7 Bridal Shower Ideas to Make Your Party a Success
The key to throwing a great bridal shower is in the planning. Ease the pressure with ideas that shower the bride-to-be with love so she knows she’s supported during the most important time in her life. A perfectly planned shower with loads of laughter and fun will send her off into marriage knowing how much she’s cherished by friends and family. Get started with these inspiring bridal shower ideas from at Pottery Barn.
Shower Her with the Outdoors
If you prefer a bridal shower venue outside your home or you’re hosting in spring, you have plenty of options! Ask someone you know who has a scenic yard or a backyard pool if they might be willing to lend you their property for the event. Because bridal showers are often casual, opt for nature’s own venue, such as a beach, lake or park, depending on time of year. Your choice in where you host the shower can help you determine your bridal shower decoration ideas. A patio garden looks great with seasonal flower arrangements. If you’re hosting the shower at a swimming venue, you can decorate with colorful inflatable pool toys. Supply monogrammed towels, and give them to guests as a parting gift.
Shower Her with Everything Pretty
Set a festive tone from the start. If the shower is at a home, hang a beautiful long bridal veil decorated with fresh flowers on the front door in place of a wreath. You can also put flowers in the most unexpected places. Freeze tiny flowers in ice cubes and fill galvanized beverage tubs with these along with bottled beverages. As an activity for the shower, set out stemmed flowers spread around a long table or in vases. Show everyone how to put together their own flower crowns, and enjoy chatting.
Shower Her with Wisdom
Find a beautiful box for the guest of honor and have guests fill it with words of wisdom about marriage, date night suggestions or classic recipes. Ask guests to come with ideas already written down. Or, collect them before the shower. The keepsake box can hold new memories in the future, too. You can also fill kitchen caddies with collected recipes for the couple to use in their home. If you’d like to take it a step further, ask the bride-to-be to read aloud her tips and recipes. Have someone insert them into a scrapbook or photo book for easy organization.
Shower Her with Fun
Your group can partake in sophisticated bridal shower game, but with a twist. A classic but beloved idea is to set up a large decorative glass jar with chocolate candies inside and ask guests to guess the amount. The winner takes the jar and candy home. For laughs, buy a few dozen bejeweled toy rings from a party store. Put them in a big bowl, and ask guests to wear one. Ask them not to use the words “wedding,” “bride” or any other word you come up with, or else they have to give up their rings. Anyone still wearing a ring at the end of the night wins a prize – maybe even a catchall tray for their daily jewelry.
Shower Her with Comfort
Your menu may depend on the time of day you’re hosting the shower. For lunch and dinner, host a fun and easy backyard barbecue. Guests will love to make their own personal-sized pizzas or tacos by choosing from a toppings bar. For an elegant yet simple menu idea, create colorful platters of antipasto served with assorted breads, crackers and breadsticks. Let guests indulge in desserts like heart-shaped cookies and candies. Top it off with an ice cream sundae bar to delight guests of all ages. Have fun with a morning or mid-afternoon menu by setting up a doughnut and coffee bar.
Shower Her with Toasts
Place mini-bottles of champagne on a tray, along with colorful paper straws. Attach these with personalized ribbon featuring the couple’s names. Once it’s time for toasting the bride, hand out one bottle per guest. Or surprise the bride-to-be by creating a signature cocktail for the toast. Place drinks in pitchers or a small drink dispenser on each table. You can also arrange personalized champagne flutes on a tray to hand out for toasting. Gift them to guests after the festivities conclude.
Shower Guests with Gifts
Who can resist favors such as candles and holders, or decorative accent pillows that include the words “love” or “joy”? Guests will love miniature, heart-shaped frames and anything that’s a reminder of the love that surrounds them in their own lives. For a smaller guest list, thank them with a monogrammed gift, such as a guest towel set, coffee cup, luggage tags (if guests travel to a destination wedding) or set of elegant soaps.