A Gender Neutral Baby Shower
I can’t be the only one who isn’t obsessed with gender reveals, right? Don’t get me wrong, I think celebrating pregnancy and family is so sweet and special. I am, after all, an event planner who creates events, big and small, that bring people together and create community. I just believe that there are ways to design a perfectly polished (and fun) baby shower that don’t necessitate a pink palette for girls and a blue color scheme for boys. I’m sorry, but can we also agree to stay away from traditional nautical and storks?
Of course, there are so many directions that you can take a baby shower, and any event really, in. Much of the overall design, ranging from furniture rentals to floor plan and menu selection, will be in part dictated or at least informed by the venue selection. For this particular post, let’s go with a backyard celebration in early Spring in New England. Spring gives us a good bit of latitude to play with color palette, and an outdoor setting allows us to get creative with furniture selection and placement. Let’s get started, shall we?!
I love the fresh tones in the palette above. There’s something so snappy and modern about a gorgeous, jewel toned cool-leaning green paired with a whispery blue complimented by pops of freshly squeezed lemonade and dragonfly wing as accent colors. While we have agreed to call this an early Spring event (I’m thinking the very last week of March, how about you?) this color palette could truly be tweaked and translated to suit an event during any time of year. This would also make a gorgeous palette for an interior… An emerald green first floor powder room, a minty kitchen, a citrus accent wall in a home office…let your imagination run wild!
PEAK High Rustic Farm Table
Rustic farm tables are in, and they’re here to stay. While I am not one to instantly jump on a trend bandwagon, I have to say that farm tables absolutely make the cut in my book. Unless linens contribute to the overall look and feel of the event I am designing, ten times out of ten I would prefer to use gorgeously constructed linenless tables with a runner. The knots and color variations in natural wood create a beautiful aesthetic statement, and your tablescape will certainly pop off of a bare table.
For any type of mingling style event, my preference always lies with hightops. They are perfect for congregating around, perching about, and resting food and drinks on. Bonus points go to farmhouse style hightops which provide more surface area for larger groups- more conversation, more togetherness, more fun.
PEAK Kilim Bench
PEAK Imogen Bench
Do your feet hurt? Need to take a load off? Just want to huddle up and gossip with that old friend you haven’t seen in a year? Benches are the perfect solution for all of the above. Because they are so lightweight and easily mobile, benches make the perfect soft seating area that can be moved and flipped to suit your needs.
Simplicity is key. Don’t overthink your tablescape- instead, favor accessories that organically and effortlessly work well together. Think tones of soft blue, cream, taupe, and warm gold. Materiality is also important, and I favor tactile surfaces such as burlap, bark, and chambray. Don’t forget that DIY is also an option, particularly if your budget is tight. I have absolutely been known to whip out my hot glue gun and craft in order to make an accessory look exactly as I want it to! My clients usually never even realize that they have received a Grace Dorner original!
There is so much opportunity for personalization during any event, but I particularly love adding special touches for weddings and baby showers. The frames above provide a pretty pop of color, and can absolutely be used creatively. What about framing handwritten notes, personalized artwork, old black and white family photos, traditional nursery rhymes written in calligraphy, there are so many possibilities! Peppering in some quirky, and honestly super chic, marble tic tac toe boards on high tops is a fun icebreaker and way for guests to mingle over cocktails and conversation.
Coziness is always key, and if living in New England has taught me anything it is that weather is unpredictable practically twelve months out of the year. For outdoor events I always have the essentials on hand, including chunky blankets to curl up with while lounging on an Adirondack chair with your second glass of pinot noir.