'Display Showers' Are a Thing — & A Brilliant Idea If You're Introverted (or Impatient!)

Rita Templeton
·7 min read

Everyone who’s ever been to a baby shower knows the drill: the parent-to-be opens each gift in front of the shower guests to a high-pitched chorus of “Awww!” … which can be quite a long process if there are a lot of people. Meanwhile, the guests smile politely, shifting uncomfortably in their folding chairs and wondering if it’s almost time for cake. Because, hard truth — nobody cares as much about the plethora of baby gifts as the person who’s receiving them.

Sometimes, though, even the excited recipient would just prefer to open their presents in peace without the expectation of giving the “right” reaction. And there’s a brilliant trend going around recently that’s perfect for those types of expectant parents: the display shower.

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What is a display shower — and why would you want one?

A display baby shower is exactly what it sounds like: Instead of bringing a traditionally-wrapped gift, guests bring their gift unwrapped, and it’s displayed on a big table with all the other gifts. That way whoever’s interested in seeing what goodies the parents-to-be are getting can browse the display at their leisure, and it eliminates having to unwrap everything one by one in front of the guests. It leaves more time, so you can either fill it with other things (activities, hors d’oeuvres, etc.) or simply have a shorter shower.

Luxury event planner Cassie LaMere of Cassie LaMere Events says she’s on board with the concept of display showers. “What we love about this new display baby shower trend is that we are celebrating planning an event based on what feels right for the guest of honor, and normalizing that not all events have to subscribe to a particular formula,” LaMere tells SheKnows. “Having a display baby shower gives parent(s) an opportunity to graciously receive gifts without putting themselves in a position where they’ll feel uncomfortable or put on the spot.”

“Opening presents can be a really lovely element to a shower but some people don’t enjoy being the center of attention or having to give real-time feedback about gifts,” agrees Jenny Dreizen, modern etiquette expert and COO of Fresh Starts Registry. “Opening gifts can be lengthy and time-intensive as well, so a display shower can reallocate that time to conversation, connection and community.”

Other benefits of display baby showers, besides sparing the expectant parents the spectacle of gift-opening and streamlining a usually-lengthy process? Sustainability, for starters; less unnecessary packaging means less waste, and every little step we can take matters. Secondly, it takes the pressure off of the guests to buy extra (have you seen the price of a bow lately?!) and hassle with wrapping. Because I don’t know about you, but I am perpetually scrambling to find appropriate wrapping paper or gift bags (i.e., not sending my kid to a birthday part with a “Merry Christmas”-printed gift).

How to word the invitations for a display shower?

Some people may not know what a display shower entails — I’ll admit, I Googled “what is a display shower?” — so it’s a good idea to explain it clearly on the invitation in just a couple of sentences. “I’d keep language clear and informative on the invite since this is still a new trend,” Dreizen tells SheKnows. You could say something like “To celebrate the little one on the way, we’re having a display shower! Gifts will be beautifully displayed, unwrapped or minimally wrapped,” or “Join us for a celebration of love, laughter, and a peek at baby’s gifts! We’ll be having a display shower, so please bring any gifts unwrapped!”

Alternately, you could get a little more cutesy with it. “The event invitation provides an ideal opportunity to get creative with the verbiage utilized to set the tone for the occasion,” says LaMere. “Hosts could use a play on the word ‘unwrapped’ or a twist on the concept of a baby sip-and-see, making it a gift to see, that will let guests know to bring a gift to be displayed.”

How do you display the gifts at a display shower?

It doesn’t have to be complicated or fancy — just a big table clearly designated as the “drop zone!” You can drape a tablecloth over it, but steer clear of any other decorations like centerpieces or balloons that might take up valuable space. The one exception: a sign (though you could hang it on the wall) with a general “thank you,” saying something like, “Thank you for celebrating and showering us with your generosity!” or “With grateful hearts, we thank you for the beautiful gifts … we can’t wait to use your thoughtful presents!”

An important note about display baby showers: Make sure you’re keeping track!

No wrapping will mean fewer tags, which could be a real pain when it comes time for the post-event thank you notes. “We would recommend having a way to ensure that each gift is easily connected to the gift giver, so the recipient can appropriately thank their guests for the item,” LaMere advises. “This could be accomplished by designating a host to make note of the gift and who it is from upon guest arrival, or designing a fun tag that complements the overall shower design that guests can attach to the gift with their name.”

So what happens to the time you save on opening gifts?

Less time spent opening gifts means more opportunities for other fun things — not least of all, simply giving the guests some of their time back. “I see the abandon of the gift opening tradition as an opportunity to mingle and chat more, and maybe cut the shower shorter by an hour or so,” says Dreizen.

LaMere tells SheKnows that there are plenty of uses for the time you save. “Alternative ways to spend time at the shower could include interactive — not cringey — games, or an activity that everyone can participate in,” she says. (Note: not all baby showers have to involve guessing the melted-candy-bar contents of a diaper or challenging guests not to say “baby.”) She suggests personalizing the activities, or even having the guests make their own baby shower favors.

“If the parent(s) have a special hobby or interest, this would be a perfect opportunity to incorporate an interactive element into the shower details that is authentic to them,” LaMere says. “We’ve invited guests to participate in creating an item for the bundle of joy, or provided opportunities for attendees to make a gift that they take home at the conclusion of the event. For example, a ‘Baby-in-Bloom’ shower featuring a build-your-own-bouquet flower cart can be a fun takeaway gift experience that will brighten guests’ homes after the event and remind them of the memories made at the celebration.”

Baby showers are meant to be a time of celebration — of both the baby-to-be and the expectant parents. But let’s face it, going to a baby shower isn’t necessarily at the top of anyone’s list of ways they’d like to spend their free time. A display shower can alleviate the long process of individual gift-opening, spare the parents being the center of attention, and leave time for things that are more entertaining … not to mention being a much more eco-friendly option. Sounds like a win for the parents, a win for the guests, and a win for the baby — who doesn’t care one bit whether their gifts are wrapped!

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