Dealing with Bridal Shower Decor- Easy Ideas that Wont Break the Bank

Bridal showers are becoming more elaborate and themed. The themes can range from something simple like a garden shower or as elaborate as a formal dinner party with a wine tasting theme. Whether you decide to have a simple theme or decide to go all out with a formal setting you can decorate without breaking the bank by choosing the right location and using everyday items to make the bridal shower an economically friendly occasion. Traditional décor, restaurants, nature and bars or taverns can make decorating very simple and cheap.

Simple traditional decorations are probably the first to come to mind. Balloons and streamers are very cheap and very festive. A wedding theme with bells, lace and streamers is another traditional wedding shower decorating scheme. Balloons are sold very cheap and you can get them in all colors. Streamers and paper wedding bell decorations come in a wide variety of colors as well. To put a twist on the traditional balloon and streamer theme you can attach ribbons to helium filled balloons and let them rise to the ceiling. Attach pictures of the bride, groom, family and friends to the ribbons for a walk down memory lane!

Having the wedding shower at a public location would be ideal too if you do not want to spend a lot on decorations. A Mexican restaurant would be great for a Mexican or Spanish theme. Most Mexican restaurants are decorated with sombreros, the Mexico flag and other authentic items. More than likely Spanish music will also accompany such a location. A Chinese restaurant is another great option. To make it extra special you could order special fortune cookies geared towards love and marriage. Coffee shops would be an ideal location to have a bridal shower for a coffee enthusiast, yes they do exist, and you could instruct guests to bring a different kind of coffee or coffee accessory for the honored bride-to-be. All of these would allow the hostess to forego decoration costs completely and allow more focus on the bride and guests. Food provided at the location will also be perfect for the selected theme and most offer a large variety of ethnic and American cuisine.

Using nature to your advantage is another great option. A local park in the spring or summer season would be a beautiful place to have a wedding shower. No decorating would be required if not you prefer. Guests could be asked to bring a dish to pass to lessen the cost of food or you could simply have finger foods or picnic items. Sandwiches, chips, dip and veggies would be more than adequate. If the bride is an animal lover a zoo is another great option and also is a great idea if you would like to take a stroll as a group. Again picnic items, catering or a potluck are great possibilities for the food ideas. If your city has a public garden or you know of someone with a beautiful garden it would be a great place to have a garden theme party for the gardening bride. Guests could be asked to being garden tools, plants or seeds as gifts. Another advantage to all of the natural locations is that they are child friendly if you have a lot of guests that may need to bring children.

Jack and Jill parties are growing in popularity. These parties are centered on both the bride and the groom and are typically co-ed. Great locations that allow for little decorating are easy to come by. The aforementioned locations would work for these parties but there are a couple more that may be more suitable. For instance, you could host the party on a beach and have a barbeque party with beach volleyball as an activity for guests. Since men attend the party along with their significant other maybe a sports bar would be a fun location. Food, drinks, pool, and television allow for an activity for all guests to enjoy. Again neither of these locations would really require any decorations and would allow for more focus on the guests and the celebrity of the party, the couple to be.

All in all bridal shower décor does not have to cost you a lot of money. Actually it could cost you nothing. Most of the places mentioned do not charge for parties however food and drinks would have to be purchased at some of them. This cost could be passed on to the guests attending and if you choose to have it catered there are many reasonable options. Whatever you choose always keep the bride’s likes in mind as she is the one who is being honored.

Can Kids Come? Laying the Ground Rules before the Shower Event

How often has it happened that you attended a bridal shower, wedding, or other event and wondered if the gaggle of children you watched really should be there? At times you might have inwardly rolled your eyes, while at other times you might have actually questioned the sanity of the hostess. Is the attendance of children at a bridal shower appropriate? The short answer is a resounding “maybe.” While this may be a bit vague, it is important to remember that all bridal showers are not created equal. There is a time and a place for everything and the presence of children is no exception. There are bridal showers where the attendance of children is most welcome, appropriate, and enhances the occasion, while there other differently done or themed bridal showers where a child’s presence would be inappropriate. Set these easy ground rules before the shower event and you will be sure that your enjoyment, and that of your guests as well as their children, is ensured:

If the bride will have a little flower girl to precede her in the procession, it is most appropriate to invite the little girl, and her mom, to the bridal shower. Consequently, if the bride will have one or more junior brides maids, these would be little girls aged ten to thirteen, they, too, may be invited to the bridal shower. Inviting these children to the bridal shower is only fair, since they are part of the bridal procession, and since the bridal shower is usually attended by the women of the bridal party. It is appropriate to invite the little girls even if no other children are invited or will be present.

If you are planning on having a more adult party, will be serving alcohol, or will make lingerie modeling a part of your bridal shower, please be sure to clearly state on the invitations “adults only, please.” This will take the guesswork out of the planning, and will alert guests with children to the fact that they will need to arrange for child care ahead of time. In addition to the foregoing, it will prevent a guest from bringing a child into an environment that is clearly unsuitable for the youngster.

On the other hand, if you wish to include the children, it is only fair to state so on the invitation. “Please bring your children” or something to that effect will signal to everyone that children are not only allowed but most warmly welcomed. Additionally, this will spell out to the harried parent that at this party there will be food supplied that children will like to eat, and that there will be activities that will keep the kids busy for a while and without the need of constant parental interaction and supervision.

Of course, if you do wish to expressly include children, please be sure to have foods that are appropriate for them. While most adults will cherish the idea of sushi, most children will not and thus some hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and other child comfort foods should be included in the menu. Additionally, please be sure to plan some activities that will keep them entertained, since it is most unrealistic to expect a bunch of kids to be excited about a new mixer, or set of Tupperware bowls and dishes. Coloring books and crayons are a nice idea, but will keep the kid entertained only for a little while. Thus, if you advertise in your invitations that you wish to include the children, you will also need to plan and provide for their entertainment. Perhaps you could hire a few babysitters who will have some activities for the children. Ideas for such activities are plentiful and the Internet can offer endless printable coloring sheets, word puzzles, and such, while party rental companies will be able to provid e you with bouncers, jumpers, and other outdoor playthings that will keep the kids busy and entertained.

As you can see, communication is the key to planning a successful event, such as a bridal shower, and the presence or absence of children needs to be communicated well in advance of the actual event. Failure to do so will result in a room full of bored children, quite possibly a lot of acting up, and some rather frazzled bridal shower guests.

Important Info to Include on Bridal Shower Invitations

Preparing bridal shower invitations can be a huge chore, especially if you are inviting a large amount of guests. There is a lot of information that should be included on the invitation and getting it right the first time will actually save the hostess time. If you do not include the important information potential guests may need to call and ask questions and this will be a huge waste of time for the hostess. Another reason having detailed information that covers all the bases are so important is that is helps the potential guests plan for the event. Planning their travel arrangements, clothing attire and gift possibilities are just some things the potential guests are going to want to plan for.

Of course the first thing on the invitation should be the bride to be or the couple’s names. This is some thing that the hostess may want to consult with the bride to be about. If the party is a women only party then the bride to be will probably just be the name listed on the invitation. If the party is for men and women then the hostess will probably want to include the bride to be and the groom to be on the invitations.

The date of the bridal shower should also be included. This is vital, as the guests will nee to plan for it and avoid other appointments or priorities. The date will also help the potential guest determine the weather at that particular time of year and they can plan travel times around winter weather or rainy weather conditions if it applies. Also if the guests are out of town or have to travel a long distance they may need to make flight reservations or other travel plans. They may also need to book a hotel room if they need to travel overnight.

Time of day that the shower is going to take place should be the next thing included on the invitation. This one is pretty logical. If it is not listed how are the guests supposed to know when to show up? Unless you want a bunch of phone calls questioning the time of the shower, include it on the invitation.

The address of the location that the bridal shower is going to held is another vital fact that should be listed on the invitations. This is like the time of the bridal shower, if it is not on the invitation how are people supposed to come? Also do not just list the name of the person who is having it at their home or do not just list the restaurant or any other place you may be hosting the party. Always list the complete street address including the city, state and zip code.

The name of the hostess along with a phone number where she can normally be reached should be included on the invitations. If the hostess can be reached at one number by day and another by night include both numbers and specify when to call each of them. If a potential guest has a question they will need contact the hostess.

If the hostess requests to be contacted by a certain date, notifying them who can attend, then the RSVP date and time should be included in the invitation. This is only necessary if this information is required for a bridal shower that may need reservations or catered.

Bridal shower theme should be included on the invitation if there is one. This will help the guest plan for a gift and clothing attire. If the hostess has designated a theme and would like particular gifts brought to the shower then she should include the gift suggestions on the invitation as well.

Other things you may want to include are the couple’s home decorating colors, a map to the location of the bridal shower, and where the bride has registered. Also remember that if the couple has made any special requests to include it on the invitation. Whatever you decide all of the above will save you time and energy during the planning stages by giving the most information to the potential guests. The guests will also appreciate a thorough invitation so that they can plan accordingly.

Words Say It Best - Great Ideas for Your Bridal Shower Invitation

Bridal showers are an essential part of the wedding process. In simpler times, they helped the bride get the gifts she would need to start her new life as a wife. They were essentially gifts she would need around the house. Our society tends to be much less traditional these days. Now bridal showers are typically structured around a theme. They are, essentially, parties with a mission. Sometimes the mission is the more traditional getting the bride ready to run a house of her own, and other times the mission is equipping her kitchen or preparing her for a life of camping trips with her husband-to-be. Whatever the overall goal of the shower, the invitation is the most important part, as it is what guests will respond to.

When you get ready to send out invitations, the first thing you must consider is design. You have a few options in this arena. First, you could look at the wedding invitations the bride and groom are going to send out. This would give you the chance to send out similar invitations and stick with the overall theme of the wedding. If, however, your wedding shower has a theme of its own, you will probably want to choose an invitation that reflects that theme. You can be as creative as you like in this arena. For example, if you are having a kitchen shower, you could create an invitation that mimics a recipe card. If you are having a beach party shower, you could create invitations that look like little beach towels. You can either create your themed wedding shower invitation yourself or you might look into having someone create it for you. Some places, party stores and such, have bridal shower invitations that are preprinted. You simply fill in the necessary information. If you'd like to have something a bit cla ssier, you can look into having the bridal shower invitations specially printed for your party.

Most printers have a portfolio of invitations they would be willing to create for your party. This tends to look a bit classier and more sophisticated. If neither of these options meets your needs, you will have to create the invitation yourself. With the renewed interest in things like scrapbooking, though, this shouldn't be a difficult process. Because so many people are interested in creative paper goods, many hobby stores carry a large selection of creative papers, scissors, stamps, and stickers to help you create the invitation of your dreams. Most even have a section of paper that can be fed into your home printer if you wish to computerize your text. For example, if you want to create a beach party wedding shower, you might go to the hobby store and choose a paper with a sea shell background. Print out the invitation wording, cut the edges with a clam shell shaped scissor, and decorate with some beach chair stickers. You suddenly have a much better invitation than you could ever have ordered or purchas ed in a store.

The invitation design is important, but the invitation wording is equally as important. One of the most important things on the invitation is the name of the bride. You will also need to list the date and time of your wedding shower. Moreover, do not forget to list the location. You will need to list the person who will be handling the RSVPs and their phone number. Listing a deadline to reply to an RSVP is common. Two weeks prior to the shower should give you enough time. You should also consider listing who will be hosting the shower. If you wish, just list the names of the hostesses. You could, though, list the hostess’ titles instead of the names. For example, if the hostess’ are the bridesmaids, you could just say something like “The bridesmaids of Jane Doe invite you . . .” Additionally, it is essential to list where the bride-to-be has registered for gifts so your guests can get her something she really desires. A typical wedding shower invitation wording would read something like “Please join us for a bridal shower in honor of Jane Doe on Sunday, January 31 at 2 p.m. at the Franklin Mobile Home Park Clubhouse, 123 America Street, Anywhere, Arkansas.”

Send your invitations out about one month before the shower, and you will give the bride the best party she could hope for.

Gauging the Bridal Shower Guests - Running the Risk of Being Risqué

You are the maid or matron of honor, and it is up to you to throw a bridal shower for your very best friend. You have known her since the early days of kindergarten, and you have been inseparable for most of your childhood. You have laughed with her, wondered who liked her in high school, double dated with her, and were as stunned as she was when her beau proposed marriage. It was only natural that you would be the maid of honor, and you plan on sending her off to her new married life in style! You have been working with the bridesmaids and a time for the shower, a guest list, food, and a location have been nailed down. Now you are wondering about a theme for the party, and you are thinking lingerie - but you hesitate. How will Aunt Martha react to the display of negligees? How will the bride’s mother take to your notion of giving some very intimate apparel to her little girl, do you really want to rub it in that pretty soon her baby will belong to someone else in more ways than one?

Gauging the bridal shower guests is no easy feat, and since ideally there is only one bridal shower, it is important to think it through whether running the risk of being risqué is appropriate or maybe should be reserved for a girls’ night out.

Generally speaking, if the guest list for the bridal shower involves older people, especially the bride’s mother or other close female relative, keep the risqué gifts and games on the shelf. It is inappropriate in this setting and will not only embarrass the bride to be, but also make the experience a trial for the family members who will attempt to sit through what is akin to an insult to their little baby.

If children are present, or if it is possible that children could attend because you neglected to very clearly state on your invitations that the party is for “adults only,” do not run the risk of being risqué. Such behavior in front of children is not only inappropriate, but could also get you in a lot of trouble.

If the groom to be is present, even in the next room, it is not a good idea to have the girls display any behavior that may be considered risqué. This may quite possibly impede any serious interaction he may have in the future with his bride’s friends whom he might only remember as a gaggle of silly geese with a questionable sense of humor.

Another reason to eschew any risqué games or gifts is the bride’s disposition. If she is an active member of her church, turns bright red at certain TV programs, and overall is not in favor of any risqué behavior, it is not a good idea to force it upon her, even if you are doing it in jest or because you feel she needs to loosen up. This may drive a serious wedge between you and her, and thus should be avoided. You might want to run by her some of the ideas you have and see how she reacts.

On the other hand, if you and the bride are on the same wavelength and she enjoys being a little risqué now and again, then you might want to consider adding some spice to the party.

Obviously, there are no hard and fast rules as to how much is too much. While some guests may turn bright red at some risqué games, others might fade away with the exchange of lingerie. It is therefore a good idea to be risqué “in stages.” For example, start with a few silly games and see how the crowd does. If you notice that suddenly a few of them are pairing off and having conversations instead of participating in the games, it is a good indication that their threshold is reached. At that time it would be bad form to bring out the increasingly risqué entertainment that you have planned, and it would be best to just resort to the tried and true games that would make even the bride’s granny happy!