Elegant Baby Shower on a Budget

Over the weekend, I co-hosted a baby shower for a family friend. We planned it on a short time frame and on a tight budget, but it still turned out to be an elegant and beautiful event!

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One way to pack a decorative punch is with a balloon arch or garland. We borrowed the one pictured from the mother-to-be’s family shower the previous day, but you can get one for $20 or less. I love these two options here and here for a girl, or this one for a boy!

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There are SO many to choose from though, so if those don’t suit you, it won’t be hard to find one you like for a shower or any other occasion! If you don’t have one, you may want to borrow or purchase a balloon pump, or you can use a regular bike tire pump!

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Name banners are another way to decorate your space and personalize your event. We hung two name banners, one of which was embroidered and also served as a gift for the baby’s nursery. The other was a balloon banner, which you can find here! We hung our banners where we thought they would be seen the most and serve as pretty backdrops for pictures.

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The only other decorations we used were fresh flowers from Costco and Publix. We used our own vases, and one of the co-hosts arranged the flowers. This added so much color and elegance to the space and was much more affordable than purchasing pre-made arrangements.

Speaking of elegance, why not save on plates, napkins, plastic utensils, and cups by using your own china, silver, and crystal? I feel like these old wedding gifts and family hand-me-downs don’t get enough use, and for all the space they take up and effort it takes to haul them from house to house, I like to put them to good use! I have several extra sets from my grandmother and mother-in-law, so now I use them for every party I throw. Mr. Bright and I even used them at our wedding!

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I used my grandmother’s china and silver, and one of the co-hosts brought her crystal champagne glasses. The only “cost” was a bit of silver polish and the time it took to polish some of the serving pieces and wash the dishes afterwards. It was totally worth it to not only save another $50, but as you can see, it also added feminine, elegant and classic touches to the event! If this had been a shower for a boy or a unisex shower, I would have used my own china, which has a more neutral and tailored look.

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For drinks, we served mimosas and water. It was a 2 pm shower, so the mimosas were a hit! While straight champagne would be appropriate for an afternoon shower, the orange juice helped save a bit on champagne.

As for the menu, we were lucky enough to find a very affordable caterer, who is not only easy to work with, but her food is DELICIOUS! How about some brie and fig tarts? Artichoke and parmesan bites? A charcuterie board? Sundried tomato turkey rolls? Or a rasberry and lemon cake? YES PLEASE! Everyone raved about how incredible everything tasted, so if you are in the Atlanta area, check out Meredith’s Tidbits and Treats! You will not be disappointed!

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I didn’t forget about the invitations! The grandmother-to-be handled the invites and got them out immediately after we decided on a date. But if you are in a hurry, Amazon has some beautiful options you can fill in yourself, like these, or of course you could always go paperless with paperlesspost.com!

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Last but not least, you may want to consider an easy game to play. You could also add a sign-in book or some way for guests to leave messages or advice for the parents-to-be. A basket of diapers and a few sharpies are perfect for this!

We kept it simple and had each guest grab a clothespin as they walked in the door. The simple instructions were, “Don’t say baby!” If you hear anyone say “baby,” take her clothespin! The person with the most clothespins at the end of the shower won a prize. We again kept this simple by giving away a plant from a local grocery store as the prize.

That’s it, friends! Just a simple baby shower without too much fuss, but as you can see in the photos, it turned out looking totally fabulous!

Thanks for reading! I’d love your feedback below, and if you’d like to read about other events I’ve hosted recently, check out my posts on our Valentine’s Day Brunch or our Donut Grow Up birthday party!

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xo Mary