Six Awesome Bridal Shower Planning Ideas

Helpful Tips and Guides for Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids

You might not be responsible for hosting or paying for the bridal shower, but structuring the event is in your hands.  Forget the registry and get creative. 

Not only will your gifts be special to the bride, but the activities and presentations you do at the shower are what really make it exceptional.  "Delegating" and "Do-It-Yourself" are the two D’s to live by here.

Some of the options I have given below are more common than others, but you can take any idea and bring it to the next level by making it personal.

Examples:

1.         The Scrapbook (my personal favorite):  Get the guest list in advance and mail out blank scrapbook page refills like these from Michael’s to all the bride’s friends. 
Ask people to make a collage of pictures, stickers, poems, inside jokes, or other memories and bring it to the shower. 
Anyone who can’t attend can still mail it back and participate.  Assemble the scrapbook there, present it to her and pass it around.

2.         Notes of Advice:  Have “notes of advice” and some pens at each table or at a separate station and then put them all in a personalized box.
 If you think the advice cards are played out, ask guests to write where they think the couple will be in 10 years from now.  Have her read some out loud.

3.         Recipes/Baking Basket:  Send out blank recipe cards with the invitations and collect them at the shower.  Take it up a notch by creating custom recipe cards like the one pictured at designhergals.com.  Put them in a personalized recipe box, and throw in other kitchen supplies like an apron, personalized spatulas, cookie cutters, measuring spoons and a wedding cupcake kit.

 If you want a book instead of cards, tastebook.com is a really cool way to collect recipes from everyone and have them professionally printed before the shower. 

Anyone can do it online and add pictures and a note to the bride, plus the bride has the option of adding to the book later on by ordering recipes or printing her own from the website. 
If you want to DIY and cut costs, collect recipes and some pictures from just the bridesmaids and have one girl put the book together.

4.         Honeymoon Kit:  Give her “just married” flip flops, monogrammed travel cosmetic bags, passport covers, and luggage tags for the honeymoon.  If you know where she’s going get some travel books for the location and put it all in a monogrammed beach tote with travel toiletries and snacks for the plane.  For a friend who was going to Hawaii, we all wore leis when she opened it at the shower.

5.  Future Mrs. _______:  This one won’t always work, but if the letters in her new last name can be divided among the bridesmaids, have each girl present her with a gift to be used on her wedding day, for the honeymoon, or in her new home that begins with their letter. 

Buy a pack of large alphabet stickers and stand in order with your gift bag to spell out her soon-to-be name.

6.  Montage:  If you have the software and some AV equipment, make a video montage and add some oomph by videotaping the groom and inserting clips throughout. 

For example have him talk about when he knew he wanted to marry her or what he’s looking forward to most at the wedding.  An easier alternative is to make her a CD with songs that are meaningful from each bridesmaid and play it during the shower.

  About the author: Anna Manoukian is the sales and marketing contact at e-store a subsidy of Vacation Rental St Lucia. We are the number one on-line resources for great and memorable wedding speeches. Share this article on Facebook, Twitter if you find this article very helpful.