a blog for women… I'm just sayin'

Your best friend has decided to get married, which means YOU are hosting the bridal shower!

Decide first if this bridal shower will be a surprise party. If not, ask the bride for her thoughts, ideas, and expectations. In either case, be certain to talk with the mother of the bride. Often times there are two bridal showers planned, one for the bride’s friends and co-workers while the other includes family and friends of the bride’s mother.

With today’s economy, a single DIY bridal shower with several hosts seems to be a common occurrence. Have several bridal shower themes ready for discussion. Once the theme is decided upon, prepare a bridal shower budget, set the date, time, and place.

The guest list has an enormous impact on the party atmosphere. Attendees will generally include family, in laws, friends, and co-workers, some of whom will be total strangers to each other. To facilitate a memorable, entertaining party within a DIY budget, forget the restaurant, hall, or nightclub; the food and games become the most important aspects of the event.

photo by intimateweddings.com

Appealing displays of themed appetizers are the perfect ice breaker. You know how women just adore a beautiful hand crafted display! Can you hear them, “Oh look how clever and fresh that table looks?” or “Isn’t that cheese cake fabulous?”

photo by Southern Living

The other sure fire way to induce a friendly, fun atmosphere is playing games. Pop in a new twist on those traditional bridal shower games. Andrea Britt has created a whole host of bridal shower games online. Many of the bridal games are simply hilarious. One example is the “Naughty Know the Bride” game. Rather than the traditional, boring “Know the Bride” questions, this list of questions includes the bride’s first kiss, first crush, and favorite eeehhem position. This is just one of many free printable bridal shower games.

As you can see creative, fun bridal shower games as well as DIY fabulous food turn a budget bridal shower into an incredible, unforgettable lasting memory.

Pouring of Sand

Non-traditional weddings are quite common these days. With the uncertainty of the financial system, scores of couples have turned to more prudent, creative ways to enhance their wedding day. In fact, we attended two weddings this month, both somewhat non-traditional. While the lifestyles of each couple are quite different, the creativity of the ceremonies articulated love and commitment far greater than a traditional wedding ceremony.

Held at home, the first wedding was a beautiful outdoor poolside wedding. The theme was a Hawaiian Luau. The bride and groom, aka mommy and daddy, shared in the pouring of colored sand with the children, symbolizing family union.

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