Different Kinds of Bridal Showers

Using a theme can help a bride have a memorable bridal shower.

Bridal showers are one of the last hurrahs a single girl has before she ties the knot. Instead of going with a traditional wining and dining party, make the event extra special by going with a theme. Whether a bride-to-be’s tastes run toward the funky and eclectic or elegant and ladylike, there are ideas to inspire anyone.

Alice In Wonderland Tea Party

Use the "Alice in Wonderland" story to throw a quirky shower.

Set a whimsical mood with an Alice In Wonderland motif. Send invitations on stationary made to look like playing cards and use key phrases from the book or movie such as “Don’t be late for a very important date!” Serve tea, mini sandwiches, tiny cupcakes and cookies with icing that says “eat me” written on them. To create a "Mad Hatter" vibe, decorate tables with non-matching teapots and teacups. Scatter chessboards on other surfaces and stake plastic pink flamingos outside to represent the famous croquet scene with the Queen. For activities, play croquet or get crafty and purchase ceramic roses then let everyone paint their own various shades of red.

Sex and the City

Serve cosmopolitans at a Sex and the City bridal shower.

For the sophisticate, there is the Sex and the City theme. Since Carrie was a shoe addict, send invites with pictures of stilettos and tell guests to dress up glamorously. When girls arrive, put name-tags on their backs with the names of the characters from the show. Turn this into a game by having people drop hints about the character’s personality to help guests figure out who they were assigned. Reward winners with gift bags stuffed with Sex and the City movies or episodes, New York City guidebooks and cosmopolitan recipes. For décor, scatter large rhinestones on tables. Set up a cocktail area that serves a variety of cosmos and martinis. Since the characters usually dined out, have the event catered with Chinese food, sushi or French cuisine.

Sleepover

Tap into the inner teenager and host a sleepover.

Who says that sleepovers are only for teenagers? Plan an all-night affair and tell guests to come in pajamas and slippers. Lay out sleeping bags, blankets and tons of pillows. Light lavender-scented candles and set out manicure and pedicure kits. Once all the guests have arrived, put out bowls with warm water and rose petals so everyone can soak their nails. Make popcorn and play traditional girls’ night flicks like “Dirty Dancing,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary” or anything in the Molly Ringwald oeuvre. In the morning, send guests home with monogrammed slippers or cosmetic cases.

Around the World

Arrange tables with foods from certain countries to set a global vibe.

Let the gals feel like vagabonds by turning tables into mini countries. Post a placard with the country’s name on it and surround it with the appropriate ethnic foods and gifts. For example, set up a Chinese table with Chinese food surrounded by paper lanterns, fans, fortune cookies and miniature parasols. For a British table, post Union Jack flags around tea and scones. Decorate a Mexican table with crepe paper that is green, white and red – the colors of the country’s flag – and put out tequila shots, chips, guacamole and taquitos. Play music from each country during the party. Play a game where everyone writes down a foreign country that they want to visit the most and three reasons why. Read them aloud and have everyone guess who wrote each wish list.

Christmas

For a Christmas bridal shower, encourage guests to bring ornaments.

Whether the wedding is taking place around Christmas or whether it’s just the bride’s favorite holiday, create a yuletide atmosphere by sending Christmas cards in lieu of traditional invitations. Tell guests to come in Christmas hats and to bring ornaments as gifts that will be the couple’s first tree ornaments. Serve Christmas cookies and spiced eggnog and watch romantic films that are centered on the season, such as “Love Actually.” For a sassy touch, decorate a tree with pink and black boas and silver streamers. Send girls home with gifts such as cookie cutters.

Scrapbook

Have guests bring pictures to create scrapbooks.

Make the party memorable by celebrating old memories. Ask the girls to bring photos that create a timeline of the bride’s life that lead up to when she met her future husband. Go to a local craft store and purchase scrapbooks and scrapbook stickers and spread them out for everyone to use. Other decorative choices are glitter glue and pictures cut out from magazines. The bride can either keep these for herself as time capsules or let guests take them home.

References

• “SweetHarts Mad Hatter Tea Party Ice Cream Social Shower”; The Shower Diva; Melissa Joan Hart

Resources

• Alice in Wonderland: Alice in Wonderland Party Ideas