3rd Trimester

Display Shower Etiquette*

What's the proper etiquette for a display shower? Do I still hold up the gifts and say thank you and acknowledge people. Or do we tell everyone to stand up and look at the table, as each gift will be labeled from who etc. I have some old school family members (traditional unwrap the gift everyone ohs and aws) and really don't want to offend anyone but at the same time there will be about 50 people there and we don't want to take forever opening each gift one at a time. The shower is the 1st and the invite states display but I really have no clue on how to go about this properly.

Any suggestions or experiences that you are willing to share would help!!

TIA

*Already posted on Baby Shower board and haven't heard anything back, assuming most of the 3rd tri girls had there showers already I figured I'd test my luck here :)

Re: Display Shower Etiquette*

  • I guess I don't know exactly what a display shower is...does that mean the guests bring everything unwrapped but just attach a card so you know who it is from?  My shower had 30 people and it honestly didn't take that long to open the gifts (and I always thought that was part of what people enjoy about a shower, is seeing and being able to oooh and awwww about the gifts).
  • Yeah, I'm not familiar with display showers either. How does it work?
    Lilypie Second Birthday tickers Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers
  • Loading the player...
  • Never heard of a display shower, so no advice here.  I am curious to see what people say. 
  • Everyone brings an unwrapped gift and when they come in the hostess writes their name on a card and places it on the item.

    It's kind of known in this area and a lot of larger showers do this, there is really no confusion on the guest part at all. I'm not really worried about what people say- I'm just looking for advice on how to go about my part.

    :)

  • Huh...Just make sure she tapes the Card to it. It there is a Breeze or anything it would be awful for everything to get shuffled. I had a friend do something like this at her wedding...beside a pool...everything light ended up in the pool. 
    Your little hands wrapped around my finger and its so quiet in the world tonight Your little eye lids flutter cause your dreamin so I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light To you everything's funny, you've got nothing to regret I'd give all I have hunny, if you could stay like that Oh darling dont you ever grow up, dont you ever grow up, just stay this little Oh darling dont you ever grow up dont you ever grow up, it could stay this simple I wont let nobody hurt you, wont let no one break your heart, no one will desert you Just try to never grow up imageimage Pregnancy Ticker Lilypie Third Birthday tickers
  • Ya I've never heard of a baby shower where the mom wasn't forced to open presents, sorry I can't help more! My sister-in-law had a great wedding shower though, with groups of presents in three different rooms... So the bride would go into each at some point and open gifts, and it allowed people who really weren't interested in that part to enjoy themselves while the traditionalists got what they wanted. Good luck! I have two 50+ guest (55 and 90+ SCARY) showers coming, and I plan on enlisting the help of little cousins and my niece to get things moving:)
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Pregnancy Ticker
  • Display Shower definition: ? Have a display shower, where guests are asked to bring their gifts unwrapped, just with a pretty ribbon or bow on the gift itself. The gifts are set out for display, and then the bride/mom to be walks down the long table line, commenting on each gift and sharing who the giver is. This can cut hours out of the shower, and it?s a new top trend, even recommended by celebrity wedding coordinators.
  • imagekellimchris:
    Ya I've never heard of a baby shower where the mom wasn't forced to open presents, sorry I can't help more! My sister-in-law had a great wedding shower though, with groups of presents in three different rooms... So the bride would go into each at some point and open gifts, and it allowed people who really weren't interested in that part to enjoy themselves while the traditionalists got what they wanted. Good luck! I have two 50+ guest (55 and 90+ SCARY) showers coming, and I plan on enlisting the help of little cousins and my niece to get things moving:)

     

    For my wedding shower, my flower girls and BMs had a conveyer belt like system going,..it went very smoothly! Good luck with the 55 and 90+, I just got a little anxiety for you!!!

  • imageprego760:
    Huh...Just make sure she tapes the Card to it. It there is a Breeze or anything it would be awful for everything to get shuffled. I had a friend do something like this at her wedding...beside a pool...everything light ended up in the pool. 

     

    She is using sticky notes!! Good thinking! Thanks

  • Personally I love watching the guest of honor open the gifts. But in your case I would keep it display as you want but just at part of the shower say something like "I have a couple of special gifts that I would like to open." Just take a pause, it won't be a big deal and it will make your family happy too.

    I am having 4 showers (60+, 20+. 15+, and 20+) and I am dreading writing thank you cards to every person. I may have to enlist the help of my host's to write thank you cards as we go!

  • Display showers are THE BEST and are the norm in my hometown.  However, they can be tough for baby showers since the mom-to be generally gets a lot more little gifts, onesies, toys, etc.  than she does at a bridal shower.  I had a display bridal shower, but we opted to go the traditional route with my baby shower (even still a lot of people brought unwrapped gifts because they assumed it was display). 

    The way its generally done is that the guest brings an unwrapped gift and the host takes the gift out of the box and displays it on a nice table and attaches a card indicating who bought the gift.  It has to be done right or it can be sloppy and, dare I say, tacky.  The gifts should be displayed so that each one is highlighted, and not just thrown on a table.  Then all the guests can go up and look at all the gifts on the display table.  When done well, it should look like a display at a boutique.

     

    Baby #2 on the way! Pregnancy Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Thanks Kate. My BF has some experience with this so I sure it will look great! SHe is thinking about having 3 tables in different areas and I can show the gifts at different times throughout the shower. :) I'm feeling much better about this now! :)
  • imagelibtenney:

    Personally I love watching the guest of honor open the gifts. But in your case I would keep it display as you want but just at part of the shower say something like "I have a couple of special gifts that I would like to open." Just take a pause, it won't be a big deal and it will make your family happy too.

    I am having 4 showers (60+, 20+. 15+, and 20+) and I am dreading writing thank you cards to every person. I may have to enlist the help of my host's to write thank you cards as we go!

     

    Good luck with the TY cards!! Best advice, enter all the addresses into an excel sheet broken down by cells, f.name, l.name., street address., state, zip and print out labels. It will save your hands!

  • That is crazy!  Not in a bad way, I have just never heard of this before!  I guess it is because I am a good ole' southern girl and we usually stick to tradition.
    Canon 60D: Canon 50mm 1.8 & 85mm 1.8, Tamron 28-75 2.8, Sigma 30mm 1.4
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"