Bridal Showers
It is the most amazing news to hear your best friend is getting married! Planning a wedding can definitely be stressful that’s why it’s up to the bride’s made of honor and best friends to make sure the bridal shower is one thing the bride does not have to worry about. A lot of ladies may find the task of throwing a bridal shower quite daunting, however, I hope some of my hints and tips can help you plan a beautiful shower and eliminate some of the stress.
Theme
Like I always say, the first thing you need to do when planning any party is chose a theme. A theme makes it a lot easier to coordinate your shower and it also helps to make sure every aspect complements each other. Here are some of my favourite bridal shower themes: Tea Time, Spa Shower, Double Happiness and Cosmopolitan Cocktails. For this bridal shower I have chosen a brunch theme, because who in Hong Kong doesn’t love brunch?
Date
Bridal showers are usually held within one to three months of the wedding day. Try not to plan the shower too close to the big day because everyone will be busy with last minute preparations and it also may be too much to ask guests to buy multiple gifts in such a short amount of time.
Guest list
Next thing you need to do is plan your guest list. Invite the bride’s closest female friends and of course all female family members. Make sure your home or venue has enough space for everyone, send out themed invitations and keep track of RSVPs.
Menu
Planning your menu is key. It is always nice to match your food options with your theme. For my brunch bridal shower I decided to go with a selection of popular breakfast items. My menu consisted of:
Apple and Orange Juice
Coffee and Tea
Strawberries and Blueberries
Granola
Blueberry Muffins
Pancakes
French Toast
Croissants
Keep it light and simple and make it easy for guests to help themselves.
Décor
Bridal showers, in my opinion, should be pretty and fresh. For this bridal shower I decided to go with a light blue and white colour scheme. These colours are consistent throughout the décor and can be seen in the crockery, flower arrangements and food cards.
Games
Its always fun to get everyone interacting together. A popular easy bridal shower game is a trivia quiz. Come up with a list of fun and random questions about the bride and groom and see how well your guests really know the happy couple – or how well the bride knows her groom to be (this could get interesting!).
Gifts
Assign a slot during the shower for gift opening. Its always fun to see what great new gifts the bride has received. Little tip – Have on hand a pair of scissors, a note book and pen to record gifts and their givers and a trash bag for all the wrapping.
Goodie bags
Its always nice to send your guests home with a gift to say thank you for coming. For my brunch bridal shower I went with little baskets filled with scones and mini jams. This is a cute easy gift that won’t break the bank.
I hope these helpful hints will come in handy when you are planning your bridal shower.
Sweet Soirées xx
Photos by Sabrina Sikora of Sabrina Sikora Photography
www.sabrinasikoraphotography.com