How to Plan a Bridal Shower

No matter whether you’re thrilled to be hosting the bride-to-be’s celebration or a reluctant hostess just doing her friendly duties, we promise that a bridal shower can be both easy to plan and fun to go to. All it takes to plan the perfect bridal shower is just 5 simple steps:

Set a Time and Place

Once you have nailed down a day that all the VIPs can be there for, any time of day is great for a shower. Really think of the vibe you are looking to create. Hip and later in the evening for drinks? An afternoon of intimate time in the garden with some close girl friends? A traditional brunch? There is no right or wrong answer here, just take into account the guest list and the bride’s preferences before selecting the venue and time.

Pick a Bridal Shower Theme

Related to the previous step, the theme is often dependent on the venue and time. For example, if you decide to have a morning shower, a bridal brunch is always a safe bet. For those spring and summer weddings when the flowers are in bloom, we love the idea of an afternoon shower with an “Afternoon Tea Garden Party” theme. Antique tea cups make a beautiful gift for the bride, as well as easy table decor. To keep the budget low and the decor fresh and springy, put single flower stems in skinny vases or tea kettles.

Menu Planning

No need to slave away in the kitchen for a bridal shower when you all want to spend time together celebrating the bride-to-be. Small bites and some light drinks are best for this gathering. Always keep in mind that not everyone will want to drink, so you will want to have non-alcoholic drinks as well as fun cocktails. For this type of event, it works great to offer a single signature cocktail. Just name it something cute, top with a fruity garnish, and voila!

For spring bachelorette parties, we adore this Strawberry-Grapefruit Mimosa from A Beautiful Mess. For additional menu and party ideas, check out our Bridal Shower Pinterest board here.

Bridal Shower Activity Ideas

Try to get the group involved and feeling like they are a part of the shower. An easy ice-breaker is to play, “How do you know the bride?” Ahead of time, ask each guest to share how they met the bride and their favorite memory from their relationship. This could be a guessing game or just a show-and-tell. As an extra fun piece, you can ask guests to bring along (or email ahead of time) a photo of themselves with the bride and use clothespins to pin them to a string of lights or some twine. This creates a cute memento your bride can keep! You can also have guests come up with date night ideas for the bride and groom and write it on a popsicle stick. Put these into a mason jar labeled ‘date night’ and their first year of marriage will be full of exciting dates!

Send Invites

Once you’ve got everything set, it’s time to send out those invitations! Email invitations are perfect for a bridal shower and those other wedding-related events because it makes managing everything so much easier. Choose your style, customize the design and details, and then start collecting RSVPs, messages, and survey questions right in your account. And with these gorgeous designs, going digital is definitely a win-win. You can browse a bunch of fresh bridal shower invitation designs here.