Baby Shower Budget Calculator

This calculator splits your total baby shower budget using common planning percentages: venue or space 15%, food and drinks 40%, cake and dessert 10%, decor 20%, games and favors 10%, and other costs 5%. These figures are a starting framework — every shower's priorities differ depending on guest count, DIY effort, and whether food is catered or potluck-style.

Food and drinks typically consume the largest share at casual showers, especially when you hire a caterer or order a grazing table. Decor and games can shrink if you host at home and reuse baby-registry gift wrap or simple centerpieces.

Example: a $1,500 total budget splits into $225 for venue or space, $600 for food and drinks, $150 for cake, $300 for decor, $150 for games and favors, and $75 for everything else — shift any category up or down to match your own plan.

At-home showers often show 0% venue and higher food/decor — mentally move the venue slice into groceries or rental chairs.

Co-hosts sometimes split categories rather than totals — use per-category amounts as negotiation starters.

Worked example with $1,500: food/drink $600 (40%), decor $300 (20%), venue/space $225 (15%).

Venue-free showers at a relative's home shift the 15% venue slice into rentals — chairs, tables, and linen delivery belong in decor or food lines depending how you categorize one-time charges versus groceries. At-home showers shift venue spend into rentals — chair and table delivery belongs in decor or food depending how you categorize one-time charges.

Co-ed showers with beer and wine may need a higher food-and-drink percentage than traditional afternoon tea menus — mentally borrow from decor before cutting the total $1,500 ceiling when bar costs surprise you. Co-ed bars may need higher drink percentage — borrow from decor before cutting $1,500 total when wine and beer exceed afternoon tea norms.

At $1,500 total with typical splits, food and drink near $600 (40%) leaves $900 for games, favors, cake, and paper goods. Thirty guests implies ~$50 per guest all-in before host labor and gift-wrap supplies. $1,500 for thirty guests ≈ $50/guest all-in — compare against venue minimums before assuming the default category splits fit your host plan.