The Costco Connection

Rebooting bridal and baby showers

By Susan Johnston

TRADITIONALLY, BRIDAL AND baby showers have brought together multigenera-tion groups of women to fawn over sterling silver place settings or pastel onesies while nibbling on ;nger sandwiches. But while many brides and moms-to-be still enjoy these classic celebrations, some are nixing the lace and pearls in favor of less conventional showers.

Just ask A.C. Shilton, a Costco member in
Naples, Florida, who tied the knot in October
2012. She’d told her bridesmaids she didn’t
want bridal shower gi;s or silly games, and
joked about going shooting. To her surprise,
they arranged for the ;ve of them to dress up
and ride to a local shooting range. “We had
only shot a gun once between the ;ve of us,”
she says, “but we were not the ;rst group of
A;er a safety lesson, the group donned
headphones and ear and eye protection to
shoot handguns at targets. Later, they went for
cocktails and a nice meal. “It was so di;erent
than what I expected, but we have great memo-
ries,” Shilton says. “I would totally recommend
doing something o;-the-wall like that.”
Activity-based showers—involving cook-
ing, cra;ing or wine tasting—o;er an alterna-
tive to the usual party games and small talk.
“;e a;ernoon country club shower isn’t the

The Costco Connection

Costco members will find everything they need to host or contribute to a baby or bridal shower at Costco warehouses or on Costco.com.

only idea out there,” says Amy Shey Jacobs,
principal planner at Chandelier Events in
New York. “I’ve done showers on a ;ursday
night in a wine bar or a Mexican restaurant.”
Co-ed showers (also called Jack and Jill
showers) are also gaining popularity. “I’m
absolutely seeing [that] men are much more
involved,” Jacobs says. “Showers are not exclu-
sively for the female side of the couple.
Families are changing, so you’re ;nding that
you have two moms, two dads, two brides or
two grooms.”
Plus, she adds, the wife is no longer
assumed to be the sole chef, so some men enjoy
opening gifts of high-end kitchenware and
other housewares even more than the women.

Pamela Eaton, a Costco member in La
Jolla, California, hosted a co-ed sports-themed
baby shower for her sister earlier this year.
“Why not involve everybody who’s close to
that person?” she asks. “You can celebrate both
people and the baby that’s coming, not just the
mom or the bride.”
She decorated her condo with sports
memorabilia and told guests to “bring cash
for the bookie” (so they could bet on when
the baby will be born and how much he will
weigh). Eaton also set up a taco cart and
served mimosas, beer and margaritas. Even
the date (the Sunday before the Super Bowl)
was chosen with sports fans in mind. “I
planned it so that playo;s were done and men
would actually want to be here, not watching
football,” she says.

In some cases, expectant dads go to “dadchelor parties” or “power showers” with their male friends before the arrival of a new baby. ;en there’s the charity shower, where the guest of honor encourages donations in lieu of gi;s. ;at concept might appeal to couples who have all the dinnerware or diaper bags they need. For instance, Jacobs has seen expectant couples request children’s books to be donated to a local daycare center.

Whatever form the shower takes, in many cases, “the old rules are falling by the wayside,” says Jacobs, as couples and their friends create new traditions that ;t their lives. C

Freelance writer Susan Johnston covers lifestyle, small business and personal ;nance.

Tips for a
great party

• Make it personal. For an activity-centered shower, look to the guest of honor’s interests for inspiration. For instance, a sushi-loving couple might enjoy a private sushi-making class with friends.

• Don’t mess with Great-Aunt Millie. If older relatives want a more traditional shower, let them plan their own. “Couples often live away from their families, so multiple showers are necessitated by the way we live,” says Amy Shey Jacobs of Chandelier Events.

“That will mitigate any fighting over the style of shower.”

• Set the mood with music.

“Now that you have Spotify and Pandora, customized music playlists and wireless speakers are a great way to make any party special,” Jacobs says. “You can share the playlist with everybody after the fact.”

• Avoid a DIY disaster. Pinterest has tons of cute DIY ideas for shower invitation, favors, decorations and food, but if you’re not crafty or you’re strapped for time, you can buy stylish invitations, decorations and more.—SJ