Rainbow Baby Shower Plates: How Many Do You Need?
By Kate Aspen Wedding Favors – Unique Bridal Shower & Party ... | Published: 2026-10-22
Category: How-to Guides
Learn how many paper plates to buy for your rainbow baby shower, with a simple calculator and practical tips for boho rainbow plates.
Quick answer
For a typical baby shower, order about 1.5 plates per guest for the meal and another 1.5 for dessert, so a 16-count pack covers roughly 5 guests. For a 30-guest boho baby shower, that means about 90 plates total.
Why the rule of thumb works
Most showers serve a meal and a dessert course, and guests often hold two plates at once. A 1.5 multiplier per course accounts for seconds, dropped plates, and the host who forgets to take one.
If you're serving a buffet, guests tend to use one plate for everything, so you can trim the total to about 1.75 plates per person. A sit-down meal with separate dessert service pushes it closer to 3 plates per guest.
When to adjust your estimate
A daytime shower with light snacks needs fewer plates than a full dinner event. If you're serving finger foods like cupcakes and fruit, one plate per guest plus a few extra is enough.
Kids under 10 often need a second plate because they drop or abandon them. Add 2–3 extra plates for every 10 children.
If you're planning a grazing table or dessert bar, guests will likely grab a fresh plate for each round. That's where the 1.5-per-course rule saves you from mid-party trips to the store.
How to calculate your plate count
- Symptom: You're not sure how many paper plates to buy for your rainbow baby shower, and you don't want to run out or end up with a pile of leftovers.
- Likely cause: Most people underestimate that guests use more than one plate per event, especially when there's a separate dessert course or a buffet.
- Corrective action: Count your guests, decide if you're serving one course or two, then multiply: 1.5 plates per guest per course. For a 16-count pack, that's about 5 guests per pack per course. Round up to the nearest pack. For a 30-guest shower with a meal and dessert, you'll need about 90 plates, which means 6 packs of the 16-count boho rainbow plates.
- When to stop or choose another option: If you're serving a single course or only light snacks, you can drop to 1.25 plates per guest. If you're planning a formal sit-down dinner with multiple courses, consider upgrading to a heavier disposable plate or a sturdier size.
A plate that fits the theme
- Boho Rainbow Baby 9 in. Premium Paper Plates (Set of 16): The Boho Rainbow Baby 9 in. Premium Paper Plates (Set of 16) are spacious enough to hold a meal or various finger foods. A 9-inch plate works for both a dinner portion and a dessert course, so one pack can cover multiple uses without needing a separate smaller plate.
Boho Rainbow Baby 9 in. Premium Paper Plates (Set of 16)
