By Heather K. Scott, Tribune Content Solutions
Are you preparing to host a baby shower, and want to go beyond the stereotypical pastel-colored party? Baby showers today come in a wide variety of themes, and many boast of some rather unconventional (and super fun!) event ideas and activities. Gaininspiration from our simple tips, suggested by event planning experts.
No longer are baby showers relegated to pink-and-blue colored brunch parties, attended by mothers, sisters, and friends of Mom-to-be. Today, baby showers have become so much more. Katherine Kommer of k.Lane Events and Baby Showers Inc., (babyshowersinc.com)points out that a major shift has taken place, and more and more hosts are planning co-ed or couples baby showers — and including fresh entertainment ideas and activities.
Co-Ed & Couples Baby Showers
“We’ve noticed an increasing trend in co-ed and couples baby showers,” says Kommer. “Traditionally, the men are left out of the festivities as the baby shower is a women-only event celebrating the mother-to-be. With this new concept,all men, women, friends and family of the expecting parents are invited to celebrate.”
The key to a successful co-ed baby shower is having food and entertainment that caters to all of your guests. Kommer suggests creating several activity tables and staging them throughout your event space, allowing guests to choose what they’dlike to do.
Some fun ideas for men and women guests include:
- Setting up a station where guests can decorate onesies for women.
- Include a fun open-concept photo booth for everyone to pose with props.
Gender Neutral Themes
“Parents choose not to share the gender or resort to gender-normative themes are also becoming increasingly popular,” says Kommer.
The bonus to a gender-neutral baby shower is that you have a lot more creativity to work with, since the concept is much more open. Some themes to consider include:
- Retro circus baby shower
- Victorian vintage shower
- Rubber ducky shower
- Bumble bee shower
- Forest animals shower
- A monochrome shower
- Dr. Seuss shower
Group-Hosted Baby Showers
Etiquette expert Diane Gottsman (dianegottsman.com) points out that many women today are banding together to jointly host showers. This helps with costs, planning and preparing for the event.
A big bonus of a group-hosted shower is you can split costs among the hosts, which allows you to spend more money on the event and really pamper Mom-to-Be. This also lets everyone be responsible for something. One person might handle invitations, anotherarrange for the food, and yet another be in charge of activities and games.
Baby Sprinkles
Historically, baby showers are usually thrown for a couple’s first pregnancy. But a popular trend is to also host baby showers for subsequent pregnancies. Called ”baby sprinkles,” these events are typically smaller and less elaborate.
Additional Tips & Ideas
The less your baby shower is planned — no matter the theme — the more it will feel like a party and less like a mandatory event, suggests Jennifer Moss, baby name expert, founder and CEO of www.babynames.com, and author of “The One-in-a-MillionBaby Name Book.” Consider these baby shower basics to help keep your event streamlined and simple:
- Cocktail reception-styled event
- Have hors d'oeuvres to pass around
- Set up a dessert bar
- Avoid alcohol; serve “mocktails” instead
And, as Gottsman advises, allow yourself enough time to plan your party. These party-planning basics can help ensure a successful gathering:
- Send out invitations 6 weeks in advance.
- Check in with the mom-to-be before planning the event to double check food allergies, theme preferences, and so on.
- Share registry information with guests.
- Get an approximate guest count from Mom-to-Be, discuss expectations for venue and food — and stick to that budget.
Image: Huggies Baby Shower Planner Pinterest Board