Who Plans The Baby Shower? Everything You Need To Know
James Olson
Updated on April 05, 2026
Another family member
Grandparents aren’t the only family members who could take on baby shower planning. Siblings, cousins, or aunts and uncles are also key candidates for baby shower planning, depending on how close they are to expectant parents. Like with grandparents, either one member of the family could take on the task, or multiple people could collaborate together. This is also a good time for members of both sides of the family to come together, so keep that in mind.
A close friend
They say that friends are the family you choose, and best friends of the expectant parents might want to take on the task to plan a baby shower. Long-time friends are some of the best candidates for baby shower planning. After all, if you’ve known someone since you were both kids, it’s only natural to want to help them celebrate the arrival of their own child. So, if you’re a best friend who wants to pitch in, feel free to offer your shower-planning services as an honorary aunt or uncle!
A coworker
For baby showers that happen in the workplace, sometimes a coworker will step up and throw a baby shower. Office baby showers are a fun way to bring life to the workplace – and to have a good excuse to eat cake on the job. So, for someone who wants to celebrate a new baby at the office, a co-worker is the go-to baby shower planner.
Office baby showers can either happen alongside a family and friends’ baby shower or be combined to form a single mega-shower, depending on what the expectant parents want to do. There’s no hard and fast rule here!
How to plan an awesome baby shower
By now, you should know all about who plans a baby shower. But how do you actually go about doing it? Here are a few key tips to keep in mind!
Set up a registry
Set up a gift registry so that the parents-to-be can pick out their ideal necessities for their little one. For guests, this helps take the guesswork out of shopping, as they know the expectant parents are guaranteed to want their gift.
This step is optional, though. For parents who don’t need or want gifts, it’s totally ok to throw a baby shower with no gifts involved! In lieu of traditional baby shower gifts, sometimes the expectant parents might ask for a common necessity, like diapers or formula. Just make sure you consult with the expectant parents beforehand to get an idea of what they want.