"Like so many first-time moms in 2020, Steph Alleva Cornell had a virtual baby shower when she was pregnant with her son during the pandemic. So when she found out she was pregnant again—this time with a baby girl—she knew she had to go all out on an in-person baby shower to celebrate. And a flower-inspired baby shower was the perfect theme to welcome her baby girl. “I’m a girly girl at heart,” said Steph, “and I was so excited to lean into that with my second pregnancy. I was due in the spring, which is my favorite season, so florals naturally became my inspiration for everything surrounding my daughter.”
Here, Steph is sharing all the details from her gorgeous, floral-inspired spring baby shower—including how she planned (she starts early), budgeted, and sourced the extra-special details like floral centerpieces and creative desserts. Keep scrolling for all the “Baby in Bloom” baby shower theme inspiration you need.
Name: Steph Alleva Cornell
Month of Baby’s Due Date: April, but delivered on March 30
Baby’s Sex: Girl
Baby’s Name: Sofia Luna
Location: My home in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
Number of Guests Invited: About 35-40
A Floral-Inspired Spring Baby Shower Theme
How did Steph choose a flower-themed baby shower? “I gravitated toward soft floral patterns when I chose her clothing, nursery decor, and everything in between,” said Steph. “And once it became time to plan our baby shower, I began perusing Pinterest and saw tons of wildflower-inspired parties.”
“Pinterest is always my main source of inspiration for pretty much every creative thing I do—especially parties. When it was time to plan the baby shower, I created a secret board and divided it into sections: invitations, decor, desserts, and baby shower games. I also like to get inspiration from accounts on Instagram and TikTok. Once I figure out a popular theme name, I will search it on both platforms and save posts that I like, which I can reference later.”
‘Baby in Bloom’ Invites
‘Baby in Bloom’ Shower Decorations
Regarding her favorite details from the shower, Steph said, “Everything turned out so gorgeous, I still marvel at the photos a year later. However, I think the florals and desserts were the star of the show for sure. I hired Retro Garden Co. for florals and Blush + Whisk Bakery for the custom cake and cookies. They both did an insanely good job of bringing my wildflower vision to life.”
Florals and Centerpieces
Gorgeous wildflower floral centerpieces were the focus of Steph’s shower, in springtime shades of pink, purples, and whites with plenty of greenery.
Spring Baby Shower Photo Backdrops
Steph’s fresh flower centerpieces were complemented by other floral-inspired decor like a flower wall and balloon arch. And both were perfect for baby shower photo ops.
Food and Drink Ideas
A “Baby in Bloom” shower theme can be perfect for a baby shower brunch with quiches, pastries, small sandwiches, and salads. Add a “mom-osa” juice bar like Steph did for a fun, personalized touch.
Spring Baby Shower Games
What would a baby shower be without a few games or activities for guests? “We played a few questionnaire baby shower games and had a diaper raffle as well,” said Steph.
“I purchased the questionnaire and diaper raffle design templates from Etsy and ordered the prints from VistaPrint, which was super easy. I think everyone liked the “who knows mom best” game the most. People got super competitive over it!”
For another baby shower activity idea, consider a DIY flower bar. Offer a selection of flowers where guests can create their own bouquet. Not only does this activity double as decor, but it’s also a pretty baby shower favor to take home.
Spring Baby Shower Favors
Flowers naturally lend themselves to a living baby shower favor from bud vases with flowers, seed packs, or tiny succulents.
Guests can plant these seed packets for a sweet reminder from the shower.
Spring Baby Shower Planning Tips
Start Early
Steph’s biggest piece of advice to anyone planning a baby shower is to start early. “Think ahead and start brainstorming themes months in advance, then build various inspo lists and shopping lists. It all comes together much more seamlessly when planning ahead. Whether you’re hosting a shower for yourself or someone else, you can begin enlisting others to the cause early on and purchasing decor items little by little. This will help reduce the pressure so much. And finally, remember to breathe and enjoy the day once it arrives!”
Determine baby shower guest list and budget
“Since my son was born during the pandemic, we could only have a virtual baby shower,” shared Steph. “It was extremely disappointing for me as a first-time mom, especially after having suffered a miscarriage the year before. That experience really influenced how much effort I put into my second baby shower. It was basically my first and last real baby shower (two kids is our perfect number), so we all agreed it was only appropriate to go all out.”
“We determined the guest list and budget months in advance (at least three months). Our guest lists always include the same people (family and close friends), and we have to stay under 40 people since we host all our events in our home in order to save money. Our family and friends were so excited to celebrate, so couples and kids were included. I loved having it that way.”
I know most people usually have someone else plan their baby shower, but I genuinely love planning events, so my family offers to help pay for certain items instead. The family who decides to contribute gives me their budget, and I do the research of which vendors would be the most cost-effective and assign them the vendor that matches their budget. If it’s a smaller budget, we decide what becomes a DIY project, and our family always chips in to help, thankfully. My husband and I decide our own budget (usually all the extra decorative items); we create a list on Amazon, and then we will gradually purchase items over the course of those few months.
Steph Alleva Cornell, Branded Content Editor
With several years of marketing and content production experience, Steph finds joy in capturing life’s everyday moments creatively. As Branded Content Editor at The Everymom, she produces authentic editorial and social content for our sponsors that prioritizes our brand values and readers’ interests.