A Great Gatsby baby shower after 6 years of infertility, 3 failed IUIs, 4 unsuccessful IVF cycles, and 2 doctors advising to consider an egg donor. Just when they were preparing for that next undertaking, Jennifer became pregnant naturally! Their long-awaited little boy, Laith, whose name means “lion” in Arabic, inspired a spectacular Roaring Twenties celebration with family and friends. I was already captivated by the glamorous 1920s setting, but learning the story behind it left me speechless… Every smile, embrace, and burst of laughter in my photographs meant so much more now. Meet Miracub, a little lion who was loved long before he was born.
Table of Contents
6 Years of Hope
For six years, Jennifer and Wissam tried to start a family. Six years of medical appointments, waiting for results, making difficult decisions, and finding enough hope to try again… Their experience began with three unsuccessful intrauterine insemination (IUI) procedures, followed by two failed rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF).
See, Jennifer suffered from extremely low ovarian reserve, which meant she had fewer eggs remaining than expected. Determined to improve their chances, she underwent an experimental procedure intended to improve her egg quality. Two more IVF cycles followed, bringing their total to four. Neither was successful.
Eventually, two doctors advised them that their best chance of having a child would be through egg donation…
Imagine being told this after investing so much time, money, and emotional strength into becoming parents! Jennifer and Wissam had to reconsider something deeply personal: their future child might have another woman’s genetic material. They weren’t ready to make that decision immediately and spent another year trying to conceive naturally.
Of note, Wissam is an internal medicine physician himself. Yet even with his medical background, he and Jennifer faced the same painful uncertainties as countless other couples struggling with infertility. Being a doctor certainly didn’t make those six years any easier.
When that other year passed without success, they began searching for an egg donor.
One More Heartbreak
Finding someone to become their child’s genetic mother was an emotional undertaking of its own. Jennifer and Wissam eventually found a donor they felt comfortable with and committed to moving forward. They felt hopeful again.
Several months into the preparations, however, the woman withdrew. She had decided she no longer wanted to be an egg donor.
The couple was devastated. Another possibility had disappeared, and they found themselves searching donor profiles again, hoping to make a new connection.
Eventually, they found another woman who was dedicated to the process. Her preliminary medical tests were encouraging. While they waited for the genetic compatibility results with Wissam, Jennifer began preparing her body for an eventual embryo transfer.
She decided to try acupuncture and herbal medicine, hoping to give herself the best possible chance of a successful pregnancy. And then, within two months, came the news they had waited six years to hear.
Jennifer was pregnant, naturally!
After everything they had endured, with another donor cycle already being arranged, their long-awaited child was growing inside her.
They named their little boy Laith, an Arabic name meaning lion. They call him their miracle baby, and who would argue?
A Little Lion Roars
When it came time to finally celebrate Laith, Jennifer had something different in mind, she wanted a gathering that included their friends and family, rather than a more traditional women-only baby shower. After so many years of uncertainty, they wanted everyone to share in their joy.
No check this out: Jennifer happens to be an event planner. She works for her sister’s company, Botanique NYC, and has a particular affection for old-world glamour. With the fall approaching, she began imagining an elaborate Roaring Twenties party.
And then came that striking connection: Laith means lion. What better occasion for a roaring celebration??
Just like that, a Great Gatsby baby shower seemed perfect. The name, the period, the music, the extravagant decorations, and the fashionable costumes all came together in Jennifer’s imagination.
She even found ways to incorporate lions into the smallest details, including a decorative note about their strength and protective nature. Now you can appreciate how the symbolism felt personal after everything this family had experienced.
Gatsby Party Fever
I’ve always had a soft spot for Great Gatsby parties. They encourage people to dress up, experiment with styles they would rarely wear otherwise, and enjoy themselves without taking their appearances too seriously. Feathered headbands, long pearl necklaces, sequined dresses, pocket watches, suspenders, flat caps… Give people permission to play dress-up, and wonderful things happen!
I’ve photographed a Great Gatsby-themed birthday party aboard a yacht cruising around Manhattan, where guests enthusiastically embraced the period. Another memorable experience was a darkly romantic, Gothic-inspired wedding at Gatsby on the Ocean, although that one took a darker creative direction.
The Great Gatsby baby shower Jennifer envisioned had its own personality. The 1920s glamour was everywhere, but with a playful baby-themed interpretation. And when an entire family participates, including the youngest guests, the photographs become quite more entertaining!
Great Gatsby Baby Shower
The celebration took place on at Red Hat on the River in Irvington, New York. Set inside a restored historic industrial building overlooking the Hudson River, the restaurant provided a wonderful setting for Jennifer’s vision. Exposed brick, steel beams, tall windows, and warm interior lighting gave the decorations a character of their own.
Botanique NYC transformed the space with tall black-feather arrangements, silver candelabras, crystal details, gold accents, and flowers in muted cream, blush, and antique-rose tones. The tall arrangements reached toward the industrial ceiling while smaller floral groupings softened the dark tables. Candles added warmth, and the metallic details caught the afternoon light.
The Great Gatsby baby shower decorations extended far beyond the dining tables. Black-and-gold balloons framed the displays, custom signage welcomed guests, and carefully arranged favors continued the theme. Even the printed menus had a personal touch: Laith’s ultrasound image accompanied by photographs of Jennifer and Wissam’s three dogs. The little lion already has a furry welcoming committee waiting at home!
One particularly charming display resembled an elaborate tiered cake but was constructed with diapers, tiny tuxedo decorations, dressed-up teddy bears, feathers, and lion ornaments. The real cake, created by The Official Cake Lady, was a beautiful black, white, and gold Art Deco design, topped by a little lion.
A Family Production
Jennifer developed the concept and planned the details, but her sister deserves enormous credit for bringing everything together on the day of the celebration. At approximately 30 weeks pregnant, Jennifer could certainly have done without running around managing vendors and decorations!
Her sister took over the execution, allowing Jennifer to enjoy the afternoon with Wissam and their guests. The entire Great Gatsby baby shower benefited from her professional planning experience and the creative work of Botanique.
Jennifer’s younger brother and his wife contributed something especially fun: they built and painted a vintage 1920s automobile cutout for the photo booth. Its illustrated front grille and headlights stood against an old-fashioned city backdrop. It became a magnet for guests. Adults posed behind the steering wheel, children pretended to drive, and families gathered in their finest gangster-era outfits. Some of the little boys took their roles very seriously, with flat caps, ties, and wonderfully mischievous expressions (or props).
The photo booth became one of those places where the generations could have fun together, which was just what Jennifer had hoped for.
Glamour, Hats, and Pearls
Jennifer looked beautiful in a pale seafoam-green beaded gown with sheer layers, a feathered headpiece, long pearls, white gloves, and softly styled vintage waves. Wissam complemented her look in a dark pinstripe suit, flat cap, burgundy tie, and pocket watch chain. They could have stepped into a 1920s film together.
Before the guests arrived, we took advantage of the quieter restaurant and the Hudson River outside for a short maternity session. The soft daylight, water, and distant shoreline offered a lovely contrast to the dramatic indoor atmosphere. Jennifer and Wissam shared tender moments, affectionate embraces, and plenty of playful poses with vintage accessories.
The guests were equally enthusiastic. Women arrived in flapper dresses, sparkling headbands, pearls, feathers, and gloves. Men wore waistcoats, bow ties, flat caps, and suspenders. The children were especially adorable in their miniature vintage outfits.
Watching several generations embrace the theme was one of my favorite parts of this Great Gatsby baby shower. Jennifer later told me how much she enjoyed seeing her nieces and nephews dressed up and having fun.
The entertainment included a fun guessing game: how many gold coins were hiding inside a jar? The winners received prizes from the couple. There was also a diaper raffle, although I’ll admit I never quite figured out how that one worked! Whatever the rules were, it certainly got people laughing and cheering.
Let There Be Jazz!
What would a Roaring Twenties celebration be without live jazz?
Jennifer hired Gatsby Now, booked through La Vie en Rose Talent, to bring the music of the period into the restaurant. Their performance included saxophone, upright bass, violin, keyboard, and drums, with the musicians dressed to complement the vintage atmosphere.
Gatsby Now specializes in period-inspired jazz and creative arrangements that bring both classics and contemporary songs into a retro musical style. Their sound complemented the Great Gatsby baby shower beautifully, filling the restaurant with music as the guests arrived, mingled, and settled into the celebration.
The Lion King
Red Hat on the River has an interesting two-story layout, which naturally separated some of the guests during the afternoon. As the Great Gatsby baby shower approached its conclusion, I saw an opportunity to bring everyone together for a single photograph.
I asked the guests to gather downstairs and photographed them from above. Admittedly, organizing a large crowd meant briefly interrupting conversations and persuading everyone to squeeze into the same area. But the resulting photograph was worth the commotion.
Dozens of smiling faces looked up, hands waved, and people squeezed together in their fabulous outfits. A few guests made funny faces, others cheered, and near the top of the crowd, I even see a Lion King cameo! I bet no one intended to steal the show, nor realized it until they read this…
See if you can find that little flying passenger among all the excitement. Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba!
Some cool chaotic family portrait, and I imagine Laith will have a lot of fun identifying the people in it as he grows older.
For Those Still Hoping
Jennifer shared her fertility experience with me after the celebration, when I asked whether she would like to contribute to the story behind the photographs. Until then, I had admired the planning, glamour, and creativity of the event without knowing how much this pregnancy meant to her and Wissam.
For women facing infertility, the repeated disappointments can be exhausting. Every unsuccessful treatment brings practical and emotional decisions, sometimes involving possibilities they never imagined considering. Jennifer’s experience with egg donors, particularly the painful withdrawal of their first match, adds another dimension to a struggle that is often kept private.
Her unexpected natural pregnancy brought an extraordinary outcome to their 6-year effort. Other women and couples may find their way to parenthood differently, but many will recognize the uncertainty, anticipation, and heartbreak Jennifer describes.
Perhaps sharing her experience will help someone feel understood during a difficult chapter of their own life.
Someday, Laith…
When Jennifer thanked me for the photographs, she wrote something that touched me more than any compliment about their appearance. She looked forward to sharing them with Laith someday, when she and Wissam would tell him how he came into their lives and how dearly he had been loved from the very beginning.
That thought changes the way I see these Great Gatsby baby shower photos.
Someday, Laith will discover the elaborate decorations his mother imagined, the tremendous effort his aunt put into creating the celebration, the vintage automobile his uncle and aunt built, and the wonderfully dressed relatives who gathered before his birth. He’ll see his parents smiling, holding his ultrasound pictures, laughing with friends, and posing beside a cake topped with a little lion.
And eventually, he’ll learn about those six long years before that extraordinary October afternoon. His parents will have quite a story to tell him. Welcome to the family, Miracub!
Credits
- Venue: Red Hat on the River (@redhatontheriver)
- Event planning, décor, flowers, photo booth, and signage: Botanique NYC Event and Floral Design (@botanique.nyc)
- Live jazz band: Gatsby Now, booked through La Vie en Rose Talent (@lavieenroseband, agency’s associated band)
- Cake: The Official Cake Lady (@_theofficialcakelady)
- Handmade vintage photo booth automobile: Jennifer’s brother and sister-in-law
- Photography: Zorz Studios (@zorzstudios)
