How to Throw an Elegant Bridal Shower
Throwing an elegant bridal shower doesn't mean that your celebration has to be stuffy and boring; creativity and careful planning will keep your shower fresh and youthful. A local winery would be the perfect setting for a sophisticated champagne and wine tasting, while a garden or park could be the location of an elegant afternoon tea party shower. If you are planning to throw an elegant bridal shower at your home, hire a cleaning service to make sure everything is polished and cleaned to perfection -- a pristine backdrop for an elegant bridal celebration.
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Instructions
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Choose a sophisticated palate to unify your decorations. Monochromatic palates focused around one color make decorating your space easy and add a dose of instant style. All-white wedding showers are popular, as are showers that center around the bride's wedding color or her personal favorite shade. Request that guests come attired in the shower color as well to continue the theme. Several neutral colors accented by one bright hue make sophisticated palates; a rustic shower gets a dose of elegance with unbleached cotton table cloths, white napkins and vases of bright red poppies, while a city bridal shower can showcase crisp gray linens, white plates and vibrant deep-purple irises. Most colors will work for an elegant shower, except those that are neon or fluorescent.
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Keep decorations simple. Most definitions of "elegant" include references to taste, refinement and restraint. Flowers that are strong and architectural, like calla lilies and irises, or slender and delicate, like sweet peas and lilly-of-the-valley, make elegant centerpieces; avoid fussy "filler" flowers like baby's breath. Framed photos of the couple, especially black-and-white prints, are sophisticated and simple; twists and frills of crepe-paper rarely spell elegance. Decorate with the following rule: would this particular decoration be used at a child's birthday party? If the answer is yes (crepe-paper streamers, balloons, table glitter), then it probably will not achieve the elegance you want for your bridal shower.
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Feed guests a menu that focuses on delicious food, presented elegantly. If you are throwing an elegant bridal shower, large chunks of grilled meat, bags of potato chips and nacho-cheese anything should be left off the menu. Finger sandwiches, miniature quiches, stuffed mushroom caps and sliced sandwich wraps make an elegant menu for an afternoon appetizer bridal shower; a frittata, tossed salad, fresh fruit and crusty bread makes a more substantial meal without sacrificing sophistication. All-dessert menus can also be elegant with cupcakes, chocolate mousse, miniature tarts, fruit salad making any bridal shower a sweet occasion.
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Engage guests in entertainment that is sophisticated and respectful. There is nothing elegant about vulgar jokes, crafts or games. Once the purview of the bachelorette party, ribald games and jokes that verge on the pornographic increasingly occur at bridal showers, undermining the elegance of the event. Have guests write down their favorite memory of the couple, or the moment they knew that this was a couple destined to be together and paste them into a pre-made scrap book for the bride. Quiz the bride on her knowledge of her groom, testing her on the groom's favorite color, sports team and food. Fun can be had without the expense of anyone's dignity.
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References
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