If you know me, you know I love two things: planning and a solid-themed event. So, when the topic of having a baby shower came up I decided to host it with Matt and have some fun with the theme!

We went back-and-forth between a few themes, but eventually decided on ‘cowboy.’

The theme references our time living in Dallas, Texas and is also a hat tip to Matt’s current cowboy boot obsession. Once the theme was selected the rest of the planning process came together pretty easily.

Now, I’m sharing all the tips for planning a baby shower below:

The Planning Process & Invites:

I know that hosting our own baby shower was a little unconventional, but Matt and I just got married this past fall. Our friends and family spent so much time planning festivities around our wedding just six months ago, so I felt more comfortable having them all attend as guests.

When I started planning, I knew I wanted our baby shower to be co-ed.

Since I just had a bridal shower this past fall, I wanted our baby shower to be co-ed and allow everyone’s significant others and families to be at the event. It made the day feel much more like a family celebration instead of another ‘me’ centered celebration.

Honestly, both Matt and my Dad LOVE a party so I felt like being able to incorporate them into the celebration was special. If you’re on the fence about doing a co-ed baby shower celebration, I highly recommend it!

Once we finalized the guest list, theme, date, and location – I got to work on the invitations. I edited, printed, and mailed the invites through Etsy here.

Beer, Barbecue & Babies:

Once we had cowboy as the theme – I knew we had to have the event at Hops on the Hill Farm Brewery – a local spot in our hometown tucked in between historic farmland in the Connecticut River Valley.

The brewery is actually located in a stunning barn which played perfectly into the theme of our event. Breweries are great for all ages and provided plenty of room for our large event of 68 to spread out.

We kicked off our shower with mimosas, muffins, and fruit salad and worked our way up to darker brews, beer games, and BBQ!

To double-down on the theme I hired Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ’s food truck to serve lunch during the second half of the event. Food trucks are game-changers when hosting a party. First and foremost they usually provide all the paper products and utensils, but also it’s hassle-free with not having to set up or pack up any items.

Finally, we wrapped up the food festivities with cowboy-themed cupcakes thanks to Jessica’s Kitchen in Middletown, Connecticut.

One of my favorite moments during the baby shower was getting to see all the babies dressed up in their best cowboy attire. From flared cowboy chaps to gingham and jean jackets! All the babies in attendance looked the part.

Tips For Your Co-Ed Baby Shower

I wanted to leave you all with some tips if you plan on hosting a co-ed baby shower anytime soon! Below I’m sharing things I’d recommend doing and things I’d replace that are usually common at baby showers.

• Recommendations:
  • Diaper Raffle – I would highly recommend a diaper raffle with a good prize instead of a ‘diaper fund’. We gave away a baby blue Stanley Cup with a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card.
  • Casual Dress Attire – Since baby showers are usually dressy, I got a lot of questions inquiring about the dress code. But, we recommend blue jeans and provide bandannas at the entrance for guests to style with their looks.
  • Baby Picture Collage – Matt’s sister Jessica made Matt and I’s baby collage. It was one of my favorite pieces of decor at the event.
  • Having A Photographer – I take a lot of pictures when I’m working. So, when I’m with family, I rarely take any pictures. Having a photographer at our event was really nice and allowed me to share the day with you all!

• Replacements:
  • Opening Presents – I highly recommend having a display shower or having guests mail their shower gifts directly to your home! Mailing gifts directly to our home was great because we didn’t have to worry about packing up presents post-shower. It also gave guests an option of bringing their gifts to the event unwrapped. And allowed Matt and I more time to spend with guests instead of unwrapping items.
  • Traditional Baby Games – Matt and I replaced traditional baby shower games with more interactive team games. We did a baby beer bottle chugging competition. I purchased 15 baby bottles from the Dollar Tree Store and the bartender filled them up with blueberry cider. Whoever chugged the cider beer first walked away with a Hydro Flask cooler and a case of beer! We also had a cornhole tournament outside! It was a great way to get guests to intermingle.
  • Having A Casual Start Time – Three hours is plenty of time for a baby shower. Offering snacks at the start and the main course in the middle gave guests a casual feel. It also made it easy for them to pop in or out depending on their schedule.

I hope inspired an expecting mother to have a baby shower on her own terms! It was such a fun event. Make sure to come back next week for a full registry breakdown.

Honestly, making the baby shower registry was the hardest part of planning the baby shower!

Photography: Kayla Simon