Bridal Shower Ideas that are Heavy on Fun & Light on Tradition
Photo: via Witty Rentals
We know that planning a bridal shower can be a real labor of love, but in the grand scheme of the planning process, the bridal shower can serve as a mini-vacation for the bride-to-be; a reprieve from all of the heavy lifting before the Big Day. The bridal shower is an opportunity for the wedding party and closest friends of couple to show up, offer support and start the celebrations off on the right note.
With this in mind, you’ll want to turn it out for the lady of the hour in true form. Here, a round-up of on-point themes, activities (sans typical bridal shower cheesiness), and personal suggestions:
First up, some tradition side-stepping advice from a couple of our favorite, funky dreamers: the ladies behind Witty Rentals, Chelsea and Tiff. This creative duo love to take “traditional” events and turn them into something special. In one of their personal favs they “broke away from the monotony of the everyday bridal shower” and did a retro take on Palm Springs complete with Rose slushies! In their words, it was “simple, delicious and FUN!”
Sibel Kurun, from NYC-based event design studio, Design Haus, fully agrees with fun being the motivating force behind your bridal shower ideas. “It’s the one event (other than your bachelorette party) that calls for some fun with the ladies. To emphasize this point, Kurun shared with us a bridal shower idea that’s very close to her heart: the “easy bake” themed bridal shower she’s throwing for her own best friend; the first of her childhood crew to own an Easy Bake Oven back in the day. She's executing on this fun and sentimental theme with mini cookies and cakes on different levels of bakery stands as centerpieces , themed invitations (mini tied cake boxes with a mini "Easy Bake" cake shaped invite inside, and spiked milkshakes served in classic glass milk jars with pink striped straws.
Photo: via Witty Rentals
If baking isn’t your bride-to-be’s thing, Kuran has a few other creative bridal shower activities up her sleeve as well. She says hiring Henna tattoo artists is always a crowd pleaser, “we’re turkish and this has been a hit at every single one of our bridal showers, even for outsiders - they’re intrigued!”
If you’re wanting to give a nod to tradition (but with a twist, obvi), Kurun also highly recommends creating a “floral comb bar” it’s “an alternative to the floral crown bar that requires less skill and easily worn.”
”The trick is finding a balance amongst the three b’s…”
If you’re skewing less brunch and more experiential, we’ve got some bridal shower ideas for you, too. Day trips to beautifully appointed and holistic spas can be a stunning and restorative way to unwind and connect as a group. This idea takes some planning, but it’s totally doable to bring a group together for collective pampering. Aire Ancient Baths in New York is an excellent example of the kind of vibe that works for larger groups: they can accommodate groups of 30 and offer the option of renting out the entire 16,000 square feet space. Bonus! If you do rent the space entirely, you can also arrange catering and have the privacy to share gifts and conversations without disruption.
If you’re short on time to plan, but still want to throw your girl a bridal shower that reflects her refined palate, an idea to consider is facilitating a group tasting menu at one of the delectable and beautifully designed restaurants in your area. If you’re aiming to accommodate a large crew, most chefs and restaurants will work with you to create a thematic tasting menu that encapsulates the essence of the bride.
The bottom line is this: whether you’re tucking in floral combs, topping off rose slushies, getting mani peddi'd, or going a little gaga over an on-point tasting menu, there really are no shortage of ideas to consider when it comes to the bridal shower. In our humble opinions the trick is finding a balance amongst the three b’s: budget, bridal aesthetic, and bandwidth; gadge what you have the time and capacity for and then throw in some personal touches and sweet style notes to ensure that fun is front and center, while tradition takes a backseat.
(Thumbnail Photo: Megan Welker)