Tips for Hosting a Drive-Through Baby Shower
Thinking of throwing a drive-through baby shower? We’ve compiled our top tips to help you plan an unforgettable celebration.
I don’t know about you, but when the pandemic first appeared and started changing plans on us last year, I expected that we’d be just about back to normal by now. Suffice it to say, at this point, we can all agree that there’s probably not going to be a return to “normal” anytime soon. Of course, life is still happening, with its many occasions to celebrate and gather with the family and friends we love.
Everything from weddings to birthday parties have had to adapt to the changes, and baby showers are no exception! Most moms-to-be are taking extra precautions to stay safe and adhere to social distancing protocols, so a drive-through baby shower is a fun way to celebrate without worry.
You might be asking yourself, What exactly is a drive-through shower? There are basically two main ways to go about it:
- Guests meet up at a predetermined time to line up and celebrate parade-style, with each car spending just a few minutes in front of the house with the expecting parents and presenting their gifts before the next car pulls up.
- Guests are assigned time slots, with one or two cars slated to arrive at the same time. Guests don’t have to get out of their cars, but this style of celebration makes it easier to do if everyone feels comfortable.
If you’re ready to start planning a drive-through baby shower for an expecting mother in your life, keep on reading! We’ve compiled our most helpful ideas for throwing a fun, safe, and unique party — from the guest list to the goodie bags — with a few extra tips for guests.
Tip #1: Stick to a theme
Just because you’re throwing a drive-through baby shower doesn’t mean you can’t go all-out like you would a traditional shower. Pick a theme or a color scheme and hang streamers, tie up balloons, and include any other fun thematic elements that you can throughout the celebration. Themed sweets, goodie bags, and take-home cards are all easy ways to tie the party together.
Tip #2: Keep your guest list local
If it’s not obvious, a drive-through baby shower is an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family — except guests typically stay in their cars the entire time to avoid any physical contact. Normally, you might invite guests from out of town or even out of state, but this is a rare occasion to keep your guest list limited to people who can make it by car in around an hour or less.
Guest Tip: A drive-through baby shower is a strange phenomenon, even for the parents involved. Reach out to the host or organizer to see if there’s any way you can help with the setup, execution, or cleanup — you never know where you could come to the rescue!
Tip #3: Set up time slots for guests
To guarantee the parents-to-be get some quality time with all the guests, set up a sheet with 15-minute time slots on it as you plan the guest list. When you send out invites — via mail, evite, or text — let each guest know their assigned time so they can be sure to arrive punctually. You can also encourage people to carpool (whenever it’s safe) to maximize the celebrations!
Guest Tip: Be mindful of your assigned time slot. Everyone wants to be able to spend as much time as they can with the happy parents, so make sure you arrive on time and leave when you’re supposed to.
Tip #4: Serve individually-packaged foods
Since you’ll want to maximize the time that the mom-to-be (or parents-to-be) can spend with each guest, keep the menu minimal and have your supplies ready to keep things moving. Pre-pour prosecco into disposable cups and prepare or purchase individual charcuterie boxes that guests can eat right in the car! If the expecting couple would rather not take any chances when it comes to food risks, there’s no pressure to feed guests at a drive-through shower — do whatever feels right.
Guest Tip: If you’re served something you don’t like or can’t eat, remember that you’ll be back on the road and on your way to a fresh meal within 15 minutes. It could be way worse. And remember — you’re celebrating!
Tip #5: Take pictures
While a drive-through baby shower isn’t exactly the most photogenic way to celebrate, it’s definitely a unique one. Use an instant photo printer or grab an Instax camera for old-school Polaroid-style pictures for guests to take home as keepsakes from the party. After all, it’s not every day you go to a baby shower during a pandemic!
Tip #6: Prepare to-go goodies for the road
Since a drive-through baby shower naturally eliminates most of the typical interactions and fun, send guests home with a goodie bag. You can never go wrong with cellophane-wrapped cookies, candy assortments, or macarons — whatever you pick, prep the to-go goodies the day before the shower and place them near where the guest of honor will be greeting guests so they’re easy to grab and give out. Even better yet, set them up on a drive by table so each guest can grab their own.
Guest Tip: If you’re handed a goodie bag at the end of your time slot, that’s a great reminder to give your gift in return. Since you won’t be getting out of your car during the celebration, keep the gift in the car with you so you don’t accidentally forget to give it. Just make sure it’ll fit through the window!
Tip #7: Give your guests something to send back
I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that there aren’t many opportunities to play traditional games when you throw a drive-through baby shower — but don’t let that stop you from including an interactive portion in your party. Address envelopes to the parents-to-be, then give out “Wises for Baby” cards that guests can fill out at home and send back. Etsy has great templates to choose from with tons of designs to match just about any theme.
Celebrations may look a little different these days, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go as all-out as you can while staying safe. I hope these tips give you the confidence to plan a drive-through baby shower that you can be proud of!
