If you plan on hosting a prenuptial event for a bride and groom you know, consider a party that is fabulous for both guys and girls. Coed bridal showers are what’s hot in weddings now, and the gifts tend to be much snazzier than your basic egg beater.

So, when drawing up the guest list, limit it to the bride’s and groom’s contemporaries male and female who consider girl/boy proximity a given. Steer clear of people who may be offended by a coed shower, but don’t neglect loved ones who wouldn’t want to miss out on these festivities.

Choose games and themes that guys and girls can participate in comfortably. Wondering how to shower the bride and groom-to-be in a gender-neutral (but sort of sexy) setting? Host the grown-up affair your friends deserve; think cocktails and commingling, in an after-dark atmosphere.

Here are a few fabulous party themes to think about, with the hints, decorating tips and shower gifts you’ll need to make the party memorable.

Pizza party. From grade-school gatherings to late-night college cravings, pizza is a coed crowd-pleaser. Supply the dough, the sauce and the toppings, then put would-be Wolfgang Pucks to work in the kitchen.

Spin some Louis Prima records to set the mood; for favors, consider red-and-white checkered napkins (a la old-fashioned pizza parlor).

Gift ideas: cooking classes, a pizza stone set or a food processor.

The great outdoors. Host a barbecue. For one day, throw cholesterol cares to the wind and feast on chicken, ribs, baked potatoes, coleslaw and cornbread.

Organize a basketball game and chip in for his-and-her inline skates, tennis rackets or snorkeling gear. Play volleyball, pitch horseshoes and blast music that screams summer lovin’. Kegs or pitchers of sangria are essential, so be prepared.

Gift ideas: grilling utensils, a barbecue grill or a volleyball set.

Sunday study. Throw a Sunday brunch. Bagels, waffles, Western omelets and Bloody Marys know no gender and will make this shower a surefire hit.

Be sure to disconnect the cable and frisk everyone for the Sunday paper: You don’t want world news or a televised sporting event upstaging the soiree.

Gift ideas: a griddle, a waffle iron, a juicer or an espresso maker.

Oscar gala. Treat the couple like celebrity superstars: Throw them a shower on Oscar night, the film fanatic’s Super Bowl equivalent. Make score sheets and give a prize to the guest who picks the most award winners.

If the timing of the Oscars (late March) won’t work, you can always throw the party in conjunction with the MTV Movie Awards (June), the Golden Globes (January) or the Tony Awards (June). Use formal invitations, shiny platinum paper goods and cutlery, a disco ball for glitzy glamour, gleaming silver balloons and a wide-screen TV. Serve Hollywood-like sidecars, metropolitans, champagne cocktails and dry martinis (three green olives apiece for an ul-traclassic garnish).

Because the bulk of the evening will be spent squealing over the stars, you needn’t worry about preparing a deluxe offering of hors d’oeuvres. Guests may be quite content with a spread of movie-theater munchies.

Gift ideas: gift certificates to movie theaters or video stores, DVD player, popcorn popper or portable television.

Fiery fiesta. Heat up the shower in a sexy, south-of-the-border style. The caliente atmosphere will have a coed crowd munching tortillas and mambo-ing till midnight. Use chili-pepper-themed invitations, lighting and cocktail napkins and don’t forget the pinata.

Serve Mexican fare and margaritas in multiple flavors. Splurge on a live salsa or mariachi band, and save on centerpieces. Simply scatter traditional, brightly colored Mexican paper flowers (one stem per table) to save mucho dinero.

Gift ideas: How about a hammock, a fajita grill, a portable blender for drink mixing or a summery pitcher and glasses set?