My Backyard Spring Baby Shower in California : All the Baby Shower Planning Tips & Details

May 5, 2022

Babies, christina, Lifestyle, Other Posts, Pregnancy

Last weekend, I had the most dreamy backyard baby shower at my parents’ home in California! My mom loves to plan a good party, and is allllll about the details, so when it came to hosting our gender-neutral baby shower, she knocked it out of the park!!! So I of course wanted to share all of the baby shower details with you guys!

It was SUCH a beautiful day in my hometown in Northern California, and so much fun for the baby and I to be showered with love with so many friends and family. Pregnancy is such a special time, and the memories of this day will be something I’ll always remember. Feeling so grateful to have so much support and love surrounding us and this lucky little baby as we enter the most exciting new chapter of our lives!

Pastels, hot air balloons, a mom-osa bar, brunch bites, and up, up and away we go!!!

The theme

Hot air balloons, pink and blue pastels, and ‘up, up and away’, oh my! This fun and unique baby shower theme was so perfectly gender-neutral (since we aren’t finding out the gender!) and tied together the whole party, from our invitations to the decor.

Up, Up & Away custom sign from Etsy!

Baby shower games

This was a ladies-only shower (we are having a co-ed shower as well in Charleston!), so for this shower we invited a bunch of my mom’s friends and my friends, and wanted to make sure the day was fun for everyone. So, we included games where everyone could guess the baby’s gender, birth date + weight! You obviously have to wait to announce the winner, but it’s a fun interactive baby shower game, and it will be fun to look back on everyone’s guesses! I would say it was pretty much 50/50 girls and boys guesses!! We’ll just have to wait and seeeeee!! (what do you guys think!?)

We also did a memory game where my mom laid out a bunch of baby-related items and had us all look at them for a minute, and then write down how many we remembered. People got into it – it was HARD!

What I wore

I wore a blue and white dress that was soooo comfy and flowy (and it’s one size, so I think it will continue to fit well after the baby, which is a big win!). I love this brand – they make the most beautiful dresses, and I actually wore the brand while Kenny and I got engaged in Bali, so it means something special to me! I paired it with these fun pink earrings, a pink sweater, and these white shoes (which are my new summer favs!!!!). So I wasn’t giving anything away as to which gender I think the baby will be!

Shop my baby shower look:

The flowers

My mom did all of the flower arrangements herself (HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!) including these super-chic ‘hot air balloon’ flower arrangements that she made by putting ribbon around paper lanterns, sticking them on sticks, and forming adorable hot air balloon florals. Such a cute DIY decor idea for a baby shower!

What you’ll need to DIY these hot air balloon florals: white wicker basket, flowers, paper lantern, ribbon, sticks, and a hot glue gun.

The table setting

My mom used a rental company to rent one long table and then we decorated it with blue placemats, pink napkins, and gorgeous gold plates. Each person had their name card carved in wood (so chic!) that my mom found on Etsy!

Baby shower bites

We held the shower from 11am-2pm (although most friends ended up staying until about 4-5!!! ha! The mark of a great party, right?!) We had brunch catered by Sunrise Bistro in Northern California, it was delicious!! We did things like quiche, halved breakfast burritos, assorted (delicious) brunch pastries, fresh fruit, and a zesty lunch salad and croissant sandwiches for anyone craving more lunchy foods.

The booze

It wouldn’t be a party at my family’s house without top-notch wine and booze! In my opinion, baby showers shouldn’t skimp on having some nice wine or cocktails for guests. Just because the mom-to-be isn’t drinking doesn’t mean we can’t turn this thing into a fun day party!!!!! We had a mom-osa bar (with Veuve and other nice champagnes, so hardly anyone used any juice, LOL!), and a bunch of delicious rosés and white wines. Everyone was definitely having a ball.

The cake

I was obsessed with this cake we had custom made by Sugar Dot Bake Shop. First of all, how beautiful!!!! And second of all, it was seriously the most delicious cake ever. We did strawberry cake with icing and oh my goodness was it good. Made my pregnant belly VERY happy!

The cookie favors

What’s a baby shower without adorable cookies that go along with the theme!?

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Dad-to-be appearance

Kenny popped by at the end of the shower to say hi to everyone, which was fun! But during the shower he was out at a brewery with my dad, brother, and some friends whose spouses were at the shower!

And to check out -ahem, and “try out” – all of our awesome gifts like this Ergobaby carrier!!!!

Tips for hosting a baby shower (from my party-planning-expert mom!)

DIY what you can, but know when to outsource

For my mom, this meant doing things like the florals and a lot of the table decor herself, but outsourcing the catering and not doing all of the cooking and cleaning herself, so that she could actually enjoy the party! It’s great to do things yourself, but you definitely have to balance that with being able to enjoy.

DIY your balloon arch!

A balloon arch makes for a great photo spot at the shower, and can be hung above a desserts table, fireplace, entryway or outside to wow your guests! But, if you look into purchasing a balloon arch from a local spot for your baby shower, chances are you’ll find the prices pretty shocking. But the good news is they’re really not that hard to do yourself!
You’ll just need: A balloon arch kit (like this one, this one, or this one), balloons, a balloon pump (this one is great), and someone to help you! You do not need (or want) helium for a balloon arch.
You’ll want to blow up the balloons day-of if at all possible so that they don’t pop! Night before can work, too, but you’ll definitely lose a few balloons.
Don’t over-inflate the balloons! And use high-quality latex balloons, as cheaper balloons will not withstand the pulling and twisting required when positioning the garland in place and will likely pop.
Use command hooks to hang the balloon arch and either wire or string so that the garland is free-standing.