A bridal shower is the perfect occasion to 'shower' the bride with love, best wishes and fabulous gifts. Legend has it that the tradition dates back to the sixteenth-century when a couple's love was their only form of riches. To help them start a new life together, friends and family showered the couple with gifts. And, of course, they lived happily ever after!
Today, even the most non-traditional of modern bridal showers captures that original spirit. Whether you're throwing a big bash or hosting an elegant evening for the bride-to-be closest to your heart, you will want to make sure the memory of this special day remains close to her heart for years to come. To turn your bridal shower into a smashing success, here are a few tips from Beau-coup to you...
A bridal shower should celebrate the bride's personality and style. When considering a theme for the shower, make a list of all her loves. If it's sun and surf she adores, consider a beach themed party complete with beach wedding favors. She won't put together an outfit without her favorite shade of purple? Plan a purple party! For the woman who loves – or needs – to be pampered, soothe with a spa theme.
A modern option to consider is a coed shower. These non-gendered celebrations are the latest twist in new wedding traditions. If it's just for the bride, a coed shower includes both her female and male friends. Or, stay on top of the trends with a Couple's Shower in honor of both the bride and groom. Fire up the grill for a BBQ themed feast and send each guest home with personalized BBQ sauce as a lip-smacking-good party favor. Or select an assortment of delicious wines for a wine tasting fete. If the couple is heading to an exotic locale for their honeymoon, ask each guest to bring a practical gift such as a travel map, luggage or even an itsy bitsy bikini!
Whether practical or whimsical, pick a theme that will help everyone get into the spirit! And remember, beauty is in the details – and so is the success of your event. Bring your theme to life with coordinated invites, party decorations and favors.
Picking the perfect party decorations, bridal shower favors and supplies will likely be your favorite part of the party planning process. If that sounds like a tongue twister, don't worry! Beau-coup is here to help keep your party planning tangle free. Gain inspiration by browsing through our extensive selection of bridal shower favors and party decorations. Beau-coup has chic bridal shower gifts, bridesmaids gifts, supplies and favors to complement any theme – no matter how unique.
Popular Bridal Shower Themes
Tea Party
Whether you are planning a white-gloved affair or channeling Alice in Wonderland, a tea party is a timeless theme. Serve tea along with finger foods such as scones, mini sandwiches, and petite fours. For a touch of fun, have each guest wear a fancy hat and gloves – and decorate one especially for the bride! Less involved than a dinner party, this theme is perfect for a mid-afternoon celebration. Even better with Beau-coup's selection of fabulous tea party favors and tasty edible favors.
Room of the House
Each guest is assigned a room of the house and brings a gift to be used in that room. As for party décor, anything goes! Use your imagination to create a 'homey' feel for your Room of the House party. Assemble guests by a crackling fireplace or bathe in candlelight while indulging in a selection of the bride's favorite comfort foods.
Stock the Pantry
Have each guest write their favorite recipe on a recipe card and bring the card along with all non-perishable ingredients for the recipe in a box or gift basket. Even better as a potluck event with all dishes freshly cooked and in attendance! As favors, give each loving chef a set of heart shaped cookie cutters or a personalized spice jar filled with your favorite homemade treats.
Stock the Bar
This is a great theme for a couple's wedding shower. Ask guests to bring their favorite alcoholic beverages or mixers to help the bride and groom stock their bar. Then, give each guest his or her own mini cocktail shaker and invite everyone to shake up a signature drink for all to taste! For a no-fuss and no-mess event, hold your shower at the couple's favorite bar. Keep guests' memories of the evening intact with a personalized shot glass or personalized martini glass for each! Include a personalized cocktail mix for a delightfully decadent favor.
Wine Tasting Shower
A wine tasting shower is another great theme for a couple's wedding shower. This can be held at the bride and groom's favorite winery or someone's house. Shower guests can bring their favorite bottle of wine or wine themed gifts. Silver heart wine stoppers make the perfect wine themed shower favor for all your guests.
Lingerie
If you'd rather not leave much to the imagination when planning a shower, plan a lingerie party! Set the mood with candles, chocolates and plenty of red floor pillows for guests to lounge on. Ask each guest to bring a gift of lingerie for the bride and give a scented sachet for each to tuck into her own lingerie drawer.
Around the Clock
Rock Around the Clock at this uniquely themed bridal shower! Ask each guest to bring a gift related to a certain time of day; the more times you assign, the wider the variety of gifts for the lucky bride. Get the party started with an imaginative selection of “hours” d'oeuvres! Make mini bite-sized portions of foods popular at different times of day and serve on platters with frilly toothpicks. Popular favorites include tiny stacks of 'silver dollar' pancakes, mini pizzas and cupcakes decorated to look like clocks.
Ethnic Theme
This is an excellent theme for either a bridal or couple's wedding shower. Using the bride and/or groom's heritage as a reference point, plan a shower with their favorite ethnic foods! For example, serve fresh fruit, poi poi and tropical drinks at a Hawaiian themed wedding shower. For an Asian theme, include a special message for the couple in personalized fortune cookies or give each guest his or her own lucky bamboo plant.
Honeymoon Shower
Whether it's an exotic beach in Tahiti or a snowy peak in Tahoe, a honeymoon shower celebrates the couple's honeymoon destination. This is a wonderful theme for couple's wedding showers as well as bridal showers. Gifts and decorations should follow the theme. Take a look at Beau-coup's extensive array of travel wedding shower favors for inspiration!
Christmas Ornament
This makes a great winter shower for a bride who can't get enough of the holiday season. Guests are asked to bring an ornament for the couple's first Christmas tree. Great ornament ideas include personalized photo ornaments or homemade ornaments right from the heart. To add the perfect touch, accent your table with ornament place card holders and make sure to give out shower favors from our exquisite selection of winter party favors.
Garden Party
Breathe in the cool, fresh smell of the outdoors with a Garden Party shower. To truly delight the senses, decorate tables with fresh flowers or potted mint plants! For breathtaking beauty, hold the shower outdoors in daylight or by candlelight in the evening. Ask guests to bring gifts that the bride can in use in her garden. As the final touch of earthy elegance, give guests beautiful flower boxes filled with seeds to plant in their own gardens or pick another garden favor to complement your garden party.
Month of the Year
A wedding may last just one day, but who says a wedding shower has to? Allow your shower to continue all year long with a Month of the Year shower. Each guest is assigned a month of the year and brings a gift that corresponds to that time period. For example, a guest assigned to July might bring a pair of custom monogram flip flops while a guest assigned to January could give a personalized fleece blanket. With a Month of the Year shower, the bride receives gifts she can use throughout the year!
Jack and Jill Wedding Shower
This is one of the most popular and unique themes for couple's showers. Pick anything or anyplace that the couple loves and center the whole shower around an activity related to it! Is it rock climbing they love? Hold the party at a local indoor rock climbing spot and ask guests to bring climbing gear as gifts. If they have a penchant for water sports, arrange for group windsurfing lessons, kayaking or simply have a party on the sand. However unique the activity, Beau-coup can help you find gifts and sports favors to match!
Favorite Memories
Life is all about the memories. So why not give the bride and your shower guests memories to last a lifetime? Ask each guest to bring a gift or memento representing a favorite moment shared with the bride. Or, for a trendy twist, ask each guest to create a scrapbook page in advance of the shower. Assemble each page in a scrapbook for the bride and present it the day of the shower. Since guests will be in the mood for memory-making, provide disposable cameras and give glass photo coasters or personalized photo albums as favors.
Pajama Party Theme
A girl's night just isn't complete without a Pajama Party bridal shower! Everyone arrives in their cutest pajamas bearing gifts to pamper the bride. Enjoy manicures, pedicures, facials and massages with your guests as you sip pink martinis and giggle far into the evening. Indulge in fun party favors for the girls such as personalized spa slippers, personalized toiletry bags, or monogrammed cosmetic cases. All you'll need is Pretty in Pink playing in the background to top off an already perfect pajama party!