From Fellowship Hall Punch to Entry Hall Prosecco: The Baby Shower Grows Up

Adrienne and Michael Eldridge - Baby shower at The Truitt House

Most baby showers used to happen in the church fellowship hall. You could count on folding chairs, pastel tablecloths, and a sheet cake with “Welcome Baby!” written in pink or blue icing. There were cream cheese mints in cut crystal dishes, a punch bowl of pastel sherbet and ginger ale, and bowls of mixed nuts set out on paper doilies. It was simple, sweet, and sincere — the kind of gathering where you balanced a clear glass plate and a cup of punch on your lap and passed around tiny booties to admire.

And yet, even with all that has changed, the best part of a baby shower hasn’t. There’s still that unmistakable joy when a first-time mother laughs and instinctively draws her hand to her belly — that small, perfect gesture that says everything we came to celebrate. The style may shift, the playlist may modernize, but that moment is timeless.

A Modern Take on a Tradition

These days, showers have moved home — out of fellowship halls and into living rooms, gardens, and back porches. The games have mostly disappeared, and so have the mints. There’s usually a playlist, a signature drink, and more appetizers than sugar. The husbands come now too, which means someone always asks, “Do we really need to open the gifts in front of everyone?”

When I hosted a couples shower for our neighbors recently, it felt like the perfect blend of new and old — all the heart of a traditional shower, but with just enough grown-up energy to make it feel like a real party.

The menu hit every note: mushroom tarts, beggars purses stuffed with fig jam, sweet-potato biscuits with country ham, a fruit tray of grapes, oranges, and strawberries (the mom-to-be’s current craving), and of course — a pound cake, because that’s what we do here.

We had a great playlist on Spotify - “Girls Baby Shower” and a guest list that spanned generations. The house filled up quickly — grandparents, friends, neighbors — all laughing, visiting, eating, and sipping something good. It was that wonderful kind of noise a house makes when everyone’s glad to be there.

Adrienne, the mother-to-be, wanted her guests to leave a note of advice, so we set up a “wisdom tree.” Cards hung from branches of ginkgo and magnolia, tied with soft pink ribbons. Watching everyone pause to write made me smile — advice really is just another form of love. We pass along what we’ve learned, hope it helps, and quietly know they’ll make their own mistakes anyway. That’s how it works.

The Anatomy of a Good Party

Whether it’s a baby shower or a dinner for friends, the best gatherings all start with a few smart decisions made ahead of time.

1. The Invitation
It sets the mood before the first guest even arrives. My go-to is Minted — their designs are timeless, and I love that I can match the colors to the party. A beautiful, mailed invitation still feels special. It tells guests this is more than a group text — it’s a celebration worth dressing for.

2. The Plan
Do a quick walk-through in your mind before the day of the party. Where will people drop gifts? Where will they stand to chat? Most importantly — where will the bar go? (If you don’t plan for it, everyone ends up in the kitchen.)
My rule: greet at the door, offer a drink, let guests visit, then serve food. Visit a bit more, then presents. Take pictures — always. These are moments they’ll treasure later.

3. The Menu
Keep it balanced: something warm, something cool, something savory, something sweet. Mushroom tarts, sweet-potato biscuits with ham, fruit for color and freshness, and always a pound cake — because it’s tradition.

4. The Music
It does half the hosting for you. I keep playlists for every kind of party — you can find my favorite “Girls Baby Shower” playlist here on Spotify.

5. The Drinks
Always include something non-alcoholic that looks festive and tastes better than soda. A batch mocktail keeps everyone happy — and it photographs beautifully. Here’s the one I made for Adrienne’s shower:

6. The Theme
Adrienne is having a girl, and she loves pink and elephants. Pink was easy to execute — from the ribbons on the advice cards to the flowers tucked into vases all through the house. The elephants, though, were mostly left to the invitation, which featured them prominently. Well, almost — there was one on my bracelet that night, so I’m counting it.

The point is, you don’t have to turn a theme literal. It’s about suggestion, not saturation. A color, a motif, a mood — just enough to make it feel personal without overwhelming the space.

When these details fall into place, even a simple gathering feels thoughtful, relaxed, and welcoming.

So yes — baby showers have changed. There’s less lace, more laughter. Fewer party games, more playlists. But what hasn’t changed is the reason we gather. There’s still that quiet joy in celebrating something new — in showing up, bringing a dish, and toasting the start of a family’s next chapter.