If you have an upcoming bridal shower or baby shower, I couldn’t recommend doing a display shower (unwrapped shower) more! Here are a few of my tips and tricks for how to have a display shower.
I recently had my baby shower at 31 weeks pregnant (perfect time to do it, in my opinion!) and could not have asked for a more special day.
Fun fact – when I got married, I eloped and never had a bridal shower or big bachelorette party. I secretly hate being the center of attention (I lean introvert) and am not a great planner, so those were easy things to skip over!
But, I have a great friend who convinced me to have a baby shower (where she did almost all of the planning), and I’m so glad I did. The day was so special and it turned out better than I ever could have imagined.
One of my favorite parts? The decision to do a display shower.
What is a display shower? Is it the same as an unwrapped shower?
Instead of a traditional gift opening in front of everyone, a display shower requests that guests bring unwrapped gifts to be set out on a gift table. This saves time during the shower, eliminates awkward gift-opening in front of everyone, and lets guests mingle more, all while getting the chance to look at and interact with all of the thoughtful gifts!
It is also sometimes referred to as an “unwrapped baby shower” or “unwrapped bridal shower”.
How to set up a display shower or unwrapped shower
Set up a big enough display table – bigger than you think – so gifts can be thoughtfully displayed and spread out vs. crowded and piled on top of one another. Make sure to provide gift tags, tape and markers at the shower so guests can clearly label which gifts are from them (this will make thank-you notes easier!).
How do you say it’s a display shower on the invite?
It’s a good idea to let guests know ahead of time on your invite that it will be a display shower. An example of how we worded my display baby shower on my baby shower invitations: “Your thoughtful gift will be put on display, so there is no need to wrap it in any way. A ribbon or twine will do just fine, leaving us with more time to visit and dine.” If you’re looking for something less ryhmy: “This will be a display shower, which means you don’t need any wrapping paper this time around. A tag, ribbon, and your presence is more than enough!”.
Benefits of a Display Shower
1. It saves time during the shower.
When it comes to structuring a baby or bridal shower timeline, opening gifts in front of everyone can easily take half an hour – if not more! By eliminating a structured “gift opening” time, it frees up more time for you and your guests to eat, mingle, play games, take pictures, etc.
2. Less work for you – and your guests.
You’re saving your guests time and money! They don’t have to worry about wrapping a gift, and you don’t have to do the awkward polite gentle unwrapping or digging around in a bag in front of people to make sure you got everything.
3. Perfect if you don’t like being the center of attention.
As someone who hates being the center of attention, opening presents in front of a crowd isn’t my idea of fun. Cue all the anxious thoughts: Can people hear me, am I opening too slow, are people getting bored, how do I react if I get repeat gifts or don’t like the gift? Skipping public gift opening can eliminate a lot of stress if similar thoughts have run through your head!
4. It can make Thank You notes easier.
Make sure to provide gift tags, tape and a Sharpie so when people set up their gifts, they can attach their name to it. While I can’t speak to how things go with traditional gift opening, I found it super easy to write thank you notes because the gift giver’s name was physically attached to their gift(s) when I was unpacking later on vs. when cards get separated from a wrapped gift!
Tip: Before loading up gifts at the end, have a designated person take a video or picture of the table up close so if anything gets separated upon transporting you reference whose bundle or pile it was from!
5. Guests get to see and interact with all your gifts.
Having all of your gifts on display naturally gives shower guests something to do as they’re mingling – the chance to look at all the wonderful things you’re getting! I saw guests showing each other what they gave, picking up and looking at other gifts, talking about the products they recognized/loved. It’s a great conversation starter, especially for those who might not know a ton of other people at the shower. And, as you’re talking with your guests they can show you what they got so you can personally thank them right then and there!
6. Less gift wrapping waste.
I didn’t appreciate this one until I was home after the shower and putting everything away, but there wasn’t a ton of excess wrapping paper or gift bags to throw away, which made unpacking and cleanup a breeze. Win!
7. You’ll likely receive reusable baskets.
Instead of gift bags and wrapping paper, many people may decide to arrange their gift in a basket instead which then turns into a bonus gift in itself! After my baby shower, I was able to use several of the baskets to organize my nursery and closet.
4 Important Tips for a Display Shower
- Let your guests know ahead of time on the invite to bring unwrapped gifts
- Provide gift tags, tape and markers at the shower so guests can clearly label which gifts are from them with name tags
- Set up a big enough display table – bigger than you think so gifts can be thoughtfully arranged and spread out vs. crowded and piled on top of one another
- Take a picture of the table at the end before loading up so if anything gets separated upon transporting you can reference whose bundle or pile it was from
I hope you enjoy these display shower tips. If you’ve done a baby or bridal display shower, I’d love to hear your tips and tricks below!
Keeping two of the three dresses -
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