Bridal Shower Ideas for the Music Lover
You know the type – the kind who will beg you to not throw her a bridal shower. She thinks they're stuffy and boring, and quite frankly, just not cool enough. So throw her a party that really reflects who she is.
Activity – Karaoke is just the right mix of cheesy fun that is a perfect bridal shower idea. You can rent a karaoke machine, but I think it is more fun to rent a private room at a karaoke bar. If you want to play games, ask each guest before the party for the name of the first album they ever purchased. Then ask guests to try to match their fellow guests with the albums. The person who gets the most right should win a prize. Another game to play would be to try to get the bride to name the groom's top ten favorite bands.
Invitations For a casual and hip occasion like this, you might consider using an internet invitation like Evite. If you'd rather do a printed one, look for music-themed invitations such as this one or this one
Gifts Ask each guest to make a mix CD or cassette tape for the bride and groom. They will end up with an interesting assortment of music – some they've heard before, and some new bands to learn about. If they don't know how to make a mix CD, they can give a favorite album. You could also pitch in together to buy an Ipod, an MP3 player, or that awesome guitar she's been coveting.
Kitchen Theme Bridal Shower Ideas
Activity Making a dish together is a fun activity for all generations. This could be as simple as decorating cupcakes, or be a little more advanced like sushi or tamales. You could also take a cooking class together, or hire a personal chef to come to your home and cook for the party – it's less expensive than you might think.
Invitations
Decorations You can create centerpieces that incorporate favorite kitchen utensils, or simple inexpensive items like wooden spoons and rubber spatulas. If you've bought new ones just for the centerpieces, give them to the bride as a bonus gift at the end of the bridal shower. You could also make centerpieces out of fresh herbs, or fresh fruit.
Food If you don't make a meal together, try to highlight the food by making all foods that tie into the bride's ethnic background, or making all of the bride's favorite foods. Another idea would be to make only dishes that are simple for a beginning cook to prepare, then giving the recipes to the bride and/or groom to start a recipe collection.
Gifts Ask guests to help the couple stock their kitchen. For example, utensils or appliances. Another idea is to ask guests to bring simple recipes and the pantry ingredients to make them. You can include recipe cards with each invitation so that the bride has a uniform set.
Lingerie Bridal Shower Ideas
This classic theme can either be elegant or racy – it's up to you! Either way it is a lot of fun.
Activity For an elegant party, you could host a wine tasting, or play bridal shower games. A racy bridal shower can focus on bridal shower games for the younger crowd, or can be almost like a bachelorette party. A great game to play is "What's in the Bag", a variation on "Hot Potato". Put a sexy item into a paper bag, and set a timer for 1 minute. Pass the bag from guest to guest; when the timer goes off, the person left holding the bag has to wear it!
Invitations For the elegant shower, I like this invitation. Here's an invitation for a racier party.
Decorations Decorate with lace and ribbons – lace tablecloths, lace and ribbons around vases of flowers, and a big ribbon on the back of the bride's chair. Or, ask guests to arrive early and bring a couple of favorite bras; when they get there, use small ribbons to tie them together and string them up like garlands. Provide feather boas for each guest to wear during the party.
Food Hold this party late in the day so that you can serve sexy cocktails and elegant hors d'oeuvres. Or serve foods reputed to have an aphrodisiac effect, such as oysters, asparagus, almonds, chicken with mole sauce (a Mexican chocolate sauce), or chocolate covered strawberries and bananas..
Gifts The whole point of this shower is to stock the bride's lingerie drawer. Be sure to include her measurements on the invitation, and guide guests to bring appropriate gifts by how you word the invitation. For example, you could say "bring something frilly, or bring something sweet, but make sure it's sexy, let's knock the groom off his feet!", or you could write "An elegant bride is always stylishly dressed, even after she's laid her head down to rest. It's time for us to shower the bride, Claire, and give her beautiful lingerie to wear." You might also consider asking the bride to register for lingerie that fits her style.
