Everyone loves to celebrate a little one on the way, so there’s no reason to restrict a baby shower guest list to women only! Co-ed baby showers are becoming more popular these days, but how do you evolve the décor and activities to match? It can still be challenging to plan a baby shower that isn’t over-the-top cutesy and girly, especially if you are expecting a little girl. Check out the tips below for some ideas on how to throw a co-ed baby shower that everyone will enjoy.

Decor

When choosing decor, remember that while you are celebrating the arrival of a baby, this particular party is for the adults, and it is for men as well as women. Instead of decorating it in line with how you would a kid’s birthday party, think more along the lines of a wedding. Keep the décor classy instead of cutesy. If you still want to stick with traditional pink or blue color schemes, try just toning down the bright nursery colors to more “adult” versions, like burgundy or navy. You can also add a masculine edge to softer color palettes by incorporating metallic hues, like copper and gunmetal silver.

Food

When thinking about a menu, keep in mind that the guys at your party probably won’t be satisfied with finger foods alone. If your shower is going to be around a meal time, be sure to offer a main course that will please everyone. Look into catering options or see if you can commission a couple friends and family to help cook up big batches of food.

Drinks

In most cases, the key to making sure the guys have a good time is to serve some good drinks. Try to have enough beer, wine, and maybe one or two cocktail ingredients on hand, plus a selection of non-alcoholic beverage options for any moms-to-be, designated drivers, and non-drinkers. Stock juice and soda for some refreshing mocktails, and of course the staples like water, tea and lemonade.

Games

Traditional baby shower games may be on their way out of style in general, but especially with a co-ed crowd. Activities are always a plus, but keep it simple and don’t try to force the “fun.” Provide some casual lawn games and if you still want to have a big group activity, think about games that are easy to participate in and not too cheesy, like trivia or fill-in-the-blanks.

Gifts

With a co-ed baby shower, it’s important to put the focus on the dad-to-be as well as the mom. This means you should open all your gifts together, so make sure to have seating set up for the both of you. Ask a friend to sit nearby and take notes for your thank you cards. Having another person on hand to help bring gifts to mom and dad and stash all the unwrapped goodies will do wonders in making sure gifts don’t get lost or accidently tossed in the trash.

Favors

Everyone probably has enough mini bottles of bubbles, and the guys at your shower likely won’t appreciate a bottle of nail polish as a favor. If you are going to give out favors to your guests, make sure it is something functional that both men and women can appreciate. Baked goods, mini bottles of alcohol, custom BBQ spice rubs, or even lottery scratcher tickets can be simple and inexpensive favors that won’t go immediately in the junk drawer.

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