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Celebrate A Blushing Bride By Learning How To Host A Bridal Shower

It is time to celebrate the bride in your life by throwing them a party in their honour. It is the perfect opportunity to commemorate the momentous occasion for the blushing bride and allows her to celebrate with her nearest and dearest.
When discovering how to host a bridal shower, there are many things to consider. From the more obvious details such as organising a venue and inviting guests to more subtle details such as decorations and even planning out fun bridal shower games and activities for the guests to take part in - we will take you through everything you need to know throw the perfect bridal shower.
Quick Links
- What Is a Bridal Shower?
- Start With the Bridal Shower Basics
- Plan Out Party Food In Advance
- Decorate Your Space: Bridal Shower Decorations
- Entertain Your Guests: Bridal Shower Games And Activities
What Is A Bridal Shower?
With so many celebrations and events associated with weddings to keep track of- you may be thinking what is a bridal shower? In the months leading up to the wedding, it is common to have separate events for the bride and groom to celebrate with their loved ones. A bridal shower is an opportunity to celebrate the bride and essentially "shower" her with congratulations and well wishes in the lead-up to her big day.
Typically celebrated with close friends and family - usually women - there is a difference between a hen's and a bridal shower. Hens' events are commonly seen as more of a party vibe and involve hitting the town and dancing! On the other hand, bridal showers are more laid back and suitable for older relatives to attend.
Start With The Bridal Shower Basics
Starting your planning from the basics is an effective way to really plan every little detail out. Before you plan anything, it is a promising idea to first think of the guest list. This will help guide you in making decisions on the date and venue for the event.
Date And Time
It is important to consider when to have a bridal shower in your planning. You want to make sure to choose a date that is at least a month before the wedding, giving the bride and bridal party a chance to focus on the wedding planning.
When planning the time of the bridal shower, it is a clever idea to host it during the day, perfect for brunches, lunches, or afternoon teas and so that older relatives may attend.
Select A Venue
Now that you have the date and time sorted, you can start looking at venues. Hosting a bridal shower at a person's house is ideal as you can really decorate it how you wish with ease. It also exudes a much more homely and personal ambience. There are also not strict time constraints, and you can save costs associated with hiring a venue for the day. However, if there are no homes large enough to accommodate the number of guests in attendance, think about contacting restaurants with function rooms to see if they can host! These are also a great option as they may sometimes help with the food planning.
Time To Invite Your Loved Ones
With the date and venue organised, you can now begin sending invites out to guests! Make sure to give guests an adequate amount of notice prior to the event so they that they can organise their other errands and events around it. It is also an opportunity for guests to RSVP earlier to ensure you can organise food for the attending guests with ease.
What To Include On Invitations
A non-negotiable to include on invitations is the date, time, and venue for the event. It is also important to include a contact number so that invitees may notify the hosts of their attendance.
It is equally important to include what the event is for and how you will be celebrating. Will the bridal shower be an elegant sit-down lunch or a more laid-back afternoon tea? You can also include what to wear to a bridal shower on the invite to clarify the bridal shower dress code for the celebration.
Plan Out Party Food In Advance
Once you have confirmed numbers, an important aspect to think about when planning how to host a bridal shower is what you will be feeding your guests. For sit down lunches you may want to have a buffet style where guests can serve themselves and sit down to enjoy their meal. Or for an afternoon tea themed bridal shower, finger food such as mini sandwiches and quiches are great options to serve to guests.
Sweet Treats and a Celebration Cake
Although not essential, a beautifully decorated bridal shower cake serves as both a delicious, sweet treat for guests as well an incredible centrepiece for your dining or gift tables. Decorate with bridal shower cake toppers for the perfect final addition.
Decorate Your Space with Bridal Shower Decorations
The fun part of planning any event is shopping for decorations. Once you have a venue lined up, you can begin to plan how to decorate for a bridal shower. There are many bridal shower themes to choose that will inspire your decorations. For a more elegant approach, consider pristine white decorations. For a pop of colour think about decorating your space with bright, vibrant balloons and streamers.
Table Decorations for Your Bridal Shower
Ensuring your table is well-prepared for the event is essential. Making sure it has the perfect amount of servingware, cutlery and serviettes ensures for a seamless mealtime experience. But it is the table decorations that really tie it together. Must have tableware and table decorations include:
- Table cover:Choose a lovely printed or plain coloured table cover to complement your bridal shower theme.
- Serviettes: Themed serviettes are a lovely way to add a themed touch and make cleaning up any food messes easy. They are also great if you are serving finger food and other small treats.
- Party cutlery: Get the right party cutlery for your event and make cleaning up a breeze!
- Party Cups and Barware: Serve your drinks in a convenient way and add style to your party with bridal shower themed cups.
Shop for blooming artificial floral bouquets and refreshing faux garlands to bring a touch of nature to your table setting. Flowers add some colour and personality to your table set up.
Bride Themed Balloons
Our bridal shower balloons are an excellent choice for decorations. They are easy to inflate and instantly bring an eye-catching detail to any venue. You can create lively balloon garlands that serve as a stunning photo wall to be used as a backdrop for photos. Or alternatively display balloons individually throughout your venue space for a cohesive decorative bridal shower theme.
Entertain Your Guests: Bridal Shower Games And Activities
As much as decorations and party food make for a great celebration, it is the entertainment that sets your event apart.
Bridal Shower Games
Playing games is an exceptional way to entertain guests and involve them in the celebrations of the bride. They can also be a fun opportunity to celebrate the happy couple. Some fun party game ideas include:
- Bride trivia: Think of trivia questions for guests to answer and prove how well they know the blushing bride to-be.
- Pin the veil on the bride: Print off a large portrait of the bride. Attach a veil to an either double-sided tape or a pin, blindfold the guest and have the pin the veil into position on the bride's portrait. The closest to the correct position wins!
- Toilet paper wedding dress: A fantastic opportunity for guests to get to know each other - split off into teams and have each group design a wedding dress made from toilet paper. The bride has the final judgement over the best toilet paper gown.
- Lolly jar: A fun silent game, fill a jar with lollies (remembering to take note on how many are inside) and have each guest write down their guest. The closest to the correct answer wins the jar!
Set Up A Fun Photobooth or Photo Backdrop
When thinking about how to host a bridal shower on a budget, setting up a bridal shower photobooth is a wonderful way to combine a decorated space with an excellent entertainment opportunity for your guests to enjoy. Your bridal shower guests will have so much fun posing for pictures with decorations that will also act as a heartfelt keepsake to look back on the day.
Showering The Bride With Well Wishes
A bridal shower is the perfect time to express your love and appreciation for the bride. Why not set up a box for her loved ones to pass on their favourite bits of marriage advice? Or position a blank canvas for guests to sign, resulting in a heartfelt memento for the bride to keep and display in her home.
Shower The Bride In Your Life With Love And Happiness
Whether you are wanting to learn how to host a bridal shower at home or wishing to create a memorable celebration in a function room, there are many things to consider in planning these events. We have everything you need to begin your bridal shower preparations. From decorations to bridal shower games, you can start your event planning right here at Spotlight.
At Spotlight you can find beautiful Bridal Shower and party decorations from famous brands such as Ginger Ray, Amscan and much more!
Shop our full bridal shower and wedding range, in store or online where you can enjoy the convenience of home delivery, and we will deliver straight to your door.