Throw a Celebration to Remember
Whether you’re a bridesmaid or the maid of honour, you want to plan a bridal shower that will delight the bride and impress the guests. Such a task can seem a bit overwhelming, but there’s no need to fear. This article will show you some fun ways to make any bridal shower a fabulous affair.
Themes
The key to a good bridal shower theme is to start with something you know the bride enjoys. This could include hobbies like backpacking, gardening, yoga or music. Or you could choose a more luxurious interest like visiting the spa or attending wine and cheese tastings. As the maid of honour or one of the bridesmaids, you probably know a little about what makes the bride happy and what she might enjoy doing. It’s a good idea to use this knowledge to your advantage when planning the shower.
One of the more popular themes these days seems to be a spa or “pampering” theme. This can be especially successful if the bride already has most of her kitchen gear. Instead of the traditional place settings and towels, bridal shower guests could give scented candles, lotions, or spa gift certificates.
Gift ideas
As hinted above in the case of the spa-themed bridal shower, you could ask guests to bring gifts related to your theme. If the bride enjoys backpacking, the hostess of the shower could request camping-related gifts. If music is central to the bride, guests could bring anything from favourite albums to concert or opera tickets. Assuming the shower isn’t a surprise, you could even ask the bride to make a special registry for her hobby items, guaranteeing she receives that lightweight tent or special violin she’s always wanted.
Activities and location
A creative hostess could come up with all sorts of activities based on any of these bridal shower themes. For a gardening theme, why not hold the event outside and have guests plant flower seeds in special pots to give to the bride or to take home as favours? If you choose a wine theme, consider holding the bridal shower at a nearby restaurant and have the sommelier give guests a wine tasting. For the spa theme, I have heard of very successful bridal showers where a manicurist or masseuse was hired for the day. I have even attended a bridal shower that started out as a relaxing yoga class.
Decorations and food
Decorations and food are an easy way to incorporate a bridal shower theme. Surround the room with potted plants and gardening aprons, pretty wine bottles, or even musical notes or pictures of famous musicians. Use scented candles and leave a buffet of different lotions for guests to sample. Serve wine and cheese for a wine theme, cucumber water for a spa theme or even s’mores for a backpacking theme!
However you choose to implement your bridal shower theme, just remember that it’s not picking the perfect theme that will make you a stellar maid of honour or bridesmaid, it’s just the fact that you took the time and made the effort to make the bride’s event so memorable.W
Source: From Ottawa Wedding Magazine files.
