Sunday 15 January 2012

Cute Bridal Shower Favors

bridal-shower-favors
Bridal shower favors are a token of thanks, return gifts or memorabilia given by the bride to the guests as a ‘Thank You’ gift for attending the shower and showering her with gifts, love and best wishes. There are various types of cute bridal shower favors like a box of chocolates, bracelets, bath soaps with holders, skincare accessories, picture frame, make up kit, bookmarks, fur toys etc. These are some common yet popular bridal shower favors and yes, they are cute.

Arrangement plays an important role in the bridal shower favors. Some of the favors are arranged in a specific way at a specific place and guests are handed over tiny notes to remind them to take one. These are arranged in baskets and are usually in coordination with the shower theme. For instance, if the shower has a beach theme, jewelry made by sea-shells, bath accessories etc are given as favors. If the theme is Garden Party, favors such as seeds, small plants can be given. Different bridal shower ideas come with their own set of bridal shower favor ideas. You have to decide on which bridal shower favors suit your style and budget the best.

Some of the personalized favors include T-shirts or bracelets, fur toys, engraved glasses to each guest with their name and date of shower on it. These personalized gifts are expensive and are usually given only to intimate people such as bridesmaids, close friends, parents, family members etc.

Other favors include heart shaped cookies, spice jars or similar other containers, stemmed wine glasses (which could also be personalized), scented candles, wine bottles, fortune cookies, travel kit, flip flops, blankets, sports tees, coasters, toiletry bags or cosmetic cases. You name them and they are available in all sorts of cute types. These favors can be presented according to the theme of the shower.

You can also take into consideration the season in which the shower is held. For instance, if it is being held in winter, lip balms, moisturizers, and bookmarks shaped as snowman etc. can be given to the guests. For summer bridal shower, flowers, potpourri etc. can be given.

When it comes to bridal shower favors, there is a wide variety of choices. Let the creativity flow and you can make these favors most memorable ones. As these items have a wide range, you can find very cute items at an extremely affordable price.

Friday 13 January 2012

Bridal Shower Party Planning

bridal-shower-planning
Bridal shower should be a fun and enjoyable event. If planned accurately, this could be a perfect event that the bride always dreamt of. All you need is a little creativity and readiness to put in some efforts for a perfect party with bridal shower planning.

While planning a party, one must think of bridal shower ideas, food, decor, theme, favors etc. These should be planned well in advance in order to avoid the ensuing chaos at last minute. These are the important elements of a bridal shower party and need to be taken care of.


  • Decor – The decorations of a bridal shower party depend upon the theme; yet it can be said that all that is girly or romantic can be used as a decoration item for this party. For e.g. pastel colored linens, balloons, candles, fairy lights, potpourri, etc. can be used as decor.





  • Theme – Assigning a theme helps narrow down the food as well as decoration options for such parties. You can always go for themed decorations including the dress code and menu selection for the party.





  • Menu – Food is an integral part of the party. In such parties, emphasis is always on the finger foods such as pizzas, sandwiches etc. Cake is an important factor in food as well as decor. Selecting food according to the theme is fun and easy.





  • Favors – There are various types of cute favors that can be given at the bridal shower party. You need to finalize them well in advance. You can either buy them from local vendors or internet or you can prepare small keepsakes at home to lend that personal touch to the proceedings.





  • Music – If you want to set a specific mood to the party, you can play the music accordingly. For e.g. romantic, retro, fun-filled etc. You don’t need to go overboard with the expensive DJ. Just get an MP3 player with the speakers, play some CDs of your choice and be the DJ for the night.
    These are most important factors in a bridal shower party planning. Once you get these things right, minor goof ups are ignored and the party is an instant success.




  • Thursday 5 January 2012

    How To Make Your Bridal Shower More Enjoyable

    bridal shower games
    During bridal shower planning, you need to concentrate on every little detail and bridal shower games are equally important. They are great ice-breakers. They help to strike up a conversation and let it flow especially when the guests are meeting for the first time. Everyone loves games; they create fun atmosphere and set the mood.

    There are various types of bridal shower games such as icebreakers, funny, traditional, dirty etc. Some of these games are:


  • Bridal Bingo – Prepare Bingo cards with 25 empty spaces. Arrange them 5*5. Make the guests write on those cards the gifts that they think the bride will receive. Make the bride open her presents and check the presents that are mentioned on the cards. When someone has 5 in a row, say Bingo!


  • Word Scramble – Prepare a list of scrambled words related to the wedding and hand them over each to a guest. Specify the time limit and ask the guests to unscramble these words. The guest, who completes the set in the specified time, wins a prize.


  • Famous Couples Game – You can make a list of one half of the famous real and reel life couples and make the guests write down the names of the other half in a specified time. E.g. Beyonce Knowles and Jay Z or Monica and Chandler etc. The one, who completes the other half list in the given time, wins.


  • Cotton Balls – You require 2 bowls, one spoon and cotton balls for this game. One bowl is filled with cotton balls. The Guest is blindfolded and made to put the cotton balls from one bowl to another. The guest, who puts highest number of cotton balls in exactly one minute, wins a small prize.


  • Finish the Sentence – The guests are given a list of proverbs half written. They are not to write the correct proverb, instead write something funny. E.g. Behind every successful man……they should not write there is a woman, instead they can write
    Opening presents is the core activity of the bridal shower. If intertwined with games, this activity is not just limited to the bride but the guests can also participate in the same. Any activities prepared by care and attention will be deeply appreciated by the bride.

    The bottom line is, keep it simple, yet engaging. Fun, memories and joy those are the bridal shower games for you!!


  • Wednesday 4 January 2012

    Origin Of Bridal Shower

    bridal shower
    Very few people know about the origin of the bridal shower. There are some theories about the origin of this custom. The custom of bridal shower dates back to 16th – 17th century. It originated in the USA as a tradition in the upper middle class. One can find its origin in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Now, it is largely celebrated in Canada and Australia along with the USA.

    The bridal shower ideas date back to the dowry-prevalent period. A Dutch folklore based on the dowry system proposes the idea of showering the bride and the groom with gifts to help them start their new life together. There was a young girl who fell in love with a poor but kind-hearted hence popular, miller. Her father did not approve of this union and withheld her dowry. When the villagers learnt of this situation, they ‘showered’ the couple with gifts and helped them start their new life. Hence the term bridal ‘shower’ is used.

    In the 1890s, it is said that friends and family of the bride would gather together, put their gifts in a parasol or umbrella and open it over the bride's head. Hence, the name bridal ‘shower’. This was generally a surprise to the bride. The bridal shower is a traditionally important custom in many cultures, and is significant for the bride and the groom.

    The origin of bridal shower comes from an old tradition of 'giving' the bride away to her husband. The gift-giving was mainly to assure her comforts and luxuries in her married life. It was usually celebrated by women in the neighborhood, friends and families of the couple. The list of the gifts generally included the traditional wedding gifts that prove to be useful for her to start a new life in a new way. For e.g. kitchenware, bedroom appliances etc were gifted which emphasize the bride’s new role as a wife, a homemaker and a sexual partner to her man.

    Though the custom is believed to have originated in the USA, Belgium also had practices similar to the bridal shower in the 1860s. Now-a-days, it is celebrated widely and has turned into a get together often organized by the family members in order to spend some quality time with the bride.

    Tuesday 3 January 2012

    Custom Bridal Shower Invitations

    bridal shower invitations
    During bridal shower planning, we seldom attach a lot of thought to the invitations for the event. Bridal shower invitations are not pondered over nearly quarter as much as we argue and rethink over invitations to the actual wedding. Still, some guidelines have to be followed if you are throwing a themed bridal shower. However, do not worry yourself silly, there is a multitude of bridal shower invitation ideas. Let us take a look at some of them in the following list-


    Cheap Bridal Shower Invitations

    You may achieve cheap, customized bridal shower invitations through a number of ways. One of which could be by utilizing photo and text manipulation softwares like Photo Shop, MS PowerPoint and Picasa to create an animated bridal shower invitation featuring photos of the bride, the groom, and the bridesmaids, all having a good time together, with specifics of the shower like location, date, timing, and theme written in fancy font midst all the floating photos. These invitations are then emailed to the respective e-mail ids of each shower guest.

    According to the bridal shower themes, you could use stock MS PowerPoint clipart images related to the theme in your “e-invitations”. For example, if you have a Valentine’s themed bridal shower, you may use clipart images of hearts, cupids and lovebirds for your e-invites.

    Similarly, these clipart images may also be used for hard copy bridal shower invitations i.e. create a static, non-animated page on say PowerPoint or MS Word with images and fancy font, properly explaining the particulars of the bridal shower, which are then formatted on Photo Shop or Picasa and then made ready for mass printouts (printouts could be a little more than the total number of guests on the guest list).

    When it comes to customization, bridal shower invitations prepared on the computer at home are flexible to such a degree that you could specify each guest’s name on each different copy of the invitation(maybe you could put a photo of the bride with the bridal shower guest on the copy meant specifically for that guest? It is brilliant as it creates a sense of personalization and proximity to the bride in the mind of the guest as soon as he or she receives his or her respective invite).


    Unique Bridal Shower Invitations

    There are hundreds of ideas for unique bridal shower invitations which come at an extremely reasonable price. Let us take a look at some of these ideas-



  • Polka dotted template




  • Rolled up scroll tied up with pink ribbon




  • Heart shaped bridal shower invite (for a Valentine’s theme)




  • For a kitchen themed shower, fork and spoon shaped invitation




  • Invite twirled in ferns and tube roses (for a garden themed shower)
    So as you can clearly see, one does not need to go severely over budget to afford custom bridal shower invitations. Just let the creative juices flow and surprise yourself with what you can come up with!



  • Monday 2 January 2012

    Elements In Decorating A Bridal Shower

    bridal shower decorations
    Decorating a bridal shower venue is an important task to be done while preparing for bridal shower party. Bridal Shower decorations are done according to the theme, the budget and the venue. The decorations can be theme-based such as beach, camping, Christmas, love and romance, kitchen etc. It also depends on the budget of the hostess and bridal shower ideas that make it memorable

    Bridal shower decorations are a must to perk up your party. They can make or wreck the party. There is a lot of scope in this department and if you are creative enough you can find your own decorative ideas and make your party more personal.

    A personalized decor always adds to the charm of the whole affair. While selecting the theme, you must consider the bride’s preferences, her likes and dislikes and inclinations as this is her day and it should be perfect. She should be able to let herself go and enjoy.

    Some essential elements to remember while decorating the bridal shower venue:



  • Budget – Allot a certain budget to the decorations so that you don’t overdo it.




  • Theme – Decide a theme for your shower so that you will be able to narrow down the options for the decoration.




  • Bride - The basic thing to take into consideration is what the bride wants. To have a feeling that she is not enjoying it while the party is going on is surely going to make your heart sink. So always keep in mind that she is the center of attention.
    Types of Decorations




  • Hanging Decorations – Various types of hanging Decorations such as garlands, banners, etc can be found. For example, garlands made of crystal in pastel colors such as lavender, blue, pink are very cute. Similarly, banners made of custom messages such as congratulations, welcome etc are also available in the market. Banners are also made of wedding bells, flowers, heart-shaped balloons and paper lanterns.




  • Table Decorations – These decorations mainly consist of centerpieces. There is a vast variety available for centerpieces. For example, hurricane vases, glass vases, bud vases, candle holders, leaf pots, mini lanterns and potpourri make some of the excellent centerpieces.




  • Balloons – It is one of the most economical options for decorations. There are various types of balloons available in the market. Personalized balloons such as balloons carrying the names of the bride and the groom, balloon bouquets, weighty balloons etc are available in the market.
    You can find many other decor items which can be used for the purpose and you really need not go overboard. Everything is available on the internet. You can shop online as well as go to the local market to find the necessary items. Keep it simple is the ultimate mantra when it comes to bridal shower planning.