A couple’s shower includes friends from all genders so you can celebrate together as a couple. Because it’s not your traditional shower, you have more creative freedom, even down to who you invite. So, why not invite who you get along best with so you can kick back and have a little fun before your big day?

Feel inspired by these nine couple shower ideas for a fun and romantic coed celebration.

Key Takeaways:

• Send invitations to let guests know it’s a coed shower and how formal the event is
• Choose a fun theme based on your interests, wedding, or time of year
• Keep all genders in mind when planning games, food, and activities

1. Send Formal Invitations

Since you aren’t planning two separate events for guys and girls, you can spend more on your couple’s shower. One of the first areas to splurge is invitations. A formal paper invitation to the couple’s shower helps people know it’s a big deal, which can encourage more people to attend.

Invitations also let the attendees know it’s a coed event. This helps you avoid awkward situations like intimate gifts from girlfriends who thought it was a bridal shower.

The invitations should let guests know how casual or formal the event is. They will know whether to dress comfortably for a backyard barbeque or pull out their best clothes for an evening cocktail party.

2. Invite a Mix of Guests

Who you invite will set the tone for the entire evening. For example, if you invite older family and distant friends, you might have a more formal event. However, if you invite your closest friends and family, you can throw a relaxed party.

Your guests should also be a mix of genders and marital situations. Just because it’s a couple’s shower doesn’t mean you can only invite couples. Coed means you can ask guys and gals, including your single friends.

When inviting friends, consider how the personalities will interact and plan games accordingly. For instance, if you have several very competitive personalities, you probably want to avoid games that might get too heated.

3. Make It a Themed Party

A themed bridal shower can transform an ordinary party into a unique celebration. Since there are no traditions to dictate how to organize your shower, you can have fun with your themes.

Here are a few creative couple’s wedding shower ideas to inspire your coed event:

• Taco ‘bout Love: Taco party with all your favorite foods and games (like a piñata)
• I Do BBQ: Backyard barbeque with outdoor games
• State fair: Meet at a state fair or build your own backyard fairground complete with games and fair food
• Evening cocktail: Formal evening event with drinks, finger foods, and a few quiet table games
• The “wed” carpet: Movie-themed party where everyone comes in their best (or most outrageous) red carpet outfits
• Outdoor party: Meet at your favorite park for outdoor activities like a hike, kayaking, or just an outdoor barbeque
• Meet cute: Was your first meeting especially notable? Plan your shower around that first meeting
• Honeymoon-themed: Start celebrating your honeymoon adventure early with a honeymoon-themed shower. For example, throw a luau if you’re going to Hawaii. You might also theme it after the wedding venue if you are planning a destination wedding.

4. Have an Ice Breaker

Showers tend to be relaxed and require interaction to be a success. However, getting everyone to participate can be difficult if not everyone is comfortable with each other.

Plan a creative icebreaker game to help guests to interact and get to know each other before starting the festivities.

Consider some of these popular icebreakers:

• Two truths and a lie: Guests tell two facts about themselves and one lie while everyone has to guess which is the lie
• Facts in a box: Each guest puts five facts about themselves in a box. The host reads out random facts, and guests must guess who the fact is about.
• Never have I ever: A guest states something they have never done. Everyone who HAS done that thing must stand up and switch chairs. The last person standing will start the next round.
• People BINGO: Guests try to fill in their BINGO card by finding guests that match each characteristic in the boxes

5. Serve Creative Food

No party is complete without food!

Choose some of your favorites to share with guests. It doesn’t have to be formal dishes or a sit-down dinner. Instead, you might have a buffet, appetizers, or themed food.

Are you having a summertime party?

Why not have an ice cream parlor party with your favorite sundae toppings?

6. Play Gameshow-Style Games

Traditional bridal shower games aren’t always appropriate for coed showers. Some games are too intimate, while others are more female-oriented. Since you have all genders at the party, you will want more inclusive games. You can also choose games where strangers feel comfortable interacting with each other.

Most showers will run about three hours, so plan two to three games in addition to your icebreaker.

Gameshow-style games are always a big hit. These are trivia or jeopardy games where groups work as a team to answer questions or complete tasks. You can also plan minute-to-win-it games, as they always get a crowd laughing.

7. Set Up Backyard Games

Backyard games offer entertainment options for guests to play at their leisure rather than organized games. That way, guests who prefer talking can relax with friends to chit-chat. Meanwhile, those who prefer activities can start a cornhole, croquet, or horseshoes game.

8. Have Game Prizes

Game prizes encourage guests to participate in activities, add healthy competition, and help make the event fun, as everyone loves receiving gifts.

You can also offer prizes for other fun reasons, like the best dressed (especially for costume or themed parties).

Some fun (and coed-friendly) gift ideas are:

• Popular snacks
• Movie tickets
• Gift cards
• Bottle of wine
• Lottery tickets

9. Unwrap Gifts

Gifts are still expected, even in a couple’s shower. Hopefully, your guests understand it’s a coed event and will give couples appropriate gifts.

Have your wedding registry ready before the shower so guests can choose gifts from the registry. You can also set up a honeymoon fund and suggest guests give to the fund rather than bring physical gifts.

Personalize Your Couple’s Shower

Your couple’s shower ultimately expresses who you are and your upcoming life together. Every area will reflect your interests and relationship. We can help you express yourselves in your shower and wedding with elegant stationery.

Browse our designs to find invitations that reflect your timeless romance.

Photo Credit
Stationery: Shine Wedding Invitations | Couple celebrating: Adobe Stock Photos | Couple Playing Game: Bridal Shower 101