Pride party ideas and everyday celebration inspiration for the LGBTQ community

Raise your hand if you love the Golden Girls. [Everyone raises hand.] That’s what we thought. Because same! We cannot get enough of Sophia’s unapologetic sense of self or the way Blanche owns her amazingness. 

If that’s not worthy of a Pride party theme, we don’t know what is! Thankfully, we have lots of ways you can incorporate your four favorite gals into your Pride or pre-Pride celebration.

• Send an invitation they can’t refuse. Who could say no to sweet Rose? Technically, this is a birthday card, but we’re not above crossing things out to make a card fit our needs. Maybe what St. Olaf really means is, “Come to my Pride party!”
• Make drinks inspired by the Floridian foursome. Did we make drinks based on each lovely lady? Yes, we did. Are they delicious? Yes, they are. Should you pace yourself? Yes, you should. (There’s a parade later, remember?)
• Sip from something fun. Those drinks? They’d clearly go best in these Golden Girls glasses. You could even have fun assigning glasses to the friend who’s the most like each character. Just be sure and explain beforehand that, no, everyone can’t be Blanche.
• Put a cork in it. OK, it’s actually a wine stopper. But really, you should be prepared. Because there’s nothing sadder than flat champagne or stale rosé.
• Don’t forget the food. Test everyone’s knowledge of the show with sneaky food references. Like Mr. Ha Ha hot dogs. Or mini “For Whom the Stuffed Bell Pepper Tolls.” Or individual zabaglione custards in shot glasses. 
• Get everyone grooving. Arrange a playlist of music by all your favorite LGBTQ artists. Or double down on the theme and put together a list of smooth jazz tracks. 
• Have a raffle! In the spirit of Pride, you could raise money for a local LGBTQ charity by hosting a raffle giveaway. We love this oversized Golden Girls throw blanket or illustrated jigsaw puzzle as prizes. Or bundle them together!
• Make a trivia game. If you’ve got some avid watchers on your guest list, see who knows these Miami grandmamas the best by creating a trivia game based on facts from the show. (Side note: If they don’t know where Sophia was born, they should not even try to play.)

If you know someone who’s just come out and want to shower them with all kinds of excitement and acceptance, a garden party makes the perfect celebration! Whether you’re their parent, their best friend or another trusted person in their life, it can be a great way to show you love them for who they are and send support as they bloom into their true self.

• Plan it together…or at least get the OK. It’s hard to fully understand if you’re not part of the LGBTQ community, but coming out is a sensitive, personal act that can cause a lot of worry and anxiety, even after the fact. Therefore, it’s best not to surprise someone with a coming out party. Let them know you’d like to throw a party in their honor, and if they’re OK with it, ask if they’d like to help. Being part of the planning process might give them a boost of confidence—plus, giving them control of the guest list ensures that they feel as comfortable as possible. 
• Send some flowers. A beautiful floral pop-up card like this one makes a lovely, displayable invitation to the event. 
• Set a sweet table. Wrapping paper makes a pretty, disposable (and recyclable!) table covering. This floral patterned gift wrap comes with butterfly gift tags that could double as name cards, tied around napkins with ribbon.
• Have a bouquet-picking party. If you can spare some of your garden blooms, have newspaper and pretty ribbon handy so you can wrap their hand-picked bouquets to take home.
• Keep things comfy. Be sure to lay out a picnic blanket or two like this one for your guests who’d like to lounge.
• Give them their flowers (literally). Ask everyone at the party to share their favorite thing about the celebrant on a slip of paper or a notecard. Keep these thoughtful words in a jar or on a binder ring for them to revisit any time they need a reminder of their support system. Gift them their favorite flowers, too, for an extra sweet touch!
• Get creative. Gardens were and still are a major source of inspiration for creative people of all kinds. Invite guests to do something artistic, such as drawing with rainbow sidewalk chalk, sketching a scene or doing a simple watercolor painting of a flower.  
• Sow seeds of kindness. Spread the garden love by sending your guests home with a garden kit like this one or packets of seeds they can plant themselves. 

Know a special couple who’s getting ready to tie the knot? Chances are they’re feeling in love, giddy and nervous as heck about the big step they’re about to take. But some LQBTQ couples are also worried about how less supportive family or co-workers might react to this very public display of their commitment to one another.  

Throwing a couple’s shower is a wonderfully intimate way to celebrate them and show how much you love their love. 

• Acknowledge their relationship. When showing love or support, it’s important to make the recipient feel seen. Whether you’re celebrating two brides, two grooms or non-binary lovebirds, we’ve got cards that recognize what a momentous occasion this is. And just in case you need it, we’ve got ideas on what to write in an LGBTQ wedding card, too.
• Give a toast they can take with them. This pair of mugs or this drinkware set are cute ways to say, “Yay, you guys!” It’s a fun takeaway for them to keep and remember the joy of that day.
• Keep their tastes in mind. Be sure to ask the guests of honor what their favorite (and least favorite) foods are so your menu can reflect their preferences.
• Serve side-by-side snacks. If you want to be extra adorable, serve up “His and His” or “Hers and Hers” favorite foods or treats. 
• Find cute-meets-cozy gifts. Are they both big into couch time? Or maybe one loves a challenge and the other is the sentimental sort? We’re betting we can help find a gift they’ll both love. And a sweet gift bag to put it in.
• Make it personal. When it comes to decor, a custom photo backdrop or personalized sign does a lot to make the shower feel like it’s truly all about the love they share.

When you’re in the LGBTQ community, expanding your family isn’t as straightforward as it can sometimes be for cisgender couples. From saving up for a donor to finding a surrogate to navigating the adoption process, adding a little one to your home can be a long journey, often filled with lots of anticipation, dedication and ups-n-downs. As a result, a baby shower can take on a whole new level of meaning!

If you’re looking to throw a shower that recognizes everything it took to get there in an over-the-top, joyful way, here are some sweet details that’ll make celebrating their impending bundle of cute feel like the incredible milestone that it is. 

• Consider the guest list. Do they want the party to be co-ed? Do they want a mix of family, friends and co-workers, or would they rather do each group separately? 
• Ask them for input. Again, this might be a moment that’s been a long time coming, and the couple might have thoughts on what they want it to look and feel like. If they’ve been dreaming of something tasteful and refined, a baby shower with a sillier vibe might not make them the happiest.
• Craft a sweet message for them to keep. Yes, we have baby and baby shower cards specifically for same-sex couples. Yes, they are ridiculously adorable. Add a thoughtful message like one of the ideas here to make it meaningful.
• Think gender-neutral. If they’re not sure whether it’s a boy or a girl—or even if they are but they don’t want to adhere to gender-stereotypical colors—switch things up from the expected blue or pink by using a soft and sweet sorbet color palette.
• Respect the couple’s privacy. You wouldn’t quiz a cisgender couple about how they conceived their baby. (At least we hope not.) So don’t ask the couple about a donor, surrogate, etc., unless it’s something they’ve been open about leading up to the shower.
• Not a parent? Not a problem. Lots of baby showers revolve around giving parenting advice. If you can’t relate, share some advice on self-care and letting go of expectations of perfection. Because they will need them!
• Do better than baby shower games. Unleash your guests’ creativity by having them decorate onesies in a variety of sizes that baby will be able to wear during their first year. 
• Add a gift that makes them go “awwww.” A gift meant to capture baby’s itty bittiness like a handprint kit will surely be treasured once they arrive. 
• But get something for baby, too. Matching baby board book and lovey sets like these can double as party decor and gifts for the expecting parents to take home when the shower is over. And this pastel nursery animals gift bag is a perfect match.
• Keep older kids in mind. If the new arrival isn’t a baby, offer parenting advice, activities and gifts tailored to the child’s life stage instead.

No matter what the reason, a party is always a great way to gather with your favorite people, have fun, share laughs and be exactly who you want to be. We hope these ideas help you do just that!

Want even more reasons to throw a party? 

Get all the justification you could ever need (not that you need it), plus lots more ideas right here.