A bridal shower is one of the most important pre-wedding activities for every bride-to-be. It dates back to the 16th century and the tradition has lived through millennials. This event is an opportunity to shower the bride with love and gifts, which she will enjoy opening. It’s also a meeting ground to break the ice between families and friends before the wedding.
Hosting a bridal shower can be both daunting and overwhelming since it’s a preliminary for wedding planning. But equipped with the best bridal shower ideas, your task is half solved. So if you’ve been charged with hosting these events, check out these beautiful ideas for a bridal shower.
Brides Often Ask
Who Throws The Bridal Shower?
The job of throwing a bridal shower is that of the maid of honor. However, the bride’s friends, bridesmaids, or bridal party can come together to host one. These days, almost anybody can handle this task, including the bride’s mom.
When Should You Celebrate A Bridal Shower?
The right time to celebrate the bridal shower is between two to six months before the wedding. This depends on the length of engagement. The schedule of the bride and host also factors. So, the shower can hold long before or close to the wedding.
Where to Have the Bridal Shower
Where the shower holds depends on the host, bride, budget, theme, and guests. If the bride’s most of the guests are local, then hold it locally. A backyard, restaurant, or venue that suits the shower theme is ideal.
How to Plan a Bridal Shower Party?
Every successful event requires planning, even a bridal shower. We’ve simplified the planning process into achievable timelines below.
Twelve Weeks before the party
- Budgeting
Just like the first step in planning a wedding, you must set a budget for the bridal shower. You need costs to cover venue, food, decor, drinks, photography, décor, etc. - Date
Pick a date that suits the bride and gives the guests enough time to prepare. Also, remember that there’s the bachelorette and bachelor’s party before the wedding. So give me enough time. - Guestlist
Create a guest list that includes those invited to the wedding. Work with the bride or the bride’s mom if it’s a surprise.
Eight Weeks
- Location
Before you start planning in detail, it’s important to know your venue. If you’re not able to use your venue as the host, seek from other co-hosts. When all fails, hire a venue that the bride loves or works with the theme. - Theme
This isn’t mandatory but if the bride loves something in particular, like cooking, crafts, choose a venue that goes with the theme. Watch your budget for this movie. - Pick out invites
It’s important to do this early enough especially if you’re following a theme. Pick and design them to your satisfaction, so that the guests can get them early enough.
Four Weeks
- Plan the menu
Hire the vendors and plan the menu to suit the time of day the party holds. Make provision for the dietary preferences of the guests. Also, make sure that the menu is something that the bride can enjoy. - Send out invites
Invite the guests four weeks early so they can arrange their schedule and shop for gifts if necessary. Include RSVP and dietary specification column.
Two weeks before
- Games
Prepare games that suit the theme, break the ice, and get everyone mixing up. There are many bridal shower theme ideas and games to get the ball rolling. Games like bridal shower bingo are a great start. If your budget allows, you can buy beautiful games online. - Playlist
Curate your playlist and make it all-inclusive. Ask the bride to send hers and merge it with something everyone else will like.
On the day before the shower
Check with the planner and vendors to ensure everything is fine. Get a book for the guests to write all bridal shower wishes, which becomes one of the bride’s souvenirs. Take a calming bath, eat well, and have a well-deserved rest.
Save this simple bridal shower planning checklist:
Bridal Shower Ideas
If you’re looking to get creative with your bridal shower party, here’s your guide. The different bridal shower ideas below will catch your fancy.
Tea Bridal Party
Tea parties are traditional and great for the sophisticated bride. Its elegance is in simplicity.
Expert tips:
Choose an upscale restaurant for the venue and decorate the tables with white linen, delicate China, blue candles, and some vases of hydrangeas.
Maintain a light menu with assorted pots of tea and a consistent supply of hot water. Complement with sandwiches like cucumber and cream cheese, chicken salad with tarragon, egg salad, or smoked salmon, and dill.
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Cocktail Party
A cocktail party is the perfect setting for the bride that screams industrial chic. Stick to simple white and green with florals and bows for the invite.
Expert tips:
For the venue, use florals and greenery with hints of gold for decor. Choose dining or farm tables and adorn them with white chiffon runners. Place some greenery, white and blue roses, and a collection of brass candlesticks on them. Cut out cardboard, spray paint them in gold, and adhere some florals to create a backdrop photo booth. Serve wine, beer, champagne, and some signature cocktails.
Offer a sweet mix of hors d’oeuvres and charcuterie with an assortment of flavored and frosted cupcakes.
Chic Champagne Brunch
A champagne chic brunch is a cool bridal shower idea for the prim, proper, and sophisticated bride.
Expert tips:
Start your decor with a mimosa bar kit in gold, pink and black. Fill your walls with colorful huge flute and champagne bottle balloons. You can also opt for decorative flutes with flared tulip rims and long classics steps as centerpieces. Create wreath hoops with flowers and foliage, hang them overhead and finish with warm lights.
For food, serve French toast, crepes, croissant, Belgian waffles, pastel-colored donuts, and tiered cakes. Don’t forget to present chilled fruit juices that merge well with bubbly wine.
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Beach Bridal Shower Party
One of the best bridal shower ideas is opting for a beach venue. You can create an upscale or relaxed vibe for the bride who loves serenity with some action. Make use of the blues and turquoise for your invites.
Expert tips:
Use wooden tables because of the breeze and decorate with crisp White Sea urchin shells. If you’ll be using place or escort cards, hold them in place with color-ordinated vessels. Merge modern details like linens to natural elements like pebbles to engage the environment. Use a tent so that the photographers can work with better lighting.
For meals, lemonade, signature drinks, and finger foods work best. Enjoy some fun by doing sand crafts and castles.
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Cozy Backyard Party
A backyard setting is one of the coolest bridal shower ideas for the minimalist bride. This is an opportunity to get creative with your backyard, so opt for cute colors. Choose crisp spring-green accents, lemon-yellow, and some white for a clean, calm look. Keep the invites white and chic with gold lettering.
Expert tips:
For decor, use twinkling lights and suspend lantern holding votive over white table and chairs. Create arrangements of white hydrangeas, Phalaenopsis orchids, and lisianthus in colorful mason jars.
Serve simple food like cookies and desserts, lemon curd, sponge cakes, macaroons, sparkling white tea, and some Chardonnay wine. Complete the relaxed vibe by hiring a masseuse to offer everyone a massage session.
Glam Garden Party
A whimsical bride will adore a glam garden bridal shower because it’s elegant, intimate, and romantic.
Expert tips:
Nail this theme by keeping the invitations and venue floral focused. Create a centerpiece mix of vases with gold balls and those with roses, dahlias, and jasmine. Anchor glitter place cards behind greenery decorated bistro chairs. Explore greens, blues, pinks, whites, gold, and sapphire.
Serve up exotic bites of mini heart-shaped grilled cheese sandwiches and raspberry mascarpone. Present cupcakes and donuts with frosted or glittery toppings. Offer the guests rosehip water, signature Bellini’s, and some cocktails and play of trivia.
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Wine Testing
Wine tasting is a timelessly popular bridal party idea.
Expert tips:
A professional service will provide you with rich history, an expertly curated assortment of wines, and a recommendation for food pairings. Alternatively, look, smell, and taste on a budget with the guidance of YouTube tutorials and bottles supplied by guests.
Cooking Class
If the bride loves to cook, then this fun bridal shower idea is everything.
Expert tips:
Start with a rustic venue vibe by placing white linens on farm tables. Create centerpieces from vegetables and herbs. You can fill complete bowls with citrus fruits with ribbons around them. Tomatoes, pomegranates, and kiwi could make colorful centerpieces too. Finish the look with pretzel sticks in colorful jars.
Get a chef to teach some dishes which everyone can and take the recipes home. Complement this with caramels, cookies, dried apricots, pound cake, melted chocolate, and some champagne.
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Wellness Day
There are very few bridal shower ideas that are more satisfying than the indulgence of hedonism.
Expert tips:
Treat yourselves to spa experiences, massages, beauty products, sauna sessions, and anything else that will help you relax.
Tarot Reading
You don’t have to be a true believer to thoroughly enjoy this bridal shower idea. Tarot cards are meant to answer deep questions about your past, present, and future.
Expert tips:
It’s a fun experience that will help you realize something about yourself, even if you don’t believe their mystical powers.
Private Shopping Day
Splurging is always a cathartic experience, especially when there is no guilt attached. You can have a blast by setting a budget and investigating every store that catches your eye.
Expert tips:
However, if you start your adventure with a to-do list you’ll enhance the experience with the sensation that you’ve accomplished something.
Makeup Class
A makeup tutorial session is a fun group event. It exposes you to new products, introduces you to new techniques, and gives you the opportunity to experiment with a look for your wedding day style.
Expert tips:
To keep the festivities going, take your new look for a test drive by hitting the club as a group.
One-Day Trip
Out of all the bridal shower surprise ideas, this is the one we love most. Make sure that the bride has no obligations, pack her bags in advance, and surprise her with a day trip!
Expert tips:
Depending on the bride’s taste, this could be a visit to a cabin in the woods, a trip to the aquarium, or a day at the slot machines. The maid of honor will know best.
Modern Bridal Shower Ideas For Themed Party
Modern bridal shower ideas are crafted around a theme. This creates a common anchor for the occasion and creates a lived story rather than a series of events. A bridal shower theme also helps to establish a vibe for the evening.
Parisian Chic
A Parisian chic bridal shower is a modern bridal shower wedding idea that’s romantic and feminine. It’s perfect for the bride who adores the city of love or will spend her honeymoon there.
Expert tips:
Send out dainty invites that have the Hermes bags, pictures of Paris, Coco Chanel posters. Etc. Use white, black, and pink colors with gold accents for the linens, place cards, and flowers. Centerpieces can be the Eiffel tower, white orchids, pink roses, and carnation. You can also throw in a combination of pastels with fine China, accented with pillared candles for a romantic ambiance.
Boho Style Wedding Shower
Bohemian themes are usually centered around eclectic style and an affinity for nature. Guests will be encouraged to mix colors, patterns and textures and to reimagine styles from previous generations.
Expert tips:
This is a great option for brides that veer away from the traditional wedding aesthetic.
Mexican Style Party
It’s very much appropriate to indulge in stereotypes during a Mexican style bridal shower, but it is best that the bride has Mexican heritage. Decorate your space with Mexican flags, papel picado, paper fans, and succulents for the table.
Expert tips:
This is a conveniently inexpensive bridal shower idea as you can DIY almost everything, and very attractive for brides who love food and music.
Moroccan Style Bridal Shower
Food is often the driver behind unique bridal shower ideas. Cater to the adventurous bride with a Moroccan bridal shower theme that doesn’t disappoint!
Expert tips:
Set your scene with a bounty of comfortable cushions, oversized frawns, and vividly colored fabrics and table settings. The sheer amount of satisfyingly exotic food is almost overwhelming. Do your best to try a little of everything.
Total White Bridal Party
Total white parties are shabby-chic and elegant perfection for the stylish bride.
Expert tips:
Achieve an upscale look with white, ivory, silver, and peach accents. Layering these colors with textures like burlap, lace, and a hint of Mylar to finish the look. Tape silver Mylar “I do” to a wall of lace and tulle for a beautiful backdrop. Run burlap and lace over plastic table cover and place spray-tinted matte silver and chalk-white mason jars on them. Place fresh blooms and peach roses in them, accentuated with white and ivory dinnerware.
Float silver balloons overhead each table. Serve donuts in white powder, silver candy sticks, yogurt dipped pretzels, vanilla sugar wafers, white rock candy sticks, and white wine.
Bridal Shower Party Tips
- When planning your bridal shower ideas at home or at a venue, it’s best to start with a plan. Start by establishing a firm budget. This will guide you through all of the choices you have to make. It will help you decide where the event will take place, identify how elaborate your bridal shower theme can be, and will determine how many guests you can accommodate.
- Once you determine how many guests can attend, spend a good amount of time considering who to invite. Bridal showers are meant to be an intimate gathering of the bride’s closest friends and family members. Make sure that everyone fits the description.
- With the venue and guest list established, you can move on to narrowing down your bridal shower ideas! Your decor, dress code, and menu are built into your theme, so choose wisely. The priority is to pander to the bride’s tastes, but it’s not a bad idea to consider how into it the other guests will be.
- Before making your final decisions, keep in mind that you’ll need to reserve a portion of your budget for gifts. They don’t need to be an extreme expense, but it will require a small percentage of your funds.
- Don’t kick things off until you take another look at your budget. At first it probably seems that a home bridal shower is the less expensive option. However, reach out to a few venues that can support your bridal shower theme to see if they have any bundled services that suit your needs. This approach may offset a bunch of individual expenses as well as hours that you have to invest.
- Bridal shower ideas are clearly (aside from the bride of course) the most important factors. Consider the planning process as you define your bridal shower theme.
Frequent Mistakes When Planning A Bridal Shower
- The most common bridal shower mistake is inviting too many people. It’s a natural intuition to want to impress the bride with as many people as possible. However, this often makes it hard to stay on theme, inflates your budget exponentially, and runs the risk of creating party cliques rather than flocking around the bride.
- The best bridal shower ideas are well planned, which leads to the next planning mistake; starting too late. Rushing your plans is the easiest way to spend too much money and make decisions that you’ll regret.
- The third strike of bridal shower planning is making it about you. It’s tempting to choose music, food, guest lists, and shower themes that appeal to you, assuming that everyone else agrees. But, you have to take yourself out of the picture for the bride’s sake. If you are in charge of planning the bridal party, it’s likely that you know the bride inside and out. She’s probably even offered you a little advice about her wishes and interests. Follow her queues and you are sure to put a smile on her face and a memory in her heart.
Planning a bridal shower is fun when you have all the bases covered. We’ve put together everything you need to know about hosting a bridal shower. From what to do to creative bridal shower ideas and themes, look no further. Get inspired and host an unforgettable bridal shower regardless of your budget.
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