10 ideas for a brilliant bridal shower

Isn’t it odd how bridal showers have such a bad reputation? Despite all the effort and hard work that goes into planning one, not everyone is too keen on attending bridal showers. In fact, it isn’t uncommon for these events to end up as the sad prelude to a fantastic wedding. It is no wonder that the memories of the bridal shower are quickly washed away, especially when the wedding has a better chance of being a bit hit.

So, if you are in charge of planning a bridal shower for your bestie, we know you are up for quite a challenge. You will have to think extra-hard to give the girls at the party a fun-filled and exciting time. Since we understand your difficulty, we are here to help you overcome this challenge with a few brilliant ideas. We’ve crawled around the internet and collected what we think were the most impressive ideas. These should be enough to inspire you to plan your own. So, come along and find out what we’ve picked for you today!

#1 Have plenty of bite-sized treats

Rather than planning an elaborate buffet or plated meal with lots of details and exquisite dishes, the idea is to keep it simple and stunning. Women love visual details, so you have to choose dishes that are as appetizing to look at, as they are tasty. And the smaller they are, the better they will go down. There is something so sinfully attractive about bite-sized food on neat cocktail sticks that is immensely tempting. The other good thing is that not only are they easy to whip up, they are also incredibly tasty. When you serve a platter of tiny delicious treats that are too small to resist, nobody will refuse trying it and you can be sure that they’ll enjoy the experience. Serve up a variety of items, so there is something that everyone fancies. This way, you’ll have an interesting array of delicacies, and it will be both practical and well-appreciated.

Here we have a link with recipes for not one or two, but twenty-two bite-size appetizers that are sure to be crowd pullers.  Check it out and make your pick from the lot.

#2 Choose a sweet but simple theme

Too many details can spoil the overall impact, and you may find yourself unable to bring every aspect together to create a cohesive effect. It is much better to stick to a simple theme, with just a few colors and details to focus on. Whether you aim for classic elegance or casual chic, keep it uncluttered. Make sure that you pick all the colored elements in a specific hue, so they all come together beautifully. Don’t use more than two bold colors, and add in plenty of neutrals like white, brown and gray to balance it out. Another point to remember is to stick with an idea, rather than with a design or motif, as it is easier to execute. For example, you can choose pink and flowers as the main subjects and build your theme around these two factors. It will also be easier to find matching elements that will do the job well. Some pretty impressive themes can be seen at the following links:

• We love this honeybee theme bridal shower at Celebrations.com—a simple outdoor party with a few spectacular elements that stood out perfectly.
• This travel-themed bridal shower featured on the Cool Party Favors blog page was another beautiful party that worked on an interesting theme, and brought together various elements related to the topic, in a stylish and attractive way.
• Another theme that works out well is a beach-themed bridal shower. If the bride is an outdoorsy person who missed the chance to have an outdoor wedding, compensate by throwing her a fantastic beach bridal shower. For tips and tricks on nailing it, check out this article on the Celebrations blog.

#3 Give the dashing bride special attention

The best way to make a bridal shower special, is to make the bride feel truly special. So, apart from planning a big celebration for her, make sure you also do something special to make her feel very important.

Just like there are special bride and groom chairs for the wedding, designate a special spot for the bride at the party, and decorate it to look very special. You could even set up a special area that is highlighted with signature décor to make it obvious. Give the bride a “bride-to-be” sash, that she will wear throughout the day! She may be shy, but trust us, she is going to love it. You could even give her a tiara or something special (but not looking tacky), for that little extra that sets her apart from the guests. Make sure to have her wear this and the sash with great pomp and show, and it will immediately set her spirits soaring and she will look forward to all that is in store for her.

#4 Have a couture cake

You do not need a huge towering cake for the bridal shower, a small stylish one will do. If you are doing it yourself, keep it simple, but attractive with neat and crisp details that add a stylish touch to it. If you aren’t certain about doing the details in fondant, go with fail-safe choices like ribbons, cake toppers and other accessories that can easily dress up a simple cake. If you are ordering it, make sure it ties to the theme but doesn’t look too cluttered with too many details. Gourmet cakes are all the rage now, with pretty little details and designs being more in the limelight than the flavors. So, splurge on that. When placing the cake on the table, highlight it well, by arranging it between well-balanced, neat arrangements on either side. This article on the Knot shows us how a beautiful bridal shower cake should be. Take a look, we are sure you’ll have a tough time deciding which is the best!

#5 Or replace the single cake with an elaborate arrangement of fancy cupcakes

We found this brilliant idea on Real Simple and instantly fell in love with it. If there is something more impressive than a beautiful cake, it is a batch of many small, but beautiful cakes. Good-looking and delicious cupcakes are not only a delight to look at, they are also practical to serve at a bridal shower. Think of it this way—if you have a gourmet cake, you’ll be stuck with cutting and serving it for quite a while. On the other hand, with a tier of delicious cupcakes, the guests can help themselves to the one they fancy. You can also experiment with a variety of flavors instead of sticking with just one. This way, all the guests are likely to find one that they love without much trouble.

#6 Serve a signature drink that matches the party theme

This is your chance to come up with an interesting beverage that will tie beautifully with the theme of the wedding. Since the crowd will be relatively small, it will not be too difficult to have signature cocktails served. You could even display them so they form a beautiful arrangement that will be noticed by the guests. Pay attention to the smaller details, like choosing a beautiful garnish and dressing up the rim with colored sugar crystals, for that luxurious finish. You can make it interesting by matching the color and flavor to the weather, the color and also keeping the bride’s favorite tastes in mind. Also, set up the beverage station separately from the rest of the food arrangement. Consider using custom name tags and interesting décor arrangements that match the theme. If you are unsure about whether it will go down well with all the guests, you can also set up two cocktail drinks of different tastes, so that there is at least one that everyone is bound to choose. From refreshing Grapefruit and mint mojitos to pretty pink lemonades, you will find a range of brilliant bridal shower cocktail recipes on the Martha Stewart website, here.

#7 Have a dress code

Most women love being part of a theme. So, make sure the guests at the bridal shower also have a chance to participate in a theme by providing them a dress code. Keep it simple, so that nobody has trouble finding an outfit that will be suitable. Either go with a color, or give a specific design type like polka dots or stripes somewhere in their outfit, so they have some flexibility in choosing how to incorporate this into their dressing style. The other benefit of having a specific dress theme is that it will unify the party and everyone will naturally be curious to find out how the others have chosen their looks, to fit the suggested theme. It will be an ice-breaker, and can help ensure that your party pictures look very interesting because of this unifying factor. Simple dress color codes that are bound to make it easy for everyone are black, white or silver. It doesn’t even have to be in the dress, you can ask them to incorporate the color or design factor anyway. This may be with an accessory like a clutch or a belt, or else with the dress design or embellishment itself. Or you could ask all the guests to present themselves in a chosen style, like Wild West or vintage 90’s style. This article on the Bridal Guide gives you a quick look at the some color options that look great. Our personal favorite was the red and pink ombre code that was ravishing!

#8 Make it magical with things that shimmer, float and hang from above

Anything that doesn’t isn’t fitted to the ground has a magical charm to it. So, make the most of this idea, by including décor items that hang freely or are suspended in the air. You can consider lanterns, hanging flower balls and even floating balloons in a chosen color to create this magic. Don’t shy away from the idea even if you are conducting an outdoor event. Place the seating under a tree, and have hanging items like lanterns and candle holders suspended from the branches. If this is not practical, consider using table centerpieces with floating helium balloons that rise above the eye-level for an equally attractive effect. Do glitter in the right doses, and use crystals and stones to add a touch of sparkle, and we are sure the bride will love the element of fantasy associated with the entire setting. Mix this up with displays that are placed low, and the impact will be doubled. So, plan to have your decorations kept both high and low, at various levels, for a stunning effect.

#9 Make the setting fragrant

Do you often associate certain events or places with lovely smells that you can still remember, when you just think of them? Crucial to setting the ambiance, make sure that your venue not only looks great, but smells awesome too. Choose a signature scent that is bound to be pleasant, and make sure that the guests get a fair whiff of this scent from the minute they are at the party. Guests often pick on a scent sub-consciously and this plays a great role in making the memories of the day interesting. So, give them an olfactory sensation by choosing a scent like vanilla, cinnamon, rose or sandalwood and adding this odor in lavish doses to the venue. You can do this using scented candles, air fresheners and pot pourri. Perfumed spray can be used on the table linen and napkins. Also, choose flowers that complement the main scent and have the bridal party wear a scent that blends well with the overall fragrance. More tips on adding a fragrance to your venue can be found at this page on Easy Weddings.

So, now you are all equipped to plan a bridal shower with a difference. To pick your attire for this big event that you will be hosting for your dear friend or relative, make sure to browse through our online evening dress catalog at Best for Bride.