Bridal showers are a major event. It’s one of the last parties dedicated to the bride-to-be before she becomes a Mrs., and her last days as a single lady is worth celebrating. If you want to keep it special and elegant for the bride, there are many bridal shower ideas that will fit any taste and style. Here are some bridal shower ideas and inspirations that you may want to consider for the party:
1. Champagne brunch
If the bride is not into finger sandwiches and cold salads, throw her a bridal brunch! The bride and the guests will be lining up to say “I do” to a waffle bar and a sparkling mimosa station.
For this kind of party, the most important thing is the food. Lay out a spread where no guests will go hungry. Serve waffles, muffins, pancakes, bread, and cupcakes along with fresh fruits like peaches, pears, grapefruit, and berries.
Set up a waffle bar with a banner and provide serving trays for your waffles. Have a butter dish ready along with syrup varieties and jams. Then, set up bowls for toppings like sliced bananas, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles, and raisins.
Serve your mimosas in a mimosa serving set with a condiment server and keep the classy champagne flutes nearby. Finally, complete it with a dessert lineup of yogurt parfaits, pastel-colored donuts and cupcakes, and desserts topped with edible flowers to make a gorgeous tablescape.
Blush pink tablecloths or runners will make it a dainty affair. Don’t forget to decorate the brunch table with fresh blooms as well.
2. Nautical bridal shower
What’s a better idea than to party on a boat? Basically, nothing. This is why a nautical theme is a great way to celebrate a lady of honor who loves heading to the waters. Charter a yacht, sailboat, or a spacious catamaran for a few hours of sailing along with plenty of seafood and beers. But even if you can’t afford to be in vessels, you can still host this theme on dry land.
Pull off a nautical bridal shower theme with navy blue hues, stripes, anchors, sailor’s hats, and ship wheels. Solidify the color palette using lanterns, garlands, streamers and table runners. Finally, incorporate nautical design elements with a banner , fisherman’s net, sailor hats and ship wheels.
Set up a nautical mimosa bar kit for a classy and fun bubbly bar. Serve some shrimp cocktail and seafood dishes for your luncheon.
For your party favors, you can give off these navy blue bride tribe sunglasses, or canvas bags filled with goodies.
3. Beach bridal shower
Like the nautical theme, a beach bridal shower has coastal vibes, but this idea is all about the sand and sunshine. If the bridal shower is in anticipation of a beach wedding, or if the bride really wanted to get married on the beach, but certain considerations failed to make it possible – a beachy bridal shower is a perfect idea. Plan a trip to the beach with the gals so you can all bond, relax, and have fun together before the bride becomes a missus. Still, even if time and logistics can’t permit you to plan a party at the beach, you can apply this idea to any outdoor area or coastal-style interior home.
Create a color palette with aquamarine hues and sunny yellows, incorporate shells and starfish. Get a seashell garland and use aquamarine and pastel yellow balloons on your balloon garland. If you want a fresh, girly take on the beach theme, opt for a peach, mint, and gold palette and use this party balloon set.
If you’re actually at the beach, don’t forget the bridal shower bikinis! Get a white one for the bride and black for the bride squad. Also, buy a large bottle of sunscreen and pack it in individual tubes as a party favor for each guest.
Bring the beach on with fruity drinks, pineapples, and coconuts all over. Serve your drinks on a hurricane glass with an umbrella-decorated straw. Set up a “sandcastle” dessert using sugar-glazed donuts topped with ice cream cones over crushed graham cracker sand. Do this idea on a tiered cupcake display for better effect! Serve sand dollar cookies by baking circular cookies and covering them with a layer of white cookie icing. Draw a star frosting and serve them on a tray with crushed Grahams. Don’t forget buckets of icy cold drinks! You may want to attach a shiny gold seahorse bottle opener with twine on every bottle for each guest as a party favor.
On a trifle container, add sand with messages in a bottle with your marriage advice to the bride-to-be. Let her take the trifle container home, along with all your bottled messages!
4. Garden bridal shower
Transport your guests to the English countryside with a sophisticated garden party in a greenhouse or a garden. This idea is best set on a conservatory room with a garden just right outside or in an actual garden backyard of a bride or any of the bride squad. Even any outdoor setting with at least a tree can do.
For this type of party, the flowers take center stage (besides the bride, of course). Display beautiful flower arrangements that coordinate with your selected color palette, or get the bride-to-be’s favorite flower and build your theme around it. Think floral-print dresses, lavender-garnished cocktails, and lots of blooms along with a farm-fresh menu. You may also want to hire a string quartet to set the mood!
Set up some gold decorative lanterns and let them drape from a tree, or hang it from a canopy for the party area. Use garlands of fir, eucalyptus or vines, depending on the season or theme. Set up string lights if it’s an evening affair.
Use a floral tablecloth and dainty vintage dinnerware set for the luncheon or dinner table. If you’re on a budget, use a plain tablecloth that you have and use a floral disposable plate set instead.
Surprise the lady of honor with a petal-decorated burlap aisle set up on the way to the party area. And make sure she gets a bouquet of flowers to remember her day by.
5. Tea party
A tea party soiree is the best idea for the girl who loves all things delicious, dainty, and lady-like. You can keep it classically British or add a posh, modern twist. Either way, serve a refreshing assortment of specialty tea on a tea box, scrumptious scones, and tasty sandwiches and other bite-sized treats on a beautiful cupcake stand. Gift the tea box and the stand to the bride after the party!
As you look for a venue or decorate a house for the party, keep the word “sophisticated” in mind. A space with chandeliers and lots of natural light would be perfect for the event. When you have chosen a tea party venue, make sure tables have linens. A crisp white tablecloth paired with vases of blooms and petals make a perfect tablescape. And a tea party is not complete without delicate china. Provide either a white tea set or a colored floral set, depending on the theme you are going for. Since it’s a grown-up tea party, skip the Mad Hatter theme.
Incorporate delicate floral arrangements, especially blooms that are in season. You may want to decorate with a tea party balloon set if you’re hosting a casual affair. Decorate your indoor setting with a flower garland and floral cupcake stands.
Besides tea and scones, serve assorted sandwiches like egg salad, cucumber, and cream cheese, chicken salad, smoked salmon, and dill. Don’t forget the cupcakes, fresh fruit salad, and chocolate truffles. Yum!
6. Glam pajama party
Remember how much fun slumber parties were when you were a little girl? It will be awesome if you have a girls’ night in with the bride and her tribe. This is a great theme if you want the bridal shower and the bachelorette party to be all in – and if the bride is so chill, she doesn’t want to cause a lot of fuss. You can host this at your own home or up the ante by reserving a suite at the hotel for the ultimate chill-out session, with the option of having a pool and spa access to boot! Plus, you will not be the one to clean up the mess the next day!
Decorate the bridal party with this “bride-to-be” rose gold balloon set and decorate the room with more balloons, shiny table runner, and foil curtains to make it look fun, girly, and glam! Wear some silk pajamas and get a white one for the bride. Have it printed with the word “Bride” and “Bridesmaids” before the party to make it Instagram-perfect for the party!
Order in some pizza and drinks, serve some candy and popcorn, and a movie. Play games like “Would she rather?”, bridal bingo or Never Have I Ever. This is all about chilling, so you don’t have to set up a fancy tablescape for this kind of party!
7. Intimate boho bridal shower
If the bride is not a party kind of gal, an intimate boho bridal shower is cozy and comfy enough for her – perfect for her closest group of girls. By setting up a laid-back setting and family-style serving, there’s no pressure for this gorgeous get-together.
Set up two of these boho rugs and a low table outdoors. Get some low boho cushions for chairs like this blue boho cushion or this tatami cushion. Lay down a bohemian patterned tablecloth or a neutral one if you like to keep the colors low-key. Decorate the ceiling with dreamcatchers and the walls with macramé. Decorate the tables for food and gifts with simple feather garlands and burlap banners.
Serve up some tea or cocktails in a rustic serving tray and fill the menu with farm-fresh, home-cooked meals that bring a comforting feeling to the bride. Ask the guests to come in their breezy, Coachella-inspired outfits.
8. Fiesta bridal shower
When in doubt, throw a fiesta for the bride! This theme makes a vibrant, crowd-friendly get-together. Decorate the buffet table with colorful fiesta balloons and a festive tablecloth. Use this balloon garland to decorate the backdrop for picture-taking.
Since this theme is a fiesta, it’s all about the food! Serve margaritas and use a rimmer with you. Set up a taco bar with a garland and serve colorful bowls for guacamole, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and dipping sauces. You may also use this taco bar lazy Susan for a smaller gathering. Or simply serve pre-made tacos on this taco holder.
Fill your dessert bar with sugar cookies shaped and decorated like cactus, maracas, sombrero, and chili peppers. Don’t forget the cupcakes with cactus-shaped icing on top. Bake a homemade cake and place this Mexican-themed decoration set as cake toppers. Create a display of chopped-up fresh fruits, so your guests can make their own fresh fruit salad and provide cactus toothpicks for them to use while eating. Also, accent your cocktails with these sparkly cactus stirrers
Don’t forget the piñata and make it a part of your party program!
9. Luau party
Is the bride’s schedule too loaded for her to have a vacation before she gets hitched? Bring the tropical destination to her by throwing her a luau bridal shower. Though this is a time-honored theme, it never fails to excite guests, especially when it’s summer. Have your guests come in their best floral-printed, brightly-colored shirts or dresses.
This theme is best to set on a beach, but if that’s not possible, any spacious backyard will do. Deck the space out in tiki torches and orchids, and don’t forget the leis for every guest that will arrive.
For your buffet table, do not forget the pineapple centerpieces, pink flamingo accents, and palm leaf placemats, then dress up the table with grass skirt. Use palm frond table runners for the dinner or luncheon table. Finally, decorate with tiki bar centerpieces.
For your food and beverages, think Polynesian classics: freshly sliced pineapples, kalua pork, poke bowls, and tiki cocktails served in coconut cups. Those cups will be a hit at your party!
10. Kate Spade-inspired bridal shower
For a fashion-conscious bride who leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes, a Kate Spade-inspired shower will be perfect for her. When setting up a party with this theme, think black and white stripes, pops of hot pink, standout florals, and gold accent to apply Kate Spade design in a luncheon form. There’s no limit to this theme – with just a bit of pink and glam, you can create a perfect blend of color and sass to your event.
Order a personalized party sign with the bride’s name and set it up on your door. Use a striped photo backdrop, then make a balloon garland out of this balloon set and accentuate with rose vines. Arrange hot pink flowers and display them in white or black ceramic vases.
Set up a bubbly bar with Kate Spade-inspired cake along with your display of champagne and sparkling wine cocktails, and decorate the bar with this decoration set. You may also want to use this bubbly bar balloon set, and make sure you provide enough champagne flutes for everybody. A bubbly bar is a must for a Kate Spade bridal shower!
For your tableware, set up a light pink tablecloth with a black and white striped table runner. Use these black-lined white plates and place them under gold chargers. Top it off with beautifully-folded hot pink napkins and gold cutlery to impress the guests and the bride!
Gift the bride this tumbler, ring dish, or this keepsake box to store all your Polaroid photos from the bridal shower!