Traditional Bridal Shower Theme
Most typically, a bridal shower is an opportunity for a bride and her friends to celebrate, play games, and watch the bride open her presents.- Invitations: Choose an invitation with a drawing of a bride, a wedding cake, or other wedding theme. Here are my top picks for bridal shower invitations.
- Decorations: Wedding bells, a guest-of-honor chair for the bride, bows, hearts, white tulle, ribbons, and flowers.
- Activities: Bridal shower games, naturally.
- Food: Get the girls together for a light afternoon luncheon, or serve high tea. Think pretty hors d'oeuvres, small sandwiches, pasta salads, and pastries. Consider serving a champagne punch, wine, or a fun non-alcoholic drink.
- Gifts: Traditional gifts include items to set up the household, especially items from the bride's wedding registry.
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Spa Bridal Shower Ideas
Invitations Look for spa-themed invitations, such as this one or this one.
Decorations Consider having your shower right at a spa or salon. If that's not possible, decorate your house to look as much like a spa as possible. Put out stacks of clean fluffy white towels, and all the products you are going to need. Turn on some relaxing music. Forgo fussy flower arrangements; instead use big glass bowls with a few flowers floating in them, and river rocks on the bottom.
Activities At the salon, let each guest get a manicure and/or a pedicure before it is time to open presents. At home, purchase a dozen different colors of nail polish, some interesting face masks, a relaxing foot soak, lotions, and other beauty products. Tell guests to dress in comfortable clothes or pajamas, and put lots of pillows around for lounging.
Food – Serve light bites that are easy to nibble while your other hand has wet fingernails. For example, Mango Salsa Wontons, Smoked Salmon Rollups, or Pound Cake Squares with Berries
Gifts – Tell guests to bring something to help the bride and/or groom relax. You also might consider each putting in money to send the couple to have massages or a day at the spa together.
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Chocolate Party
What girl doesn't love chocolate? If the bride or groom is a chocophile, indulge them and your guests with a chocolate-themed bridal shower.Invitations Look for a chocolate-themed invitation, or a simple chocolate brown invite like this one.
Activity A chocolate tasting is ideal – get an assortment of chocolates, arrange them prettily on plates, and instruct guests to taste them from mildest to strongest and darkest. Make worksheets with the names of each chocolate they'll be trying, and room for them to make notes about what they did or didn't like about it. Another alternative is to create a menu that uses chocolate in different courses –such as chicken mole, or salad with cocoa nibs in it. Or, simply have a potluck chocolate dessert party.
Gifts Ask guests to give gifts of tools for baking or candy making. Or you can all pitch in to give a subscription to a chocolate of the month club.