Have you been given the honour of hosting a bridal shower but aren’t sure where to even start? As a sucker for any special occasion, we’d be honoured to help and have pulled together some bridal shower ideas to spice up the celebration.
But before we get onto all of those, we thought it might be helpful to quickly chat through what a bridal shower is, what happens at a bridal shower, and how a bridal shower is different from a hen do.
Oh, and whilst you’re here, you might as well sort out a bride-to-be card complete with your bridal shower wishes, and wouldn’t you know it, we’ve got a lovely selection of cards for you to choose from. Below is just a glimpse at the wonderful designs we have on offer:
What is a bridal shower?
Traditionally, a bridal shower is fancy phrasing for what is essentially a gift-giving party in honour of the future bride ahead of her wedding. But as you’ll soon discover with our bride-to-be party ideas, there are lots of activities you could do to make the event fun for everyone who’s been lucky enough to receive an invitation.
What happens at a bridal shower?
There’s no set itinerary for a bridal shower, but you can usually expect food, drinks, themed games or activities, and watching the bride unwrap her gifts – a wholesome occasion to say the least!
Bridal shower vs Hen do
We completely understand that you may be confused about the differences between a bridal shower versus a hen do, especially considering they’re both about making the bride-to-be feel extra special before she’s officially a wife.
Ultimately, a bridal shower is a celebration where family, friends, and other loved ones come together to shower the bride-to-be with gifts and enjoy a wholesome family-friendly celebration. On the other hand, a hen do is a less tame event where you can go out and get wild with all of your girlies (we suggest leaving people like grandma out of this one).
Now that we’ve cleared that up, maybe you realise that you’re actually after hen-do party inspiration? Aside from the obvious, we’ve also covered potential hen do fancy dress themes as well as our thoughts on the best European hen do destinations if you’re planning something abroad. To spice things up, we’ve even got some cheeky hen do dares and challenges.
Bridal shower ideas
Time to get onto the good stuff (as we know that’s what made you click on this blog in the first place) – our bridal shower ideas!
We know that every bride is different, which is why we’ve made sure to provide a good mixture. Anyways, we’ll stop blabbering on now, go ahead and take a look for yourself…
1. Take a dance class
Taking a dance class is certainly one way to liven things up and also gives everyone the opportunity to let loose.
If you’d rather something upbeat, there’s hip-hop and salsa, or if you’re after elegance, then ballroom might be your choice. There’s no need to be self-conscious that you’re not any good, as it’s just about having a boogie together and learning some of the same steps that you could even later show off on the big day itself.
2. Afternoon tea
Afternoon tea, a classic British pastime – scones with clotted cream and jam, finger sandwiches, pots of tea (or a tipple, such as prosecco), finished off with a selection of sweet treats – what more could you want?
The main thing you need to decide is whether you’d rather go out and get waited on or put on your own afternoon tea if you reckon you’ve got the know-how.
3. Make your own perfume
A unique experience could involve discovering your signature scent and having everyone make their own perfume. Some may enjoy floral notes, whilst others are drawn to vanilla; it’s truly up to you.
What’s also great about this is that it’s another bridal shower idea that could be done in the comfort of your own home or out and about, depending on how you plan the day to go.
4. Pottery painting
For an artsy experience, you could take the whole bridal shower party to do some pottery painting. This cosy crafting activity is popular for a reason, after all, you can never have enough plates and mugs!
Something which quite literally everyone can join in on – yes, admittedly some may be more talented at painting than others but that really doesn’t matter – it’s completely up to you with whatever design you take a crack at. And at the end of it, you have your very own unique item of pottery to take home!
5. Spa day
Upcoming wedding + day of pampering = perfection.
Wedding planning can come with a lot of stress (and so can hosting a bridal shower for that matter), so why not make sure everyone feels super relaxed with a spa day? Massages, hot tubs, facials – we’re talking the full works!
We’re certain all the guests will appreciate the opportunity to unwind, but most especially the bride-to-be. There’s truly nothing better than being pampered, but if you don’t quite have the budget for that then why not check out our blog on how to have a spa day at home.
With our bridal shower ideas handy, we’re hoping the planning process will be at least that little bit easier. Over on the thortful blog, we’ve got absolutely tons more special occasion inspiration for you to explore.
But what about the gift (because let’s be honest, that’s kind of what this whole event is about)? Here at thortful, we have a lovely range of gifts for you to browse through, and if she’s all about making new memories, then you can never go wrong with a gift experience.
