That being said; both of my showers were coed, buoyant and undemanding. My husband embraced the experience beautifully and the celebrations were just that, exquisite parties for this life we created together. Now don’t get me wrong, some of the men were hesitant, but once they arrived and a beer was placed in their hands, they calmed down. Let’s start with the Georgia shower.
My high school friends, Lauren and Kimmy devoted their free time to making sure we had a flawless cowboy themed baby bash. The décor included mason jars, bandanas, burlap, cowboy boots and southwestern food. It was a few hours of socializing, hugging and kissing the faces of my loved ones. Now, we did open gifts and that stressed Matt out a bit, but it turned out better that way. Matt added comical relief to the process; keeping the guests intrigued, laughing and interactive. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate Marshall.
Just two short weeks later we took pleasure in our Colorado baby shower. The theme; Record Baby. The hostesses know the way to this mama’s heart, I mean, I named my son after Marshall Tucker Band. Sarah and Erin did an impeccable job organizing this event; my house was tastefully embellished with black, blue and lime green accessories. The guests had their choices of red or white sangrias, enough food to feed and army and brewskies from many breweries in Colorado. With the arrival of 50 guests, we opted to not open gifts at the party and save that for a romantic evening among Matt & I. This turned out beautifully, a lot of guests ended up thanking me for saving them from that agonizing event that takes place at most showers.
To say that the showers were a success is an understatement. I had guests calling me after both showers, offering their praises to the hostesses for their tasteful assembly of the soirees. And how did the guys fare? Fantastic! I had many hesitant gentleman asking me why we kept these parties a secret for the ladies only (The cigar bar may have helped with that). My theory, throw the rule book out the window, let everyone celebrate this wonderful time in your life. You won’t regret it (plus, dudes are likely to bring the most adorable and humorous gifts).
Top 10 Tips for Throwing a Coed Baby Shower:
- Make sure your husband isn’t the only guy there, this should be a given. You want the guest list to be even or pretty darn close to it.
- No games. Absolutely no games, nothing makes a man more uncomfortable then measuring the mom-to-be’s belly!
- Provide beer, the good kind. Don’t stock up on natty light, do your best to find a variety of local brews. It becomes a conversation piece.
- Don’t open gifts at the shower, and if you do, don’t force the men to be a part of the affair (let them play pool, yard games, smoke cigars outside, etc).
- Have a poker tournament for the men and play with diapers! They get to gamble, you get the diapers. Win, win.
- Opt out of saying “Baby Shower” on the invitation. Instead using casual language: “Coed Baby Bash” “Coed BBQ Celebration” “Let’s Party with Mom and Dad!”
- Steer clear of baby blues and light pinks, nothing will strip a man of his dignity like a light pink straw chillin’ in his drinking glass.
- Keep the décor simple and chic. Make the guys feel like they’re walking into a party and not a baby shower.
- Have a BBQ, telling a guy to flip a burger makes him feel manly.
- If you want light pink, baby shower games and frilly decorations… don’t have a coed shower. Period
Jacqueline Leigh 