Three Bridal Shower Themes for the Easily Bored
So you're planning a bridal shower — and everyone says you need a theme. "Around the Clock." "Home and Garden." Yawn!
We don't get many chances to be silly and girly in this world, so a bridal shower shouldn't be wasted. Make sure it's genuinely fun. It's simple — just think about what makes your bride special, and let yourself loose with the theme. Here are a few ideas to charge up the noggin and organize something unique.
Revive some great times by tipping your hat to the bride's high school days. Look up all those slightly embarrassing hits from the year she graduated — let's say the 80s. (Create a gift CD of same for all your guests — they'll secretly savor them when no one else is around.) Yes, they still make banana clips! Pass them out, along with big, dangly inexpensive hoop earrings and loads of jelly bracelets (remember? You wear about a hundred on each arm, a la vintage Madonna). Slather on the pink, blue and green eye shadow, metallic nail polish and bright blue mascara. Queue up the soundtracks from Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles.
Now for the games: segment a flashback classic, such as Madonna's "Holiday," into three or four CDs. Divide your guests into the same number of groups, and challenge them to come up with a dance routine to fit their part of the tune. Bring them back together in 10 or 15 minutes to perform their mini-masterpiece before a video camera you've set up for the occasion. Tape everyone's routine in order. Give a prize to the best choreographers (actually, give a prize to everyone for being a good sport). Together, you've created a music video that no one could forget. With any luck, it'll make a surprise showing at the reception.
Sometimes, when you tour a bunch of vineyards in wine country and you're really lucky, you hit upon "wine and chocolate" day. But you don't have to wait to hit the jackpot — you can organize your own. Plan an easy afternoon of popular, easy-drinking wines like Merlot and champagne, and ask each guest to bring a creative form of chocolate. Some of our favorites: chocolate croissants, chocolate papaya crepes, chocolate-covered ginger, and yes, jalapeno brownies.
But don't stop with the food — make an outright bordello of it. Pile lots of velveteen pillows around the room, drape the walls with heavy fabric, burn a bit of incense. Put on some soothing Moroccan music, and arrange a few flowers in plum colored pails or vases you've dressed up with groovy gold fringe. Now pass out those beverages in pretty glass flutes, dropping a rose petal in each one. Then dig in! (Have doggie bags at the ready for blissed-out guests who want to enjoy the spoils later at home).
Few things are more flattering than having your friends develop a party around your job. After all, you spend day in and day out there, and what you do is probably pretty important to you. Is the bride a teacher? Hand out apple-shaped candles as favors ... and place them in brown paper lunchbags. Give her a chalkboard eraser "to erase any grudges" after she's married: spray paint the top gold or silver, and have everyone sign it with a Sharpie. Sew or glue together a quick clip-on or bandana for her Labrador's collar that reads, "Teacher's Pet."
Is your bride an attorney? Hire a Judge Judy impersonator (yes, they exist!) to make a showing. Ask each guest to "submit a brief" — a gift of lacy underwear for the honeymoon, accompanied by a personal note to wish the bride well.
|
|
|
| ||||||||
|
|
|
|
Christmas in July: Place the bride's gifts under a big, frou frou artificial tree you've hung the guest favors on. Serve iced eggnog and mocha-cinnamon smoothies. Everyone loves Christmas ... especially when you've had a break from it, and don't have to agonize over what to buy the boss.
Dancing Queens: Dress up in big, pouffy prom dresses from the past (you'll find them at every thrift store), super-glam makeup, even tiaras. Lay on loads of body glitter. Head out en masse to your neighborhood restaurant or karaoke bar and toast the bride as she opens her gifts.
Cheesecake Party: Ask your guests to name names when it comes to their favorite hunks. Serve mini-cheesecakes in lots of different flavors (Baileys and orange, amaretto, chocolate fudge), and place a framed photo of their favorite "cheesecakes" next to each serving platter, with a special label: "Brad Pitt Blueberry," "Creme de Menthe Mel." Get inventive with the descriptions. Borrow or rent the biggest espresso machine you can find, and serve up steaming coffee drinks.
Whatever you end up going with, don't be afraid to be creative. The less you go by the book and the more you think about what makes the bride special, the more fun your shower's sure to be for everyone.
We are planning a Bridal Show, and was thinking about a Halloween Theme, Some games as dress the Zombee and carve the punkin, but everyone is not into Halloween. What do you think??? Help It is this weekend
L. Clark,
You coudl have touches of halloween but make it more fall like with the pumpkins, etc. That way it appeals to all. Think of carnival type games some of those would be less halloweensih and would work for all. You can still keep your halloween games just incorporate other things for fun.
This has been the most best web site. I practically get all the answers to my doubts and thoughts of ideas.
Your ideas are great. I am planning a bridal shower and I hate those traditional themes…so hum drum. Thanks a lot.
I’m getting married in two months and I’m planning my own shower. I’m going for a black/white/hot pink theme. All my guests are dressing in black and white. I’m wearing a beautiful hot pink dress. (Okay, it’s my day. I should have all the attention.) I’m also passing out hot pink hats for my guests to wear. My invitations were black and white with hot pink writing and a hot pink bow. I have these really cute corset cookies to hand out. It’s poolside and all the umbrellas on the tables are hot pink. the flower’s are white with a few hot pink thrown in. It’s going to be wonderful.
im looking for ideas to do a co-ed bridal shower with an elagant king and queen theme with red and white could u help
What types of games should be played at a bridal shower?
What are some nice games to play at the bachelorette party?
what is a brown bag bridal shower