where is the best location for a baby shower?

There are lots of possible answers to this question. Your answer depends on your location, how many people you invite to the baby shower, the aesthetic preferences of the mom-to-be, and other key details. You can always plan to have the baby shower at someone’s home, as long as there’s enough space and available seating for all the guests. If weather allows, you can also have the baby shower at a local park for a cost-effective choice.

Renting an event space for a few hours can also be a great option as the location for a baby shower. As the largest online marketplace for short-term rentals of event venue rentals and other spaces, Peerspace offers a vast selection encompassing literally tens of thousands of stunning venue rentals. It’s easy to find a space that would make the ideal location for a memorable and festive baby shower.

And because Peerspace venues are available for rent in hundreds of cities throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Europe, and beyond, there’s almost certainly a selection to choose from in your area, especially if you live in or near a city.

Examples of beautiful baby shower-perfect venues available through Peerspace

Curious about the kinds of venues you’ll find on Peerspace? Here are four incredible examples to get you started in your search. Any of these spaces would be excellent choices for a baby shower.

This designed-focused loft in Detroit, Michigan

Known as the “Disco Loft”, this space is perfectly situated a short walk from the city’s East Side Rivertown Warehouse district. The venue is freshly renovated and it shows, with its open layout and abundance of thoughtful and comfortable seating arrangements. With your rental, you’ll also have access to free street parking, a high-quality Alexa sound system with five speakers and a subwoofer, and an app-controlled smart light system. 

This stunning waterfront studio in San Francisco, California

This spacious, 2,400-square-foot studio in Ghirardelli Square has sweeping views, tons of natural light, and a flexible floor plan. It offers views of the Bay and Alcatraz, not to mention a private parklet right outside the door. The rental also includes three dining tables that can seat up to 35 people as well as three comfortable lounge areas for sitting and socializing. 

This intimate open-concept venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Known as Derive Home, this venue is a full-service rental located inside a unique open-concept row house. It combines vintage flair and unique finds with modern updates and a top-of-the-line kitchen. The kitchen also connects to a gorgeous deck with a pergola where you and your guests can hang out outside.  This venue’s creative team can help take on some of the planning to ensure that the baby shower you host here is a complete success!

This eclectic, cozy, easily transformable space in Denver, Colorado

Located in a historic building, this venue has hardwood floors, brick walls, and soaring ceilings, not to mention tasteful modern furnishings and decor. Thanks to its River North Art District (AKA “RiNo”) location, you’ll be steps away from art galleries, concert venues, cocktail lounges, and other hip destinations if you’d like to incorporate them into your celebrations at all.

There are literally tens of thousands of potential venues waiting to be discovered on Peerspace—run a search of your own to find great baby shower venues near you.

More frequently asked questions about baby showers

Now that we’ve addressed the question of who pays for the baby shower, what about other common etiquette questions? Here are our answers to some of the most common baby shower-related questions:

Traditionally, who plans and hosts a baby shower?

Although these days, it’s not a faux pas for the expecting parents to plan and host a baby shower for themselves, tradition dictates that someone else usually plans and hosts a baby shower for the mom-to-be. This person is usually a close friend, a coworker (in the case of an office baby shower), or a family member, such as a grandparent, a sibling, or a cousin.

Here’s our full, in-depth article on who plans the baby shower for more detailed guidance on this topic.

Does the mom-to-be help plan her own baby shower?

She can help to plan her own baby shower, but it’s not a requirement. The person planning the baby shower can ask the mom-to-be if she has any priorities for her baby shower, such as a preferred theme, location, number of guests, dress code, and other key elements of the gathering. Knowing her priorities and preferences on these key details can help ensure that the baby shower turns out exactly as she was hoping!

When should the baby shower take place?

Most baby showers happen in the sixth or seventh month of the pregnancy, meaning about two or three months before your due date. But ultimately, it’s up to whoever is planning the baby shower to choose a date—this is just a general suggestion based on the traditional timing for this kind of event. (Note: Planning the shower well in advance of the due date does give you plenty of time to send thank-you notes for the gifts you receive before you give birth, so that’s a definite benefit.)

When should you mail out (or email) invitations for a baby shower?

You should send out invitations for a baby shower at least four weeks before the date of the baby shower itself. If you send out your invitations too soon, it can actually be harder for guests to plan, because they might not know what they’re doing months from then. But if you don’t give them enough notice, some of the guests might not be able to make it—so four weeks’ notice is a good happy medium.

Don’t forget a thing by utilizing our handy baby shower planning checklist!

How many people should be invited to a baby shower?

In general, a baby shower should be on the smaller side, meaning up to about 30 or 40 people at a maximum. You can invite more guests, but having too many people in attendance could detract from the intimate vibe and make it difficult for everyone to be fully involved in the traditional baby shower activities you might be planning. Ask the parents-to-be if they have any preferences regarding the size of the guest list (as well as who to invite).

How long should a baby shower last?

There is no cut-and-dried length of time that baby showers are expected to last, but two to three hours is a pretty good rule of thumb. This allows plenty of time for enjoying food and drink, socializing and relaxing, and also classic activities like playing baby shower games and opening gifts. Since pregnant women can be especially busy, and easily tired (their bodies are growing a whole new person, after all!), it’s a good idea to keep the gathering on the shorter side if at all possible so she doesn’t get too worn out.

Conclusion: Who pays for the baby shower?

By now, you fully understand who pays for the baby shower, and—hopefully—you’ve had all your burning questions regarding baby showers answered. So it’s time to start planning an amazing baby shower for the expecting couple in your life!

Need more party-planning advice? Head over to the Peerspace resources section for many more guides to event planning, as well as tons of useful info on related topics.

Find unique baby shower venues on Peerspace