When you select a shower theme, all the remaining choices will be influenced by this decision. Having a theme makes creating a menu, picking invitations, and designing the décor easier.

Baby shower themes should be lighthearted and silly, not serious or austere. This feeling will be conveyed in every detail from the invitation to the favor. Choosing a theme doesn’t require that everything match exactly, but simply that details should coordinate and complement each other.

The theme can be based on a color, a song title, a favorite hobby, or a gift idea. It can be as subtle and soft as a lullaby or as vibrant and edgy as rock and roll. It can, but does not have to, revolve entirely around the obvious topic of babies. There is only one rule: Make it fun—for you, the guests, and the guest of honor.

Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Theme

Theming a party can make it easier to plan; it provides an obvious path to decisions regarding invitation logos, napkin colors, cake motifs, centerpieces, and favors. Some themes lend themselves to specific activities, like a bowling party, or definitive décor, such as a Hawaiian luau theme.

Some locations, like a fancy hotel, can accommodate a grandiose theme, while other venues, such as your home or backyard, require simplicity. Then, of course, there are certain locations that can only handle a hint of a theme, like restaurants and most work spaces.

Theme Considerations

There are some factors to consider when picking a shower theme. They are: the creative capabilities of the hostess (or cohostesses), any setup and cleanup issues, and time considerations.

• Creative capabilities. As the hostess, you will be handling the lion’s share of the planning and preparing for the shower. Know your party-planning strengths and weaknesses. If you enjoy flexing your creativity, start with an imaginative and inventive theme and run with it!

  If, on the other hand, the thought of brainstorming a theme and gluing glitter on an invitation gives you a migraine—stop the madness! This is not a creativity contest. Read through the fast and fun themes described in later sections, and pick a party that suits your fancy. Then apply lipstick, make a list of what you need, and get shopping.

• Setup and cleanup issues. Keep the theme in harmony with the environment. Wherever you plan to have the shower, think about what will be required to set up your theme and clean up the mess. Yes, it would be lovely to create a tropical paradise on the beach for your Barefoot and Pregnant Spa Shower, but five tons of sand in your mom’s backyard might prove to be problematic at cleanup time. Avoid themes that will require architectural restructuring or excessive sweating and schlepping in your party clothes.

• Time considerations. The more elaborate the theme, the more time consuming its preparation. Do you have enough lead time? Can the shower location accommodate the time needed for setup and cleanup? If you are staging a shower at your workplace, you may only have forty-five minutes to an hour from start to finish. Don’t decorate, celebrate!