Who Wants a Bridal Shower/Baby Shower Combo?

First, you or your friend needs to be in the increasingly more-common position of being pregnant and engaged at the same time. So let’s say you or your friend qualifies. If you’re the bride/mom-to-be, would you prefer one big blow-out for both, or two separate events? Same question for the host, and the same question for a guest. Here are the pros and cons for each:

Bride/Mom-to-Be

Pros

• Combo party = all the gifts and fun - the exhaustion. If you’re pregnant and planning a wedding, you might find the stress overwhelming. Combining the two showers saves you time and energy. Naturally, family and friends will bring gifts for both showers, so you’ll get all the benefits with half the exertion.

Cons

• Your secret (if you were keeping it) is out.
• Creating the guest list for a combo party might be a little difficult, since you might want some people at one celebration and not at the other. It depends on whom you’re inviting to the wedding. People you want to invite to your baby shower may not be invited to the wedding. Still, they may feel obligated to bring you a bridal shower gift. It may be a bit awkward.

Host

Pros

• If you’re the guest of honor’s best friend and part of the wedding party, you are the likely candidate to host these two events. Needless to say, hosting two individual celebrations at the same time for the same person reduces your expenses significantly.
• The combo shower cuts your time expended for planning and executing approximately in half.
Cons
• Most shower planners like to choose a theme. As you can well imagine, the combo shower limits your theme choices dramatically. Here are a couple of suggestions: "Lingerie and Layette", "Wedding and Diaper Downpour", "From Gown to Gerber’s" or "Here Comes the Baby."
• You’ll have to work with the guest of honor on her guest list, which might drive you slightly nuts.

Guest

Pros

• Either way, a guest would have to buy two gifts (unless she’s not invited to both individual showers,) but she only has to give up one weekend day instead of two for the combo party.

Cons

• You may give the bride a bridal shower gift, only to discover later you’re not invited to the wedding. Ouch!
• If you’re a party freak, it’s a bummer. Do your best to have twice the fun!

Favors for a Bridal Shower
Browse a unique and elegant collection of bridal shower favors from My Wedding Favors.