Bridal Shower Bliss

Have you ever thrown a bridal shower? Were you stressed? It can be a lot of pressure to keep all the details moving and to create an event you are confident the Bride will enjoy.

I was lucky enough to host a Bridal Shower for my wonderful sister-in-law, Emily, this February. She is maybe the most easy-going Bride I have ever met which made it that much more enjoyable to shower her with lots of love!

Side Bar: She is truly a beautiful soul and has a fabulous vlog and Instagram, Check it out. Emily Holland.

So.. Let's talk about how it went and my tips for a successful Bridal Shower.

How do you create a stunning bridal shower you ask?

First things first, you need to select a theme. This can be as simple or as extravagant as you would like. Deciding on a theme helps the other details fall into place and to create a cohesive and beautiful soirée. For my Emily's shower we mimicked the wedding vibe and created a space with black and white elegance in mind.

Tip: To help you decide on your theme, you should have a sense of the style of your bride. If your bride is not sure or wants to give you free reign (😱), then go off your instincts. And when that fails, mimicking after the wedding theme is generally a safe bet.

Next, it’s time to select a date, time, location and pick out an invitation. For the location, we selected my mother-in law's house. It is a beautiful home, centrally located with a stunning courtyard. Not only comfortable and meaningful for the Bride, but also creates a beautiful setting. When in the south you have to consider the season. February is prime Mardi Gras season, so this played a role in our date and time selection (peep the nod to Mardi Gras in the food selection below).

Tip: When you are deciding on a date I would suggest a month before the wedding. Make sure to get with your Bride to see what works best for her. I would suggest sending out the invitations 3-4 weeks before the shower. This gives you time to finalize the food and drink count you will need. There are many resources for invitations; Etsy, Zazzle, just to name a couple I’ve used. For the creative types, you can also create one in Canva. I personally love Canva and use it for many different things from invitations to resumes.

Now for the fun part…decorations!

For our black and white theme, my family already had white tablecloths so I used those and bought a couple black table runners from Amazon. I also purchased loose pearls, black lace, votives and a faux white bouquet to make the centerpieces. We placed the loose pearls and bouquets in short vases we already had for the centerpiece. I wrapped the votives in the black lace and placed them around the vases. Apart from this we added little touches around the home. I purchased white wisteria garland to hang on the door ways. We draped tulle behind our welcome table. I made a photo hoop of pictures that encompassed moments from the couple‘s relationship. This doubled as décor and a nice memento for the Bride to take home. On the welcome table I had a framed picture of the couple from their engagement photos, advice cards for guests to complete for the Bride and Groom and the shower favor displayed. Emily (the bride) loves to take pictures so, I added a little photo backdrop made from pvc pipes and white fabric. I ordered a Miss to Mrs. sign from Amazon and voilà you have a photo booth/station. Finally a little extra touch with a balloon purchase from Party City and we had ourselves a beautifully decorated soirée.

Tip: It’s best to start purchasing décor 3-4 months in advance. This allows you to buy from sites that have longer shipping times but cheaper product or allows time to shop around for just the right item.

A great shower will always have favors and/or prizes for the attendees to take home. For Emily's shower I did a favor. I chose to do a sugar scrub with a cute little label that said “From Emily’s Shower to Yours”. To make these I found a wholesale sugar scrub. I selected pink because this is the pop of color she’s using at her wedding and one of her favorite colors. The jars I found on Amazon and purchased an Avery printable label from Staples. With a little time and TLC you end up with an adorable shower favor.

Tip: It can be a crowd pleaser to have fun games, but I would check in with your Bride to see if she is a fan of bridal shower games. If she is find out what kind she enjoys. Some games can be a little corny and you will loose the vibe you are striving to achieve.

On to the FOOD! I don’t know about you but I love to eat.

For Emily’s shower we selected mid-afternoon for the time and thus chose appetizer style foods. I made several charcuterie boards, chicken & pork sliders, spinach and artichoke bites, vegetable cups, brie and of course you can’t forget the sweets! Since my cousin is a mastermind at all things sweet and you can always use a little help, I ordered the desserts from Sweet Eats by Abby. We had a gorgeous cupcake tower with 4” topper, Mardi Gras king cake bites and individual strawberry shortcakes. The shortcakes are a Bride favorite 😉.

For drinks I chose to do a red and white sangria (Bride's favorite. Do you see a theme?), water with fruit and mini cokes and sprites. The food and drinks I purchased at Sams Club. When you’re buying in bulk what better place is there to shop?? For the sliders, I ordered the meat from Moe’s BBQ and made the sliders with Hawaiian sweet rolls, yum! 😋

Tip: Depending on the time selected for your shower will determine what kind of food you will serve. For example a mid-morning shower might choose brunch style foods.(super cute and fun, click the link for some brunch Pinterest ideas)

One last detail..

Depending on your location, I would suggest you add in music. This will fill in any dead air that may occur while guests are eating or maybe watching the Bride open gifts. It is also a great enhancement for any party. Just make sure the music selected fits the crowd and vibe you are creating. I personally brought my own Bluetooth speaker and placed it behind the bushes in the courtyard to create a nice atmosphere.

A few photos from our lovely soiree.

A few little extra details you might need. After all..it's all in the detail

1. Platters for food

2. Pitchers for drinks (punch/sangria/water)

3. Glasses (wine/water/soda)

4. Napkins + Cutlery

5. Ice bucket + Ice

6. Command Strips for decorating

7. Notebook and pen to write down who gave the bride what gift. We southern ladies can't forget our manners. Thank you notes are a must!

All in all Emily's shower was a great success. The Bride seem to enjoy herself and many laughs were had. Remember the overall goal is to create an enjoyable event, so don't stress too much and have some fun! It will all come together in the end. I hope you enjoyed reading this post and walked away inspired to get creative!

Until next time...