Drive by baby shower in winter

When I envisioned my baby shower, I never planned on it looking like this. Just like many who are having babies (or weddings!) during this pandemic, I’ve had to rearrange how these big events would look.

I knew when we had to start planning my baby shower that it would be different than I originally imagined for myself. Originally, my mom and I had planned on still being able to hold my shower at a restaurant with a fewer amount of people. Unfortunately, as restaurants shut down in IL, we quickly had to change plans.

I spent a long time going back and forth about whether or not to have a zoom shower or a drive by shower. I knew it would be in the middle of winter and there was a chance it could snow, but I was willing to take that risk since I wanted to be able to interact with my guests in person.

As much as I hoped it wouldn’t snow for the sake of my shower, Mother Nature had other plans and decided to dump a ton of snow on the day of our shower. That didn’t stop people from showing up and sharing all the love for Baby O’Toole.

If you’re thinking about throwing a drive by shower, here’s how we made it fun and special.

Decor That Doesn’t Fall Flat

I would definitely recommend getting a tent for the event. I almost didn’t have one which would have made standing in the snow awful. So thankful our friend let us borrow hers. The tent made it the perfect cover from the snow. (Would also be great in warmer months to cool down!) The tent also provided a way for us to attach a fun balloon arch, which I would totally recommend. I love some good balloon decor and my friend Alissa, at Twee Partee, did not disappoint. If you’re in the Chicago Suburbs, I’d highly recommend using her . The balloon arch stood out perfectly against the snow and it was helpful for our guests to spot where we were.

We also had the cutest sign made for our drive by as well, another great way to help your guests know where the party’s at!

Treat Your Guests

I knew we had to have custom cookies for my baby shower that went along with our “Little Cutie” theme. I’m always amazed by how talented Le Petite Cookie Co is. She was able to deliver my vision for my ‘cutie’ custom cookies. Her cookies also taste SO good.

My mom came up with the awesome idea of making “lunchboxes” for our guests since we couldn’t all have lunch together. Such a good idea and way to make everyone feel special! Each lunchbox had a sandwich, chips, orange seltzer water & cutie to go with our theme, and then the custom cookie. Of course, whatever your theme is you could switch up the items in the box to match.

Set A Time-Frame

If you’re thinking of throwing a drive-by shower/ party, I would give people a block of time to have them show up. We threw ours from 12-2, which made the lunchboxes perfect for that time frame. Since ours was thrown in the winter, we also had limited daylight hours. If you were to throw a drive by in the summer, you could always do later on in the evening.

I was definitely worried that a drive by shower in the middle of winter wouldn’t work. It turned out to be such a great shower, though. I loved being able to see people, in person, that I haven’t seen in months. We were showered with so much love (& snow 🤪) for Baby O’Toole. While it was a different way of celebrating, it will definitely make for a great story to tell Baby when he’s older.