Creative and Fun Wedding Ideas Made Simple Creative and Fun Wedding Ideas Made Simple
You want this to be the most gorgeous and memorable event for your daughter—next only, of course, to her wedding day! So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the Bridal Shower details, we totally understand. And we’d love to help! In fact, we can “read your mind” going over all the questions—from the venue, time of day, theme, and menu, to the invitations, table settings and accessories, bridal shower activities, and guest favors. And we’re thrilled to be able to offer some answers and suggestions, with help from our styled bridal shower sets and previous posts! (*this post contains affiliate links)
Your Questions / Our Answers and Suggestions
Q: How do I decide on the basic arrangements—venue and time of day? Will it be a dinner, brunch, afternoon tea, or lunch shower?
A: These basic details are best decided on by thinking of the practical considerations. (Sorry, these come in the form of more questions! But will help lead you to the answers.)
- What season of the year is it and what weather conditions are expected? Your venue choice will be influenced by that.
- Does the bride-to-be have a favorite type of food or a theme (see next question) that would best suit a morning, afternoon, or evening event?
- And to be very candid, your budget will be a major deciding factor. Can you go for a hotel venue, a restaurant, a country club function room, or your home? For the menu, too, an evening dinner will be more pricey than a brunch or tea party shower.
Q: How do I select a theme?
A: This is such a broad question with a myriad possible answers! So, perhaps seeing some examples we styled ourselves will give you the inspiration for your daughter’s theme.
A Bright and Sunny Citrus Theme
Makes you smile, right? Fresh citrus fruits as your theme are sure to perk up any party scene. And mini potted arrangements make the loveliest place card holders. Colorful sachets filled with candies make equally attractive favors.
A Bold and Colorful Gerbera Daisy Theme
Another option that just beams is a gerbera daisy theme. Just naturally cheerful, this flower provides you instant decor elements for your centerpiece (yes, that’s a bowl of live goldfish!), and as accents for table napkins and for rhinestone votive holders and place card holders.
An Extravagant Marie Antoinette Theme
If your daughter is into Old World elegance, then perhaps you could consider a Marie Antoinette-inspired theme. What a fun time you’ll have with elaborate, luxurious decor fit for a queen!
A Romantic Modern-Vintage Theme
Also Old World, but in a genteel, refined way is our “modage” (modern-vintage) theme in classic black lace, white roses-and-pearls favor bags, and pink rose centerpieces and table napkins ringed with crystals.
A Starry Hollywood Theme
If a glitzy setting might be more the bride-to-be’s style, then why not host a star-studded bridal shower with a Hollywood theme? Literally star-studded, that is, with the venue and table decorations featuring glittery, sequined stars in different forms.
More themes for Mom to choose from? Here is a post we did of 30 Unique Bridal Shower Themes!
Q: Who should I invite to the event?
A: Traditionally, your daughter’s best friends from work, school, and perhaps the neighborhood, and of course closest family members, like grandmothers, aunts, and cousins. Many bridal showers today are now “couples’ showers” where the groom and his friends and family may also be invited.
For some lovely bridal shower invitation ideas, we chose a variety for you—from customized cards that you have printed with the shower details, to simpler (and more budget-friendly) fill-in cards where you write in the details yourself. (*this section contains affiliate links)
- Flower Border Bridal Shower Invitation – from Shutterfly / Tiny Prints
- Rustic Pink Floral Ivory Burlap Lace Invitation – from Zazzle
- Spectacular Succulents Bridal Shower Invitation – from Shutterfly / Tiny Prints
- Floral Watercolor Bridal Shower Invitations (40 fill-in cards with envelopes) – from Amazon
- Fill-In Floral Wedding Shower Party Invites (pack of 50 with envelopes) – from Amazon
- Ivory Floral Bridal Shower Invitation – from Zazzle
Q: What kind of decorations, place settings, tablescapes, and centerpieces should I use?
A: All these details are very much tied up with the theme you finally choose for the bridal shower. They are also influenced by the season of the year or a holiday around that time.
Certain decorations and accessories may be more readily available in stores, or natural materials and elements (like flowers, leaves, fruits, berries) may be taken from your surroundings.
And of course, how much you are willing to spend sets your limits, too. A great option, if you and your family members are crafty, would be to DIY many of the decorations, table elements, and centerpieces. A lovely way to make the event more personal and heartfelt!
Our sample sets below should give you some inspiration.
A Mint and Pink Bridal Shower Tablescape
Just staying within a sweet color pairing like this gives your table setting a pulled together look, even with the simplest of elements. We assembled finger foods and pastries on doily-lined plates (balanced on vases), mini flower pots of pink roses, white candles on pearl candle coasters, and pink candies in tiny silver baskets tied with mint ribbon.
Warm & Welcoming Table Setting for Fall
Here, we show how you can take advantage of nature’s own decorative materials, especially for a season like fall. We used gorgeous autumn foliage and other natural elements to create DIY centerpieces, plate chargers, table numbers, napkin rings, and guest favors of a gold frame with a leaf tucked inside.
Garden-inspired Table Setting
For a spring or summer bridal shower to be held outdoors, a garden-themed table setting would be so pretty! In our styled set, we created a vignette centerpiece of a birdcage surrounded by assorted flowers and potted plants. Then, we arranged floral-patterned china on doily liners, each topped with an ivory embroidered pouch to hold sweets or trinkets as guest favors.
A Spanish Tapas-themed Tablescape in Rich Gold and Red
You may opt for an exotic motif—perhaps a Spanish one like our tapas party bridal shower? Then, you can lay out the guest tables in a rich gold and red palette, from the tablecloth to the shower favors of woven boxes in colorful fabric wraps.
Tropical Table Setting with Seashell Accents
If the season and your party location allows, a tropical theme could be presented very elegantly. Note how we used a cool aqua and sand palette, plus seashell accents to tie the look together—shell dishes (in place of the frames) to double as place cards holders and favors, a single shell to hold the menu card, and loose shells in the lush tropical centerpiece and the table runner.
Q: How do I decide on a menu? What kind of food should I serve?
A: Again, the influencing factors will be the theme you have chosen, your daughter’s favorite cuisine and desserts, and the type of shower based on the time of day (brunch, luncheon, afternoon tea, or dinner). And if cost is a consideration, as with the decorations and table settings, you can always home-cook and home-bake the menu items!
Here are some of our own examples of menu options you may consider.
A Garden-themed Sweets Table
For a dainty, feminine bridal shower theme set out in the garden, why not assemble a pretty-in-pink sweets table like we did?
A Champagne & Sweets Station
If you have chosen a Parisian theme, you can keep it simple yet chic. Set up a champagne and sweets table for the bridal shower cake, eclairs, macarons, madeleines, and meringues—plus a bottle of rose bubbly!
A “Love is Sweet” Cake Display
Play up the sugary angle of a “Love is Sweet” theme with a gorgeous, flower-decked bridal shower cake taking center stage. Then, surround this with an array of the prettiest confections in pastel colors, too (seen in the full post).
A Seasonal / Holiday-themed Candy Table
A great way to keep within budget is to have a menu inspired by the season or a holiday—like this Halloween-themed “spooktacular sweets table” we styled. The pastries can be store-bought then decorated, while candies galore and popcorn are Halloween staples anyway!
A Classic Wine and Cheese Selection
You can’t go wrong with a selection of wine and cheese for your bridal shower menu. You can assemble an impressive spread with just 3 or 4 bottles of wine, an assortment of cheeses with flag labels, and crackers, baguette slices, and rolls.
Q: What can the guests do at the shower? What activities and/or games can we organize?
A: There are popular bridal shower activities and games that guests always seem to enjoy, and game supplies for these are readily available online and in stores (see some ideas below).
But do be creative and try to organize games that focus on the bride-to-be: her interests, talents, hobbies, even trivia about her. Remember, the guests will be those who know her very well, so that should add to the fun!
Grab some ideas below from our previous posts on bridal shower activities.
- Art-inspired Projects: Creative Bridal Shower Activities
- Unique Bridal Shower Game Prizes for Guests: DIY to Buy
- How to Set Up a Perfume Bar at a Bridal Shower
- Bridal Shower Activities: Creative, Clever, and Fun!
- 10 Craft-themed Bridal Shower Activities: Creative + Fun!
Looking for bridal shower game supplies to buy? Here are some fun finds to choose from. (*this section contains affiliate links)
- “Match the Love Songs” Bridal Shower Game – from Zazzle
- Wedding Ring Scratch Cards Game – from Beau-coup
- Rustic Bridal Shower Personalized Scratch-Off Game – from Personalization Mall
- Bridal Shower Wishes and Advice Game Invitation – from Zazzle
- Flower Bridal Shower Game Cards (6 pack, 30 sheets each) – from Amazon
- Wedding Advice Cards | Bridal Shower Games (40 cards) – from Amazon
Q: What would be nice to give as favors? How do I decide on a budget for them?
A: Down to this final detail, the theme you’ve chosen will be the major deciding factor. Whether garden/floral-inspired, Parisian, rustic, spa-themed or whatever, giving favors that capture that motif will help remind guests of this happy occasion.
About the budget for favors, set a ceiling amount that you are prepared to spend in total. Divide that figure by the number of guests, then shop around for thoughtful gift items or edibles within that price. Many online wedding vendors offer lovely items at affordable prices. Or you can choose to create handmade favors instead!
See our favor inspiration below.
1 – Fabric-wrapped Sweets in Teacups
Perfect for an afternoon tea bridal shower are these candies-in-a-cup favors–with the sweets presented in dainty pink organza wraps.
2 – Spa-themed Bridal Shower Favor Bags
If you can splurge a little for a spa-themed shower, why not surprise each guest with a bagful of pampering products? Then, as a special treat, gift the ladies who will be in the bridal party with a lovely wristlet bag to use at the wedding.
3 – Chocolates in Lavender Embroidered Pouches
Whether your chosen theme is lavender or chocolate, take inspiration from our Lavender and Chocolates set. Here, we packaged purple-wrapped Hershey’s Kisses in embroidered pouches—very budget-friendly but so pretty. You could also fill the bags with lavender potpourri or hand soaps for ultra-fragrant favors!
4 – “Love is Sweet” Favors in Floral Petal Sachets, Tulle Purses, Pomander Bags
Remember the “Love is Sweet” theme above? Well, the favor ideas we prepared for it are just as irresistible: silk flower-petal sachets, tulle and lace purses, and rose-inspired sachet bags. With such lovely packaging, the fillings can be simple sweets or trinkets.
5 – Victorian Tea Party Favors in Porcelain Boxes
A proper Victorian tea party setting calls for equally classic guest favors. Delicate footed porcelain boxes (shown on the right) can hold candies at the bridal shower, then be used as lovely jewelry boxes afterwards.
All right, Mom! Have we helped answer your Bridal Shower planning questions? We certainly hope so, so you can throw your daughter the most lovingly prepared pre-wedding event ever!