A one-of-a-kind bride needs a one-of-a-kind bridal shower. If you’re getting ready to celebrate the bride’s big day, choosing a unique bridal shower theme is often the first step. The theme guides all of your purchasing decisions – from location and budget to food and décor. It also ties the whole room together, especially if you’re working in a versatile event space designed to cater to a range of tastes and styles.
Always begin by considering the bride’s personality. Will she feel most comfortable at home in a casual setting or is she a social butterfly hoping for a large bash at a beautiful event space? Does she have an adventurous streak and would prefer to get out for a hike or a cooking class? What about a food tour in your local area? There’s no need to stick the traditional party themes if you think a unique celebration fits the bill a bit better.
When it comes to bridal shower themes, consider the size of your guest list, budgetary restrictions and how much time you have to plan. Each of these themes is adaptable to large and small parties alike. Choose the theme that best reflects how the bride herself is unique. No matter the direction you pick, it is sure to be an unforgettable day when you get a bit creative.
1. Travel-Themed Shower
Has the bride been all over the world? Does she dream of travel? Celebrate her unique wanderlust by decking out your home or event space with travel-related décor. Fill the room with photos from her travels around the world, creating a station for each country, state or vacation. Play trivia games with your guests asking fun questions about the bride’s travels and plans for the future. You can even tailor the bridal shower registry to ask guests to contribute money to a fund for her upcoming honeymoon.
Go a step further by speaking with your caterer about location-specific foods to celebrate all the places she’s traveled. Include wine and beer from the different regions as well as bits of information about their origin. Travel-themed parties are truly interactive for the guests while highlighting the unique personality of the bride.
2. Classic Tea Party
Break out all the lace and pastels to create this classic party theme for the most traditional or whimsical bride. The elegance of a classic tea party theme gives everyone the chance to channel their inner Downton Abbey while adding a modern flair of their choosing. Serve finger sandwiches, British biscuits and fruit-filled scones. Prepare a tea station with a mixture of caffeinated and herbal selections as well as a mimosa bar with floral and fruity additions.
The tea party is a great alternative to the brunch bridal shower. Head to the thrift store for a mixture of floral tea plates, saucers and cups. Decorate the room with pastel bunting flags and ample vases of live flowers. If you have beautiful weather, hold the party outside in the backyard of an event space’s garden.
Tailor the party to the time of year as well. This bridal party theme is perfect for the spring, summer or around the holidays for a cozy afternoon around the fire indoors.
3. 20th Century Retro
Explore all the fine style and fun decades of the 20th century with a retro-style bridal shower. Hold the party in the evening and decorate the space as a 1920’s speakeasy or hold an afternoon lunch styled inspired by the mod look of the 1960’s. This is perfect for the bride-to-be with a flair for style and fashion. This playful theme has endless options for wedding shower invitations, table stationery and décor options.
Tailor your menu and music playlist to the era of your choice as well. If you go with a 1950’s style, check out all the classic finger foods of the era, strange options and all. Adapt a classic cocktail to your tastes and serve in retro-style coupe glasses. Have a blast building your playlist with hits from the era and all the tunes that have emulated that style since.
Go a step further by encouraging your guests to dress in the era or include simple costume pieces for each person to pick up on their way in the door. Be sure to choose a fun Instagram hashtag to capture all the fun images from the day.
4. Food Tour
If you’re not keen on staying in for the bridal shower, sign the group up for a private food tour in your area or local city. Though this is more ideal for a smaller party, many tour groups will happily accommodate large parties for shower and wedding events. After the tour, stick around at the final stop of the tour to share lunch or a drink together.
You can even tailor your choice to the bride’s favorite food or beverage. Is she a fine wine enthusiast? Head to a local winery for a tasting and a calm day by the vines. Check out local brewery tours with included transportation. Check out specific flavors like chocolate tours or food from a specific region. This bridal shower theme is a great way to keep guests engaged while taking the pressure off the bride who prefers to skip the traditional shower focused all on her.
After your tour, head to a central location and deck out the space to honor your food-filled day. Include local desserts, information for exploring the area and food favors for each guest to take home.
5. Yoga Retreat
Encourage the bride-to-be to disconnect and unwind by arranging a private group yoga class. Contact your local yoga center to talk about your intentions for the group, especially if you’re a group of all ages and experience levels with yoga. Explore unique and beginner-friendly options like goat yoga or yoga on the beach. Be sure to reach out to guests early so you can confirm the final number with the yoga teacher.
After your class together, head to a local fresh restaurant that serves vegetarian fare for a light meal. You can even transition to a self-catered picnic in the area nearby if the weather is nice. Send your guests off with yoga-themed gifts or personalized water bottles as bridal shower favors.
If you have guests that would rather skip the yoga, throw a brunch at professional event space later in the day to give guests the option of attending. Decorate the room to match the calming decor of the yoga studio. Fill the space with wildflowers, plants and comfortable pillows to relax and unwind.
6. Barbecue Potluck
Looking for a budget-friendly bridal shower idea that includes the whole community? Take an old-fashioned approach perfect for the summer months before a fall wedding. Decorate your backyard in string lights and streamers and set up outdoor games for everyone to enjoy as they relax around the grill.
Ask your guests to bring their favorite homemade barbecue favorite. This is a great theme if you’re looking to get family members from both sides of the wedding involved and represented. Choose several favorite summer cocktails and whip up large batches in pitchers to cut down on prep during the party. This also makes an excellent last-minute bridal shower idea if the time between the engagement and wedding is quite short.
7. A Day at The Beach
If you’re lucky enough to live by the sea, plan a day of relaxing beach activities for your guests. Set up a volleyball net, leave out badminton sets and blow up a colorful assortment of fun floating devices and boards for taking out into the water. Once you’ve cleared it with beach management, bring along a picnic-style spread of sandwiches, snacks and salads easy for everyone to nosh on as they take in some sun.
Though this is a less structured shower idea than the traditional approach, it is perfect for the bride that would prefer to spend the day outside relaxing with her loved ones. You can even choose a personalized hashtag so everyone can find the beautiful beach photos of the day.
8. Outdoor adventure
Celebrating her love of the outdoors by tackling a local hiking trail with your guests. Choose a local meeting point at a county or state park that offers a variety of beginner to advanced hiking trails. Once you’ve gone on a mini adventure up the mountain, meet back in a central spot and head to a local restaurant or someone’s home for a well-deserved lunch. Fill the space with adventure-themed decor, tying in the “adventure of marriage” on the horizon. Not only is this an active way to celebrate the bride’s passions, but it also helps women on both sides of the family get to know each other before the big wedding weekend.
9. Tropical Bliss
Palm leaves and floral cocktails are making a comeback in the party-planning scene. Fill a porch, living room or event space with reminders of a tropical paradise for your bridal shower theme. Set the scene by choosing two to three vibrant tropical colors to weave throughout a bridal shower centerpiece, bar décor and invitation suite. The streamlined color scheme will update this classic party style and tie the room together no matter where you’re hosting your gathering. You can also choose a specific design item – such as pineapples – to create a streamlined design throughout the room.
Expand the theme to your drink selection by arranging a build-your-old tropical mimosa bar with additions like pineapple and citrus fruit. Tropical-inspired flavors work well in a range of menus, including in the desserts and edible shower favors. If you’re throwing the party in an event space, speak with your caterer about simple appetizers and lunch ideas that match the theme.
10. Take a Class
Why not learn a new skill while celebrating the bride? Host your bridal shower at a local cooking school, winery or even art space that offers group classes to private parties. Not only does your group learn something new, but they will walk away with a party favor they’ve made on their own. This is perfect for the foodie or artistic bride always looking to expand her skills. Other creative bridal shower ideas include:
- Pottery painting class
- Beer tasting and DIY brewing
- Dance class
- Horseback riding
- Baking
After your class, head to a brunch to share all your stories from class. Decorate the room to match your theme classes theme to tie the day together. Check-in with the bride before choosing the activity to check if there’s a class she’s always dreamt of taking in the area.
Choose a Versatile Location
If you want to ensure the perfect bridal shower, choose a venue with an experienced event coordinator. The location of the venue will influence the theme for your wedding shower, but over all the details, remember that this is the perfect moment to give the bride-to-be a great memory to live by, surrounded by family and friends and celebrating together one of the most special days of her life.
If you’re still unsure about where to perform your wedding shower, The Pavilion at Chimera Golf club offers each bridal shower their own personalized planning services. Tailor your mimosa bar to your unique design, work with a professional chef to tailor your menu and even transform the space for your desired ambiance. No matter what you choose, plan your day around an event space that can make your vision come to life.
