The fact is that for many women, getting married and having a baby happen very close together. When the two special events are right on top of each other, the woman’s friends might wonder if there is some way to hold one party to celebrate both occasions. This gave rise to the increasingly popular combination bridal and baby shower.
You certainly can combine a bridal shower and a baby shower, although it takes some finesse to pull it off well. It is not easy to balance out two events in one party, and the likelihood is that one will take center stage. Almost inevitably, it will be the baby shower that gets more attention than the wedding part of the shower.
If you are the host of a combo shower, be sure that the nature of the occasion is clear on the invitations. You might write something like, “Please join us at party in honor of Misty Brown. It is a bridal shower and a baby shower!”, etc. I don’t always recommend including registry information in an invitation, but in this situation, it might be a good idea. Even so, you are bound to have plenty of confused guests wondering what to bring: a baby gift, a wedding gift, or both!
One clever idea for the gift would be to give a baby and a wedding gift that have some sort of tie-in, or common theme. For example, you could give a toaster and a bottle warmer. Another idea would be to create a gift basket that includes a number of small things for the home and the baby. You could fill your basket with items like small kitchen tools (whisks and spatulas), a baby rattle, diaper cream, and so on. This would be a good way to put together a nice gift that honors both occasions, without the expense of purchasing two complete presents.
Baby stuff is much more fun to shop for than the wedding things, so the guest of honor will probably end up with a lot for the baby, but not much for herself or her house. It would be very thoughtful if the host, or perhaps the bride’s mother, made a special effort to get her something beautiful just for her.
With a new baby on the way, the bride is probably not treating herself to many indulgences, so a a gift to make her feel pretty, like a set of bridal jewelry, would be a wonderful present from her mom. If the baby is a girl, it would be very sweet to get her a little piece of jewelry that matches the bridal jewelry, such as a tiny pearl necklace. Not that she will wear it anytime soon, but it would make a very sentimental keepsake.
Other than the gifts, a combined bridal and baby shower won’t really be all that different than any other shower. Instead of a strong theme décor, if you decorate with pretty fresh flowers, it will work equally well for a baby or bridal shower. Some nice finger foods, a white cake, and you are all set.
It is a little out of the ordinary, but putting together a combination bridal and baby shower can definitely be done with style and grace. A combination shower is a nice alternative to having two separate parties very close together. And the bride will be delighted to get to celebrate two happy occasions at once.
