Throwing a great Bridal Shower can be hard work, but with some time, thought, and personalization you can throw an amazing party! Here are our tips for the Ultimate Bridal Shower.
Choose An Appropriate Venue
When throwing a bridal shower, the space is an important thing to consider. You want to make sure that the venue is within budget, has enough space for everyone, and looks nice.
Make Sure There Is Adequate Parking
A lot of people want to celebrate the bride in preparation for her special day. Don’t make the guests spend half of the party looking for a place to park.
Memory Box
Set up a table with a large box, small pieces of paper, and colorful pens. Have the guests write down their favorite memories of the bride and groom.
Coordinate With The Wedding Colors
Whether your bridal party is boho chic or a more classy affair, it’s important for the venue to look like it was decorated with a cohesive plan involved. A great way to ensure this is to coordinate with the planned wedding colors.
Curate The Perfect Playlist
Music can really tie an important event like a bridal shower together. You can find a premade bridal shower playlist on Spotify. You can also create an original one with the bride and groom’s favorite love songs.
Establish A Dress Code
You don’t want one guest showing up in a nice cocktail dress while having another guest in jeans and t-shirt. Let the guest know what is expected and have them dress appropriately.
Have An Emcee
Allow the maid of honor or the mother of the bride to be an active host or emcee. An emcee will help usher the party along so that the guests can participate in the events and activities
Make A Google Drive For Photos
Everyone is going to be taking photos with their smartphones. Make a Google drive where all the guests can compile the photos that they take of the day.
Honeymoon Fund
Life is stressful. Some people do not have time to go shopping for a bridal shower gift. Set up a box where the guests can donate some cash or gift cards to contribute to their honeymoon fund. Even if they show up empty handed they can still contribute.
Name Tags
There will be members of the bride’s family at the party. There will be members of the groom’s family there. And there will be friends of the bride at the party as well. Chances are not many of the guests will know each other. Set up a name tag station so that the guests don’t have to worry about remembering names.
Have A Clear Start/End Time
A bridal shower is not a casual get together. You need a clear start and end time so that people know they shouldn’t show up late or stay too long after the festivities are over.
Have A Loose Schedule
People don’t just sit around at bridal parties. There’s usually lunch, maybe a cocktail hour, activities, and games. Have a schedule for when certain activities should take place so that the party is more organized. You don’t have to make the schedule too strict though.
A Group Craft
The party can create a nice keepsake for the bride and groom as a group. You can have everyone at the party sign a portrait of the couple. You can have a scrapbook where people can write advice or kind words to them. Or you can have the guests sign and write sweet, encouraging words on a tablecloth that the bride can take home afterwards.
Special Favors For The Bridesmaids and Mothers Of The Bride And Groom
Every guest should get a favor. But if you are able, it might be nice to get something a little extra special for the bridal party and the mothers. It doesn’t have to be too extravagant. Just a nice little trinket will suffice.
Choose a Great Party Theme
A party theme might sound childish on the surface but the perfect theme can take a good party to a great one! The theme can be anything, such as just the color pink, an elegant tea party, or a disco dance party. Keep in mind what themes the Bride will enjoy and what will make her look back fondly on the party for years to come.
Have a Personalized Gift for the Bride
As the person throwing the bridal shower, it’s important to get the bride more than just a set of bowls or a bottle of wine. An engraved wine glass or monogrammed silk robe could be a perfect gift, not only for getting ready on her wedding day but for a lifetime. Put some thought into her gift. Don’t leave it till the last minute.
The Newlywed Game
No bridal shower is complete without some games! The best bridal showers have lots of games, and the most iconic is The Newlywed Game. But don’t be afraid to branch out and try something else.
Guess The Dress
This is a game where guests are given a pencil and a piece of paper with a dress form on it, and they draw what they believe the wedding dress will look like. This is a fun and creative activity. Though to be fair, the bridesmaids and the mother of the bride may have an advantage.
Wedding Jeopardy
This is a fun game that can get everyone at the party involved. You can create a poster board of questions concerning the bride, groom, and the wedding party and see who answers the most questions correctly.
Bridal Party Guess Who
This game gives the guests a chance to have fun getting to know the bridesmaids. The bride will take turns reciting interesting facts about the bridal party and the guests have to guess which fact fits which bridesmaid.
Taste The Cake
In this game, the guests are blindfolded and they take turns taking a bite from several small cakes. They need to try their best to guess the flavor of each cake.
Toilet Paper Wedding Dresses
This game is a classic. The guests divide into teams and pick a teammate to dress up in a dress their team will construct out of toilet paper. The bride chooses the winner.
Wedding Pictionary
For this game you divide up into teams and take turns drawing aspects and objects from a wedding and guess what the drawings are. This game is most fun after a few drinks.
Coordinate the Bride’s Arrival
Make sure you know when and how the Bride will arrive, the last thing you want is a Bridal Shower with no Bride. Coordinating a ride for the Bride is also a great plan so that she can enjoy her party and cocktails without having to drive herself home. Also be clear on when she will arrive so that you can have everything set up before hand!
Serve the Bride’s Favorite Cocktails
Before buying and mixing cocktails for the party, make sure the Bride approves of the drink menu. If the Bride hates vodka, don’t serve vodka cocktails! Give her a few options based of what drinks you know she likes, but don’t bury her in decisions.
Have Fun Party Favors for Guests
Don’t forget to make party favors for guests to take as they leave the shower! The favors don’t need to be big or expensive, just something personalized and memorable for each guest. The gifts can follow the party’s theme or just be something sweet.
Have the Bride Approve the Menu
Similarly to the cocktails, it’s best to give the Bride options you know she’ll enjoy before finalizing the menu. If her favorite food is Mexican, think about having a taco bar with chips and salsa. Keep it fun and personable!
Decorate Desserts with Wedding Motifs
Supplying the Bride with her favorite flavor of cupcake will make her party just a little more special. Desserts are also easy to decorate with wedding iconography. Think rings, flowers, bridal dresses and more. Get creative with it!
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Plan for Photo Opportunities
Nothing is better photo op than a beautifully decorated party. Plenty of pictures will be taken at the party, so creating a photogenic background where the bride can pose with her guests will make a great impression.
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Keep the Bride the Center of Attention
You’re throwing the Bridal Shower for the Bride only, not her family or friends. If a guest tries to take over the party, gently lead the attention back to the Bride without making a stink. Make sure she’s fed, hydrated, and having lots of fun!
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