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Top 3 Fall Bridal Shower Themes

If fall is bridal season for any of your friends or family, get creative with celebrating! Honor your loved ones by showering them with all that this season has to offer. There are many great ideas and themes to choose from, just make sure it fits their personality and style. To get you started, here are 3 great ideas that make great fall bridal shower themes.

RUSTIC: Fall is such a great season to utilize nature. If your bride-to-be enjoys more of a laid back and vintage feel to her party, bring nature inside for your decor. It can be as simple as taking some pretty, glass jars already lying around your house and filling them with leaves from your backyard. **PIC**You can do the same thing with sticks or acorns from your yard. Gather them together and use them with your leaves for inexpensive table centerpieces.

APPLES and PUMPKINS: Put together, these are really appealing to the eye. They're also great to pair together for a fall bridal shower. Use them in your decor or send small gala apples and miniature pumpkins home with your guests as favors. Apple cider is a cozy beverage for you all to sip while you're celebrating. You can also make fun drinks for the shower guests with apple peels and cinnamon sticks in them for flavor and texture.

SPORTS FAN: Do you know a bride who is a big sports fan, as well as her soon-to-be husband? Fall brings football, specifically, and it's fun to bring out this part of the bride's personality for their special party. Put a girly touch on tailgating foods and drinks for your menu. You can also get a football and have all of the bride's closest friends and family decorate and sign it. Give it to her at the end of the party as a keepsake from this special occasion.

Planning a bridal shower this fall? Be sure to go with a theme fit for the season!

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Breakfast at Tiffany's Bridal Shower

Bachelorette parties are a breeze to plan, but a bridal shower for just your female relatives and close friends can be more difficult. Here is a fun theme for a bridal shower that is not only classy, but a theme that everyone can enjoy!

Tiffany Blue & White

It may feel like yesterday when you received that tiny blue box, with a not so tiny surprise! Now, it’s time to celebrate your next step with Breakfast at Tiffany’s themed bridal shower. If you’re obsessed with Tiffany & Co, pearls and old fashioned class this theme is perfect for you!

Like most vintage black and white romance movies, you have found that iconic love. Now, it is time to put the old glamour, romance and class to good use.

Bridal Shower Décor

Nothing travels you back in time more than your atmosphere. Create an escape from all the wedding planning for not only you, but your guests! Make your shower decorations have a fresh look that is perfect for a mid morning brunch. White table cloths, glass dishes and lace leave the slate clean for color. After all, this is all about Tiffany Blue.

The perfect base created by your whites and crystal can be embellished with a few decorations. Centerpieces will be the main statement pieces at your brunch. On your tables, there should be different heights. Each table should tell a story and represent your personality in its own way. For the table centerpieces you could use:

  • White Feathers (Elegant, Fun and Tall)
  • Pearls (In strands or in the bottom of vases)
  • Candle Holders (Crystal or Silver)
  • Blue Tiffany Boxes (All sizes for height and centerpiece vases)
Elegant Shower Decor
Flowers should be simple elegant colors like white and a light green. Hydrangeas are what come to my mind for the perfect height and full look. The flowers would look stunning in light blue vases or in a clear vase placed in the bottom half of a large tiffany blue box. The hydrangeas are so full; it will literally look like they are popping out of an engagement box.

Another element to this shower is women love to dress up. So, let your party be an excuse to go shopping! It’s a fun way to bond with the girls or family members before the shower. If you are worried about your guests having to buy something for your shower, don’t fret. Everyone owns…

That Little Black Dress

Dress codes can vary when it comes to bridal showers, but have fun with this one. Wear simple black dresses, pearls and don’t forget to bring your “puff” cigarettes. If you really want to have fun bring a set of white gloves.

Let’s say you want to stand out as the bride? What a simple way to have everyone wear black dresses for your entrance in white. Be the star for your perfect day!

If you are a woman after my own heart, you are probably thinking “Brunch… Where’s the food?” Don’t worry ladies it’s in the title of the theme.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

An early brunch is perfect for this theme! Not only does it go with the title, but breakfast is so easy to snack on while mingling. Of course, you should always choose your favorite breakfast foods for a unique appeal, but here are some starter choices:

  • Pearl Donuts (Also known as powdered)
  • Bagels
  • Fruit Bar
  • Pancake Cakes with powder sugar
  • Scones
  • Éclairs
  • Parfaits
Wedidng Brunch
These are all perfect starter choices for your brunch. They are easy to carry around from conversation to conversation and are not too filling. Did I mention they are super girly?

The Words of Love

From here you have everything you need for the set up of the party, now it’s time for the fun. After the mingling begins to die down it’s time for games. “He says… She says…” is always a hit and incorporates women from his side of the family. Write down quotes that you and your future husband have said. Allow the women to guess which of you said the funny one liner. After the given amount of time, reveal the mouth from which the quote came from and watch the look of shock and laughter fill the room.

When the party is over, don’t let your guests leave without their own set of pearls and a tiffany blue coffee cup. For an extra touch, I would wrap the cup in a thick white ribbon. Now, every morning they will remember memories of your bridal shower.

Coco Chanel believed that women should be two things: classy and fabulous. This party theme is just that. 

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Inspirational Friday – Wedding Showers

Here at Wedding and Party Network we want to give you inspiration for your wedding and party details. The details are what sets your wedding and party apart from anyone else. The colors, theme, detailing and style all creates your wedding day style and conveys your wedding shower theme. So, today's Inspirational Friday will focus on wedding showers.

Showers are the time to shower the bride with great items for new life together with her soon-to-be husband. It's also the time where you truly make it all about her. Show off her personality through all the shower decor. You can pick any type of theme, such as a Breakfast at Tiffany's inspired shower, pink & gray, vintage chic or go with an shower where each guest gets a letter of the alphabet or a room in the house and they must bring an item to that starts with the letter or for that specific room. Just find a theme that will suit the bride's style and go with it. She'll love being showered by her closest friends and family.

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Top Bridal Shower Themes

Have you had close friends or family members recently become engaged over the summer? Is it time to start planning her bridal shower? Well, what type of bridal shower will you host? There are so many themes out there that you may not know where to begin. Well, Wedding and Party Network is here to bring you our 5 favorite bridal shower themes!

Bridal Shower Accents
Spa Shower – Yes, wedding planning is a little stressful at times. If not a lot stressful at times. Therefore, taking time to relax is a must. So, why not host a spa bridal shower? It's the perfect stress reliever! Now, you can either go to a spa or bring the spa to you. Set up different stations if you're having it at home like, manicure, pedicure, facials & massages.

Guests can choose which one they would rather do. Create a soap bar that resembles a food table. You see soaps that come in various shapes, sizes & replicas and they're all so adorable. If you're hosting this shower at home, guests can bring presents. However, if it's at a spa, let everyone pitch in on a spa gift certificate, embroidered robe & slippers. This is truly a relaxing treat.

Vintage Bridal Shower – Throwing vintage into any party theme is a huge trend. However, it's perfect for a bridal shower. How do you incorporate this into a bridal shower? It's all how you decorate your bridal shower. This is the key to incorporating it into a bridal shower.

When decorating, choose vintage mason jars and glasses for centerpieces. Line them down the center of the table with a few flowers in each one. Use pastels, delicate flowers, chevron print, vintage suitcases, fun straws and texture.

Five Senses –This bridal shower is truly unique. When finding inspiration, consider the five senses. For sight think about how you can draw eyes to unique shower decor. Think of having art for centerpieces or unique floral arrangements to draw guest's attention. Have mellow music playing in the background for sound. Touch is represented by incorporating different textures. Of course, taste will represent through the menu. Lastly, smell is achieved by placing various candles and fragrances out. All of these elements combined will create an amazing setting for any bridal shower.

Breakfast At Tiffany's –This is ab absolute classic, which is exactly what you're going for with this bridal shower theme. Think Tiffany blue & white, diamonds, bows and black. Of course, having that little blue box that girls all over love is a must. Use them for centerpieces or for your party favors.

Bridal Shower Table
Create cupcakes with in the Tiffany blue with a ribbon on top. Also, for centerpieces, use white carnations, create flower balls with them and sprinkle some diamonds on each table. For event food, serve up breakfast! Fresh fruit, casseroles, breads & scones are all great items to serve for this shower. A shower theme that everyone will love!

Sweet Love – It's all in the name with this bridal shower. Of course, your main focus is to serve sweet items. Think colorful when choosing your shower decorations and floral arrangements. Don't forget about the candy bar for this theme. Use various candies, like jelly beans, lollipops, taffy, chocolate and the bride's favorite candy for your candy bar. This is a fun bridal shower that is a must for a colorful bride!

So, when planning your next wedding shower, choose these fun themes to help make it a success. Showers are a great time for the bride to take a break from planning and to kick back with great friends and family.

This post is brought to you by Miami Party Decoration Providers.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy wedding planning directory to help you find a wedding planner near you!

Shower centerpiece, cupcakes photo provided by Eloise Claire, clarescupcakes.co.uk via flickr.

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5 Bridal Shower Themes The Bride Is Sure To Love!

Do you have the honor of being a lovely bridesmaid in your friend's wedding? Are you ready for the beautiful bridesmaid dress and the responsibilities of what comes along with it? One of the duties that comes with being a bridesmaid is hosting a fabulous bridal shower. However, are you tired of just a traditional theme and want something different? Let Wedding And Party Network help plan your next bridal shower with a fun theme the bride and her guests will truly enjoy.

When you think of bridal showers, do you think of the traditional gathering of friends, food and watching the bride open presents in a big circle? Yes, that's still the focus on the shower, but putting a fun and unusual twist on it will make it truly unique. Here are a few themes that you may want to do for your next shower to make it fun and unique.

Bridal Shower Decor

Around The Clock: You can still host the traditional luncheon or tea party with this shower, however, add a twist to it with an around the clock theme. The main idea behind this theme is guests should bring gifts that will relate to different "times" in the bride & groom's life. Either different occasions that they might have in their life, like dinner parties, picnics or travel. It can also pertain to different times of the day for the bride & groom.

Maybe the guests will bring luggage for the honeymoon, dishes for breakfast time or a picnic basket full of goodies. Guests will be able to get creative with their gifts and so will you. Base your food around the time of days, set up 3 tables and serve items for breakfast, lunch and dinner or focus on a particular meal of the day. It's a fun bridal shower theme where everyone can get creative!

"Mood" Shower: A bridal shower based on the bride's mood. Go with the traditional bridal shower, except this time, include a card that says, "The bride is in the mood to clean" or "The bride is in the mood to cook". So, the guests can get a gift based around their mood card. Cleaning products, cooking gifts or spa gifts are great gifts given at this shower.

Pound Shower: For the bride & groom who have all they need, throw a pound shower. It's related to a stock the pantry shower, which is bringing kitchen items for their home. Spices, baking tools or a gourmet food basket would be great. However, take it a step further and let guests bring one pound of a household product. Flour, sugar, detergent, eggs, baking soda or whatever the guests can find that comes in a pound. Also, have the guests bring a recipe to go with it and a kitchen gadget that helps create the finishing dish. Maybe a pound of flour, chocolate chip cookie recipe and a baking sheet would be a great idea.

Shower Of Firsts: For the brand new couple, a shower of firsts would be a great start to their happy marriage. Inform guests to bring gifts that will go along with their first year of marriage. A Christmas ornament for their first Christmas, a gift to go along with the first time they burn dinner or their first night apart are just a few of the ideas that guests can get creative with.

Wedding Shower
Honey-Do Shower:A bridal shower that is catered for both the bride and groom. Couple showers are becoming increasingly popular. This way, the groom gets to have a little fun too. Honey do shower based around the phrase, "Honey, do this" or "Honey, do that". For example, Honey, take out the garbage or honey, that lawn needs to be mowed. Maybe the groom might want to skip out on this shower, it sounds like he'll have a lot of work on his hands.

These are just a few shower ideas that you could do for the bride, however, there are so many more! Stock the bar, room of the house, alphabet shower, spa theme, wine and cheese party, travel theme or the game of life shower are more ideas that you can use for a bridal shower theme. Each one is so unique and extremely fun! The bride will be one happy girl with these fun shower themes.

This post is brought to you by Miami Party Planners.
Not in Miami, FL? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find party planners near you!

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4 Tips On Throwing A Holiday Bridal Shower

We all love the holidays, each and every one of them. We all love to decorate and share in the festivities through decorations. However, when people first get married they don't always have a lot of stuff, like dishes, furniture or decorations, let along holiday decorations. Therefore, throwing a holiday bridal shower is the perfect idea. It's a fun holiday party where guests can shower the bride with lots of holiday goodies. Here are a few tips, ideas and variations that you can do to throw a unique bridal shower!

A Festive Christmas Shower

Christmas Desserts
If the bride is getting married around the holiday season or will share her engagement around Christmas, this is a great time to throw one of these fun bridal showers. There are lots of ideas out there that will be great for this shower.

Color Combo: First off, ask your bride what colors she wants to use for her Christmas decorations. Is it the traditional red and green or a unique color, such as green and silver. This is the key since all your party decorations can be catered towards the bride's color combo. Color coordinate the bridal shower invitations with the colors and include what holiday colors the bride will be using in her decor. That way guests can cater to her wants and needs.

Party Decorations: Since this shower will be around Christmas time, more than likely you have someone who has their Christmas decorations out. Therefore, you won't need a lot of party decorations. You want to focus more on the table.

Do you have Christmas tableware that you are planning to get the bride? Well set it out on the table, she'll love to see how she can use it. It plays up the party food table too. If someone plans on getting her a small Christmas tree or even a wreath, use it! She'll be excited when she finds out that she gets to take that home too. Decorating is a cinch around the holidays, so make sure you plan and especially around this time of the year.

Party Food: There are lots of variations that you can do when deciding on what type of party foods you will serve. Does the bride have a sweet tooth? Throw an all dessert bridal shower. You can do a white powdered doughnut tree, which can resemble a snowy covered tree. Unique cake pops are always a hit. You could also do chocolate covered strawberries, brownies, wedding cupcakes, gingerbread men, Christmas themed sugar cookies and all the holiday favorites, such as fudge and divinity. So yummy!

Christmas Table Settle
However, if the bride isn't much on sweets, you can do appetizers. Place broccoli on a Styrofoam tree and accent it with cherry tomatoes. It'll look like a Christmas tree with red ornaments. Super cute! You can do veggie trays, dips, cute ornament shaped sandwiches, pine cone or Christmas wreath shaped cheese ball and an adorable themed cake to go with it.

One example, I had my bridal shower this past weekend. My colors are chocolate-brown and blue, therefore, they created a cake with chocolate icing and accented it with adorable blue ornaments. It was absolutely darling.

However, if you're not up for stressing over the food; hire a party caterer! There are lots of appetizers that can be catered towards Christmas. Plus, they're all tasty and extremely delicious!

However, the holiday season is ideal to throw this event, you can do it year round too. Just throw a general holiday shower, where guests can bring her items to decorate for spring, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving and Halloween. You can host a holiday bridal shower however you would like to.

Ask the bride, what does she want most. What are her colors? Just remember to style it towards the bride and your shower will be a hit!

This post is brought to you by St Louis Wedding Decoration Providers.
Not in St Louis, MO? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find wedding decoration suppliers near you!

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Wedding Shower Games to Break the Ice

Bridal showers are always fun. They are filled with delicious food, good times and playing a game or two can make them even more fun, especially when the bride-to-be is a little nervous. In some instances, the bride doesn't know many of the  guests and can feel awkward, so playing a fun or meaningful game can help ease the awkwardness. Some commonly used games are crude and embarrassing, so here are some other ideas that will actually be fun for all and will briefly take the focus off the bride-to-be:

Beautiful Bridal Shower

1. Don't Say It! –  Each guest is given five small heart-shaped pieces of red paper upon arrival. The rule is that no one can say the word "wedding" during the shower. If someone slips, the first person who hears it gets one of their hearts. At the end of the shower, the person with the most hearts wins a prize.

2. Getting to Know You – In this game, each guest may ask the bride-to-be one question to get to know her better. This is best done as she is opening their present. The question can be about her childhood, who gave her, her first kiss, how she met the groom, the wedding or anything!

3. Pearls of Wisdom – Each guest is given a "pearl" (from a craft store) upon arrival. When the bride-to-be announces who a gift is from, the giver gives one piece of marital wisdom or advice. Someone records each pearl of wisdom in a journal so the bride can keep it and refer back to all the wisdom she was given. The pearls are collected and woven into the bridal bouquet made from the gift bows.

These games will be great fun for your next bridal shower. They'll provide fun memories and take the bride's stress away, while planning her wedding.

This post is brought to you by Wilmington Party Supplier providers.
Not in Wilmington, NC? No worries, use Wedding and Party Network's handy party planning directory to help you find a party supplier near you!

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Ask The Celebration Advisor: How to Bring Families and Friends Together Before a Wedding

Ask The Celebration Advisor:


I am the mother of the bride and would like to throw a party so I can get to know the groom's family and my daughter's friends better.  It would be an engagement party; however, I think it is too close and they have been engaged too long to call it that.  The wedding is August 28, and she has been engaged since Oct. 24.  What should I call this party?  I am sending invites out this week and need a catchy name.  Can you help me with this?

–Thanks Carolyn

Celebration Advisor Reply:

Carolyn,

Congratulations on your daughter's engagement. Also, we here  at Wedding and Party Network would like to extend a pat on the back for making an effort to bring the two families together. I agree that it is a little too late to host an engagement party; however, a wedding shower is still completely appropriate.

This doesn't have to be a formal shower. These days, wedding showers are taking on a relaxed feel and becoming more of a celebration. Sure, the traditional showers still exist–and for good reason, but casual get-togethers are increasingly becoming a popular alternative.

I do not know the age of your daughter or the proposed guests, but I will assume that many of your daughter's friends will be in attendance who fit into a younger age demographic, making a casual gathering even more appropriate. Also, a relaxed event will encourage guests to mingle and converse, achieving your goal of them getting to know one another.

If you are planning to host the event at your home, I suggest having an outdoor party, perhaps a cookout. Gifts would be optional, and attire would be casual. A backyard space, patio or deck would be perfect. Many take this opportunity to host a tropical-themed event, but the options are endless. Have plenty of food and organized groups of seating, so that guest will naturally feel inclined to speak to one another. Several small groupings of three or four chairs and a few end tables to hold plates and drinks would be ideal.

Another great option would be to host an event at a hip restaurant, where the clientele's demographic matches that of your guests, assuming again, of course, that several of your daughter's friends will be in attendance. If not, pick a more laid-back restaurant that suits more of your guests' tastes.  By going out, you wouldn't have to worry about cooking, and you could place more of a focus on making connections among guests.

Reserve a small room or a table and order a few appetizers to get started. Call ahead and create a mixed drink designed for the guests of honor. It could be a play on their names, a trip they made, or tie into their engagement story. Getting guests in the mood for a night out will put them at ease and stir up conversation. Themes are still appropriate; however, keeping it young and fun would be your best bet.

As for a catchy name, I don't have enough information to come up with something incredibly specific. Although, putting as little pressure as possible on your guests to adhere to a theme or activity will put them at greater ease. Perhaps this is the time when a simple invitiation would best be put to use. Bring your families and friends together, include great food and drinks and a few activities, such as sharing favorite stories, to bring on the laughs. You will be surprised at how far great food and a relaxed atmosphere will go to bring people together!

This Celebration Advisor Post is sponsored by South Bend, IN, caterers.

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Forgot Anything? Your Essential Wedding & Baby Shower Checklist

Most of the time it's easy for the person throwing a baby shower or wedding shower to run around like a chicken with their head cut off. After all, there's tons to do in preparation! Truth be told, that's probably why you're reading this blog in the first place. That's awesome because this checklist will make your life a little easier.

If you're like me, you could double check or check 50 times and you'd still forget something. It doesn't matter if it's a hotel stay or planning a party, I'm going to forget something. That's why these checklists help me and this one will help you! When planning a baby shower or a wedding shower, don't forget this essential checklist!

Things To Remember When Planning A Baby or Wedding Shower

  • The party food is essential!!! Who doesn't want to at least snack at a shower? Hor d'ouevres are great. Finger foods are fine. Don't feel like taking on the hassle of food preparation for a large group? Hire a party caterer. They have to be good at it. It's what they do! Plus it saves you a lot of time. Party caterers are a win-win here.
  • Don't forget the photographer or videographer! Whether it's Suzie Q with a digital camera or you hire an actual party photographer, don't forget the person that will preserve these memories forever. Besides, "toilet paper bridal gown" just isn't as funny in stories.
  • Remember the party decorations! I know. It seems silly that the host would forget something as huge as decorations but you never know. Do you have the streamers? Are the tablecloths ready? How about napkins, drinking and eating utensils, balloons, trash bags a plenty? Trust me, it's too easy to forget at least one of these things. If you go to a party supply store, let the clerk know exactly what you're planning. They'll make sure you get everything you need!
  • Remember to get rid of the guys! Or the girls. The same rules apply for bachelor parties and bachelorette parties. While there are exceptions to the rule, many of these parties are typically not mixed-company events. Some are. Just remember to give them plenty of time to plan an alternate location if you want it to be a girls-only party.
  • Remember the music! Throwing a bridal shower? Get the couples' favorite music on a mixed cd and have a ball. Throwing a baby shower? Classical music in the background is a great addition. Whatever your tastes, whatever suits the occasion–don't forget the musical entertainment!!!
  • Remember the party invitations! By now the invitations are probably already in the mail or on the guests' doorsteps. If you're still early on in the planning stages, don't forget the party invitations! Be as kitschy or as elegant as you want. Just make sure to have fun!

Ready to have a great time? Just print out this shower checklist and have fun at your party!! Don't forget to return to the Celebration Advisor and let us know how everything went.

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