By: G Nelson
Our Favorite Picks for New Bridal Shower Ideas Bridal showers are fun but the hostess is always looking for new ways to throw the shower. She wants it to be practical and useful to the guest of honor, the bride, and at the same time make it interactive for the guests. Here is a short list of ideas that can put some “oomph” into a wedding shower. Tea Party Shower The hostess will have planned fancy refreshments such as little sandwiches, not necessarily watercress and cucumbers, but anything befitting a pretty tea party. Cake and ice cream will also be served. Recipe Scrapbooking Shower
Scrapbooking of any kind has become a huge hobby. Take a look at the stores and the aisles are jam packed with scrapbooking supplies. This is a really nice idea for a Recipe Scrapbook Shower. Each guest can bring her favorite recipe on scrapbook index cards. The hostess should hand out one or two cards with every invitation so the guest can write her recipe on the card to be taken to the shower. At the shower, the scrapbook will be assembled giving the bride a beautiful book to keep for future reference.
The hostess should buy the scrapbooking supplies in order to complete the scrapbook at the shower. The supplies should include recipe cards, ribbons, tags and corner cutters, albums, construction paper, stickers and glues or tapes. Each guest can write on her recipe card as well as the tags to let the bride know from where the recipe came or how it originated.
Any type of food is acceptable for this shower theme but something that adds a real special flair is to have some of the guests bring the actual cooked food on her recipe card so the bride can add her notes to the album.
Time of the Day Shower
This is a really neat idea to receive practical gifts for around the house. Basically, when the hostess fills in the bridal shower invitations, she gives each person a specific time of the day. For example, she might write 6:00am. The guest with this time slot purchases a gift that would be used at that time of the day. It might be an alarm clock or clock radio or even towels or soaps for the shower.
The invitations should also include the couple’s color schemes for the rooms of their home so the guests can pick gifts that compliment the house. Be prepared to laugh at this shower as depending on the time of day and who received that time slot, the gifts may be quite surprising.
Whatever theme the hostess chooses, do not forget that the customary bridal shower hat should be made. Make sure to have a pretty paper plate or a plain aluminum pie plate and designate a helper. As the bride opens her gifts, the helper will tape all the trimmings from the packages to the plate. Once done, she will take a couple pieces of ribbon and make a tie for the hat. After all the gifts are opened, the helper places the hat on the bride’s head for her picture taking.
And one last point to the bride. Written thank you notes are a must. The hostess should have another helper sit beside the bride and as each present is opened, the helper will write the gift item on the appropriate tag or card so the bride knows what each person gave. When writing the notes, in addition to thanking the person, she should also briefly state how she will use the item or why she loves it.
Pretty teacup or garden party invitations are sent to the guests. They are asked to bring a beautiful teacup either from their own collection or a new one to be kept by the bride. If new ones are chosen, some guests may bring the pattern from the bride’s registry while other guests may bring their own choice. In addition, at least one guest should purchase a teapot and others should buy the little things that go along with a tea party. Tiny tea spoons in the bride’s silverware pattern, tea strainers, a collection of fancy teas and maybe a teapot cozy.
