What do you do when one of your best friends gets engaged? If you’re like me, beyond the excited squeals and enthusiastic hugging — you have no idea.
I met my friend Jeanette when we were five years old. Five! I’ll spare you the details of my age, but let’s just say I’ve known her for over two-and-a-half decades. After spending the last few years apart — me on the East Coast, her on the West — we are finally living in the same city again, Los Angeles. Which is great, because as I’ve learned, what you’re supposed to do when one of your best friends gets engaged — as Jeanette recently did — is throw her a bridal shower.
It’s difficult to say exactly where the contemporary bridal shower originated, but many believe it stems from the dowry custom of ye olden days. If a woman’s family didn’t have the means to pay a dowry to her prospective husband, or refused because they disapproved of the union, friends would gather and give gifts to compensate.
In Victorian times, presents were offered in a parasol, which is where the “shower” part comes in. So what’s the point now? As far as I’m concerned, a bridal shower is an awesome excuse to celebrate one of your BFFs and the new chapter in her love life with all of your lady friends, as well as an obscene amount of eats and drinks. (Don’t forget the drinks.)
To make sure you don’t forget anything else, here’s a helpful breakdown of the party-planning process — so when it comes time to throw your best girl a bridal shower, you can honor her in style.
Planning committee. Whether you realize it or not, planning a party — for five guests or twenty — is kind of a big deal. Get a couple of friends in on the action: you’ll feel less pressure and it actually makes the process more fun. There are four of us tagteaming Jeanette’s shower and all I can say is, thank Maude.
Guest list. Have your pal provide the names and addresses/emails of everyone she wants to invite. This will help you figure out the next major steps, like…
Location/Time. According to Queen of Manners Emily Post, showers should be held two months to two weeks before the wedding. Early afternoon seems to be the standard bridal shower hour, but that doesn’t mean it’s required. Think about the guest of honor and what suits her best. For Jeanette, we decided to throw her a brunch, her favorite meal of the day. We also opted to host it at one of our places over a restaurant. It’s more work food-, drink-, and decor-wise, but it also makes for a more relaxed and intimate party.
Theme. Of course, your shower doesn’t have to have a theme (a bridal shower is sort of a theme in and of itself), but choosing one can lend a cohesive ambience to your party — not to mention that invitees will probably appreciate being given direction when it comes to gift giving. Our theme is pretty loose: Since Jeanette and her fiancé are Southern California natives and their wedding is going to have a distinctly West Coast vibe, we decided to give our brunch a vintage beach-y theme (think retro surf imagery, super casual attire, shells strewn about, and Beach Boys on the record player). But there are so many other options! You could throw a canning party, a tea party, a kitchen-specific fete that incorporates a cooking lesson, a stock-her-bar gathering that involves craft cocktails and boozy gifts, a DIY-centric crafternoon, a spa-themed shower with mani/pedis, etc. You could even go Bridesmaids style and throw a Parisian soiree.
Invites. We’re going the simple, eco-friendly route and sending email invites through PaperlessPost.com, but there are a ton of adorable, tangible shower invite designs on Etsy, as well as download-and-print options.
Décor. This is where a theme comes in handy. If you have a specific vibe, you can decorate accordingly. If your party doesn’t have a theme, pick a color scheme to bring it all together. A few areas you’ll want to decorate: serving buffet, bar area, gift table, activities area, table for favors. A few things to keep in mind: table centerpieces, string lights, hanging decorations, banners, dishware, barware, food markers.
Food/Drinks. Since we’re hosting a brunch, the menu is pretty straightforward: farmers’ market veggie frittata, French toast with maple syrup, rosemary breakfast potatoes, fruit salad with mint, cinnamon-sugar pastry puffs, O.J., and French pressed coffee. We’re also designing a handful of champagne cocktails, because what’s a celebration without some bubbly? (Bon Appétit has an excellent selection of recipes.) Plan your menu according to the theme of your party or the time of day. If you’re intimidated by all that kitchen prep, make the shower a potluck and have everyone bring copies of their dish’s recipe (here are a couple of adorable, free downloadable recipe cards for just such an occasion).
Activities. Even if you’re throwing a party centered on an activity, like canning or crafting, it’s nice to have a few other things planned. Think of activities that will make the guest of honor feel honored or provide keepsakes for her once the shower’s over. There are plenty of options that don’t involve toilet paper wedding dresses. Setting up a photo booth is a perfect way to make sure plenty of digital memories are captured, and you can even just use your laptop. Ask each guest to bring a photo of themselves with the bachelorette so that you can make a picture board as people arrive. You can also give guests cute, printed index cards to write down a bit of advice for the bride to be; have each one share her nugget of wisdom when their gift is opened during the present-unwrapping session, then collect the cards and bind them like a little book or store them in a vintage card holder. Before the shower, cull info and anecdotes from attending guests about the betrothed couple and create a multiple-choice quiz about their lives and relationship. Read the questions out loud, preferably after everyone’s a little tipsy, and you might find out all kinds of hilarious things about the girl you thought you knew inside and out.
Favors.It’s the hostess’s job to send all the party-goers home with a little favor. To go with our beachy, West Coast theme, we’re making friendship bracelets for all of the ladies. Make sure your favor is small but meaningful and tie it in with the theme of your party as best you can.
Gifts.The bride-to-be is almost certainly registered with at least one department store, but often it’s more fun to shop off-list, especially for a shower present. Kitchenware and home décor are excellent go-to gift genres, but a sassy piece of lingerie will always be welcome, too.
Whew! That’s a lot of steps. Here’s a helpful bridal shower planning checklist from Real Simple to help you keep it all in order. The most important thing to keep in mind is to create an environment that will allow your guests to have fun, even if the cupcake frosting isn’t perfect or the decor doesn’t totally come together. As long as it’s memorable, and the guest of honor feels loved, you’ve done an amazing job.
131 comments
Jess from volkerwandering said 6 years ago
Wow all of these items are so pretty! I especially love the picture of from 1951! So cool!
TheEverlastingPosy from TheEverlastingPosy said 6 years ago
Great shower decor ideas!
Janell Anderson from prunellasoap said 6 years ago
love these finds!
Shawn St.Peter from shawnstpeter said 6 years ago
Very Nice Great Ideas!
paperrevolver from PaperRevolver said 6 years ago
Beautiful!
SaintAndSailor from SaintAndSailor said 6 years ago
Nice products and some cool ideas!
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 6 years ago
Great!
Unique Fabric Gifts from uniquefabricgifts said 6 years ago
Great ideas and nice items! Thanks
easasa from easasa said 6 years ago
Amazing!
DecadesOfVintage from DecadesOfVintage said 6 years ago
wonderful article of fabulous and interesting shower ideas
cowriegirl from cowriegirl said 6 years ago
Cool ideas for a shower!
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 6 years ago
Great ideas!!!
Kathleen from myvintagecrush said 6 years ago
Great finds! ..from funny to sweet, love this!
baconsquarefarm from baconsquarefarm said 6 years ago
Our son is getting married in August so these are great ideas for a wedding shower for his bride to be.
Peshka from Peshka said 6 years ago
Lovely Ideas!
Yreina Flores Ortiz from AyMujer said 6 years ago
Unicorn Farts lip balm! That is such an awesome find. My daughter, who is in middle school, would LOVE that.
Ever So Lovely from EverSoLovely said 6 years ago
These are amazing ideas!
mazedasastoat from mazedasastoat said 6 years ago
Is this an American custom that hasn't spread to the UK yet? Or am I just so old that back when my friends were planning their weddings all that brides-to-be expected from the rest of us was to be got horribly drunk on the hen night!
Megan Reilly from BridalBooties said 6 years ago
Great blog! Thanks for including my bridal panties!
Kimberlee from GracefullyGirly said 6 years ago
You've certainly come up with fun and fabulous finds!!! Any girl could get a bevy of treats, gifts and shower items here on Etsy. You've found some of the best and brightest. I'm loving that hydrangea invite! To think, I make bridal accessories, but hadn't ever realized where the "shower" came from! Thanks.
Kasey Hachler from KcSoapsNmore said 6 years ago
Awesome. Thank you so much for including my chill pill soap set!
Indira Villalobos from snugglyugly said 6 years ago
great!
EMTsweeetie from EMTsweeetie said 6 years ago
Awesome blog post! So many sweet ideas :)
Kayce White from HomeIntoHaven said 6 years ago
Such wonderful ideas! I'm currently planning my wedding and these are the types of lovely distractions I need to remind myself to not stress the other un-fun stuff. ;)
messinabella from BandBEstate said 6 years ago
Great ideas!
TheOldWhittlerShop from TheOldWhittlerShop said 6 years ago
Just simply wonderful!! Thank you for posting.
Sarah M. from sweetsarahpatisserie said 6 years ago
great collection of items!
Angela Cotton from CottonBirdDesigns said 6 years ago
Great finds!
Dotty Walker from SewThoughtfulBlanket said 6 years ago
Wow, have things changed for the better!
Heather from HBoydStudio said 6 years ago
Great ideas! The modern twist is a nice change.
April Bishop from Ape2658 said 6 years ago
This looks great!!!
Kimberly Ott from mangoavenue said 6 years ago
Thanks for all of the bridal shower planning advice ~ I appreciate a good checklist :) And I love all of the fun party items that you have found!
Molly Green from TheInvintage said 6 years ago
I've just entered into a time in my life full of weddings and babies, great advice for both!
junquegypsy from junquegypsy said 6 years ago
My daughter's friends gave her a tea party themed Sunday afternoon shower with encouragement on the invite for ladies to wear lovely hats. It was such a success that the bride's maids and bride wore hats for their entrance into the wedding reception. Guys wore neon sunglasses. A great hit.
Amanda Mattison from sharingsnips said 6 years ago
Love those hydrangea invitations!
Louisa Catharine Design from LouisaCatharine said 6 years ago
Loving this, such super ideas!
goodbeads from goodbeads said 6 years ago
love them!
Stacey from vintagejane said 6 years ago
Great, inspiring ideas!
Melanie Beth from thevelvetheart said 6 years ago
I wish Etsy had been around in the days of my bridal shower. So many fun items and ideas in this post!
Jodi from jodishmodi said 6 years ago
What a great article for the absolutely clueless - thank you!
Joanna from Joanna1966 said 6 years ago
This is awesome!
Jennifer Chiappetti from jennya309 said 6 years ago
I love all the items you picked. It will be a great shower!
iammie from iammie said 6 years ago
Love this post!
Holly and John from ZCreateDesign said 6 years ago
I love everything in this post! Especially the "Bridezilla" Pinata!
Mel from WeddingAmbience said 6 years ago
Such a great post full of ideas and information. Thanks :)
Melissa Mulder from VyntageBlooms said 6 years ago
Thanks to the bridal showers thrown for me, we had everything we needed for our new apartment .. except the milk bag holder!! I had to run out and grab one the morning after the wedding :) I must say showers have come a long way thanks to all of these great ideas! Thank you for sharing.
HandmadeAffair from HandmadeAffair said 6 years ago
That 1951 photo made me smile.
CocoSkyMemos from CocoSkyMemos said 6 years ago
Great stuff!
Suzanne Furtado from TheScarletSageTree said 6 years ago
Loved this post! As an invitation designer, always great to see current trends, and got some new inspiration and ideas for my upcoming designs as well :) Thanks, Suzanne
Meghan from noce said 6 years ago
Great article with great ideas!
Som from SomsStudio said 6 years ago
What a great Bridal shower you organised! And I love your picks too. Pls do a piece on Jeanette's wedding as well.
Ainur KOKSAL from Ainurcrochet said 6 years ago
Great ideas....
Heather Atkinson from HeatherLucille said 6 years ago
I didn't have a bridal shower and I regret it to this day! I am always threatening my very patient husband that I want to renew our vows whole hog including a bridal shower for me. (Those chill pill soaps are the bees knees!)
jcbees from JCBees said 6 years ago
Great Post and Ideas! Love the chill pill soaps :)
VaLon Frandsen from thevicagirl said 6 years ago
Too bad I didn't have this post when my best friend got married. Oh well, we still had fun. Plus, now I have all these new ideas if anyone else ever gets married.
AJ Marsden from OnlyOriginalsByAJ said 6 years ago
What fun ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Victoria Baker from LittleWrenPottery said 6 years ago
Beautiful finds, love this collection for brides, my favorite has to be the silhouette stamp!
LailaStrada from LailasShop said 6 years ago
Great ideas. Greetings from Latvia :)
Kristin Mulholland from KristinNoelDesigns said 6 years ago
I am currently planning my sis's bridal shower. Thanks for the ideas!
Liz D from aromaholic said 6 years ago
Love the article! If anyone's interested in custom soap orders for events like bridal showers, please convo us or check out: http://www.aromaholic.net/custom-order-party-gifts/custom-order-party-soap.html
Michael Hutton from Twigs2Whirligigs said 6 years ago
Tons of great ideas and products here!
Ashley from AntiquesAsh said 6 years ago
Such cute ideas! I wood love to plan a wedding. Gorgeous items.
Megan Cain from wildplummosaics said 6 years ago
I was disappointed in this post. I thought it would have out of the box ideas for throwing a gathering. The thing that drives me nuts about weddings is all of the consumerism and things that "have" to happen along the way. Luckily, my circle of friends considers a good bridal shower to be a co-ed potluck with lots of great food and drink, maybe some games for the kids, and imagine this - NO GIFTS! I hoped for more from BUST magazine. I guess I will never truly understand the allure of the wedding industry.
BanglewoodSupplies from BanglewoodSupplies said 6 years ago
I loved everything displayed!
Sara Aires from saraaires said 6 years ago
I'm getting married in 2013! I sure want to celebrate with my BFFs in such glamorous treats! Hooray!
Zane Saracene from Zalavintage said 6 years ago
Great post with fabulous ideas and finds, I want one of those kitchen stepstools from the 1951 photo
Paulette Brown from escapist6 said 6 years ago
Thank you! I need this.
Elizabeth Lagasse from LillyThings said 6 years ago
Love the items! PRETTY COLORS !! My sisters bridal shower and wedding were items ADORNED with Etsy or handmade items! Guests could not stop talking about how cute and unique everything was!
rivahside said 6 years ago
I've been to some really wonderful bridal showers, some cheesy bridal showers and some bridal showers with a lot of drama. (Oh, yeah!) Thanks for the new ideas but I've never been to a bridal shower where alcohol was served.
Gracie from TheBeautyofBoredom said 6 years ago
Great ideas! I love the "chill pills." If I ever had a bridal shower I don't know what I would want the theme to be. I've also only been to one wedding and the gal didn't really have a bridal shower. It definitely isn't necessary, but if i ever get the chance I would definitely throw one for a good friend. Gals and guys all need to relax before the big day, and taking some time out with friends just like the good old days is a soothing treat. That 1950's bridal shower looks like it involves a lot of cookware, haha.
Kelly Engel from GrowingUpWild said 6 years ago
Working on planning a shower for my sister-in-law-to-be and I was hoping to go all handmade and DIY. This just made life so easy! Thank you!
Smith Baker said 6 years ago
Planning a bridal shower is one of the most important activities for the bride as it is really special to her and wants to make it memorable.The post gives great ideas for the same with beautiful pictures making the task of planning more easy.:)
Anna Downing from sevenscruples said 6 years ago
very helpful. love the canning party idea. could even be a stock the cellar party!
Brianna from thehappycouple said 6 years ago
My bridesmaids themed it up for my shower with a button and cupcake theme. It was really cute and they even made chocolate buttons and button sugar cookies. It was a lot of fun.
FreakyPeas from FreakyPeas said 6 years ago
I love Etsy for this reason. They are making the mundane world of weddings...wonderful!
www.BlairBarbour.com from BlairBarbour said 6 years ago
Seriously....awesome ideas
Erika C. from TchauBella said 6 years ago
Ubber Great Ideas!!!! LOVE love LOVE love LOVE
Amber from BambuEarth said 6 years ago
♥♥ the modern look.. i love making soap favors with modern themes for bridal showers, they are always a hit. ♥
muddyum from muddyum said 6 years ago
Great ideas for a bridal shower! Thanks for the checklist!
Marie Owltoinette from marieowltoinette said 6 years ago
That scrabble "Mr." and "Mrs" Garland is adorable! And I love the info about how bridal showers originated; the Victorian era is so fascinating!
Lana Manis from SimpleJoysPaperie said 6 years ago
So many cute ideas! In February, my daughter and I hosted a wedding shower for my son and his lovely bride-to-be. We used pages from a 1950s wedding etiquette book to make the decorations.
Cinzia Mullane said 6 years ago
Hi, I am new to Etsy and wanted to know if anyone knew if there was a way I could allow my bridal shower guest to see the things i "love" and purchase them as gifts for my shower? I don't want to do the typical bed bath & beyond thing, and would rather receive small gifts from this site to fill my home with. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks:)
SheEarth Crystals & Creations from SheEarth said 6 years ago
Thank you, Thank you THANK YOU! This is a life saver. My sister in law has just got engaged and asked me (antisocial gob-shite) that I am to be her maid of honour. Yea(/)! My husband thinks it is hilarious watching me try to figure out how to be social with all these beautiful, very trendy, fashionable socialites let alone how to create something wonderful that my lovely sister in law will enjoy and be proud of. So Thank you So very much you have given me ideas and inspiration to create something wonderful and unique without embarrassing myself or bride to be
Liliana Penelope from PenelopeHandmade said 6 years ago
Really nice ideas :)
Erin Mowry from erinink said 5 years ago
Thank you so much for featuring my canning jar bridal shower invites! I just discovered this article and I was so happy to see I was featured! Wonderfully written article and I love the new shower ideas!
Q from QsGoodies said 5 years ago
Great article! Awesome finds!
AprilJoy from TheMintGreenTagSale said 5 years ago
I adore bridal showers and all things nostalgic! Great article. Thanks for sharing and enjoy throwing your friend her shower!
Robin Fox said 5 years ago
If you really want to do something fun and different that is truly memorable and will be the Shower you will always remember as the most fun..... Hire a Professional Comedian!!! Check out Robinfoxcomedy.com Nothing is more fun, unique or memorable. Dont settle for a party that is like an 11 yr old girls birthday. Comedy is the way to go!!
Samantha Young from SweetLoveCandy said 5 years ago
Great blog post! Wonderful! Thanks for all the ideas!
VelvetRevived from VelvetRevived said 4 years ago
What a lot of fun bridal shower ideas! I think a Parisian shower could be lots of fun and you could incorporate so many different things in it!
Taylor Wiesner from RusticPetal said 4 years ago
Lovely, lovely!! The pictures are fantastic!
Deb Vasbinder from BabyCuteBaby said 4 years ago
A lot of great ideas and finds!
Natalie from HansHolzkopf said 4 years ago
beautiful ideas!!!
Suzi from ThePillowStudioShop said 4 years ago
I love the soap as a favor gift- too cute.
Lala Jewelry from Laladesignstudio said 4 years ago
Great post!
Aristocrafts from Aristocrafts said 4 years ago
Great article! I love bridal showers, bachlorette parties and all the other additional events that celebrate the happy bride (couple) :). The wedding day flies by so quickly, so having these smaller gatherings of friends and loved ones really gives the feeling of a prolonged celebration of love :)!
Sarah Clark from skullandsparrow said 4 years ago
Cute items!
Sung-jin, SEO from MyElevenEleven said 4 years ago
wow! really nice!!
LivingVintage from LivingVintage said 4 years ago
Creative choices! Cool.
Fields Of Vintage from FieldsOfVintage said 4 years ago
Super cool ideas and selections for a special occasion.
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 4 years ago
Love the chill pills :)
Leda Design from LedaDesign said 4 years ago
Great ideas! Love these finds!
Aga from AgasJourney said 4 years ago
Interesting ideas and selection. Thank you for sharing
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 4 years ago
Lovely selections for the best shower!
BarDulce from BarDulce said 4 years ago
Cute ideas and the items are pretty and playful - I love it!
Cristy Ramos from ArtisanBathandBody said 4 years ago
Wonderful ideas and selections!
messinabella from BandBEstate said 4 years ago
great picks!
Tresa Meyer Clark from MeyerClarkCreative said 4 years ago
Very creative and thoughtful. Congrats on your feature!
ArleenDesign from ArleenDesign said 4 years ago
Phew a lot to do!!!! Lovely advice ..thanks for the info.
Elaine Dillard from AldaandCompany said 4 years ago
Very cute ideas!
Diahann Mangoni from ClayMeADream said 4 years ago
Love everything! every single thing! Congrats!!
Deodorant Shop from deodorantshop said 4 years ago
Great Info Thanks!
Beard Oil from BeardOil said 4 years ago
This is great!
Chris from HarmonyBalls said 4 years ago
great shower ideas....excellent feature....
Vintage Minnow from VintageMinnow said 4 years ago
Love this post! My bestie just got engaged!
kelly hickey from edieandglo said 4 years ago
This is always a busy season in my shop for bridal shower and gifts! Thanks for pulling together such a nice assortment with great tips!
Tam from BarryCarry said 4 years ago
How can you think like that ??? Awesome
Lauren from FirebrandPress said 4 years ago
love the pieces with the nice hand-lettering. I love to see real calligraphy, sign painting, and letterpress making an appearance in showers and weddings--and all the festivities in between!
Lucy from LucyLovesPaper said 4 years ago
Awesome tips and ideas!
Rebecca Blevins from RaccoonValleyRouge said 4 years ago
My best friend is getting married in October! I need all the wedding tips and ideas I can get! Yay!
Leah Young from 4everYoungDesign said 4 years ago
Love this collection!
Debra Townsend from DouglasSweets said 4 years ago
So many fun ideas!!
Kelcey Roseberrry from Foxglo said 4 years ago
Great ideas! Bridal showers should definitely be fun and show off your personality. Love everything featured.
Motleycouture from Motleycouture said 4 years ago
Very creative! Makes me want to give a shower to my friends even if they are not getting married! Love the invites!
Sarah Sides from SarahSidesMadeIt said 4 years ago
Soooo many of these to plan! Thanks for the suggestions!
Edgar Hernandez from HernandezEdgarArt said 4 years ago
Great!
Megan from ThimbleAndTag said 3 years ago
Love all of these picks!
shirley coachman from SCfashioncreations said 3 years ago
Nice pics!
Beazerk from BeazersGarden said 3 years ago
A beautiful and fun article! I'm not even engaged and I'm loving all of the ideas!
Koren Kwan from GarasuWonderland said 3 years ago
great selections!
tietheknotshoppe from TieTheKnotShoppe said 1 year ago
for unique bridal gifts please check out my shopper. We have tons of bridal shower cake toppers and bridesmaid cards. https://www.etsy.com/shop/TieTheKnotShoppe/edit?ref=edit_trust_header