Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Showers & Soirees: The Bridal Shower

Welcome to the first of the series Showers & Soirees. Planning a party or event can be difficult, especially if you are doing it in  honor of someone else. Despite the fact that I absolutely love planning, it can still be hard to make sure you have everything in line for the party to go off without a hitch. Most recently, I've been planning a bridal shower for my cousin who is getting married this summer. I'm excited to be hosting this shower alongside my mom and grandmother, and we are hoping that the day will be one she can always remember.

1. Theme
Themed bridal showers can certainly be a lot of fun. I discussed with the bride what kind of shower she would like, throwing out a few suggestions. We decided on a kitchen bridal shower, which I was excited about, as I had a few fun ideas that I had been dying to use.

2. Venue
It's important to consider the venue when planning a shower. This is the second shower I am hosting, but they are completely different. When my best friend was married last year, we threw her a lingerie shower, so the venue was at my house. This gave a more intimate setting where she could laugh and have a good time with her closest friends. For this shower, however, it is a much crowd, so we chose the gorgeous clubhouse of our favorite golf course. The clubhouse has many rooms to offer, so we chose a room that is light and airy, and where there will be plenty of room for each guest.

3. Invitations
I chose an invitation designer on Etsy. There were so many invites that I loved, but I chose this designer and Etsy because I wanted recipe cards to go along with the shower invities. Each guest received a recipe card along with her invite, which she will be bringing to the shower with her favorite recipe to share with the bride. I love this idea because the bride will have a token of each guest, along with a great start to a recipe collection. Mail out the invitations 3-4 weeks in advance to give guests plenty of time to plan but not so early that they will forget.

4. Menu
The menu will depend on the time of day in which you are hosting the shower. We chose a Saturday brunch, so items on the menu will include quiche, potatoes, fresh fruit, pastries, and more, along with fun cake pops as a little dessert. For another shower, I made this fun cupcake cake shaped like a wedding gown.

5. Decor
While it's not necessary to decorate for a shower, it's certainly fun to add in little details that go along with the theme. Your napkins could coordinate with your invitation or theme, or you can add little details like cute straws from Paper Source or Etsy or create pretty flower arrangements as centerpieces for your tables.

Planning a shower can be lots of fun! I know I've filled my Rifle Paper Company notebook full of little ideas - many of which have been implemented! Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Though most of the ideas were my own, I did ask the bride for her input on a few things, and for the surprises, I asked her mom. Think of little details that will make the shower memorable to both the guests and the bride. Party planning is definitely something that can be time-consuming but also incredibly fun -- get creative and enjoy the process!

Check back in April for all of the tiny details of the kitchen bridal shower! Can't wait to share.
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