If you’ve ever hosted a shower of any kind, you know how tricky it can be to strike a balance between sweet & simple and Pinterest-worthy when it comes to decorations, games, and food. Sometimes all those lovely pictures we pin to our boards are just not ever going to happen!
My sister-in-law and I recently hosted a bridal shower and between the two of us we were able to create a simple and elegant afternoon for the bride-to-be. Because we weren’t shooting for the moon, we enjoyed a beautiful celebration without the usual stress that comes with planning a shower.
Sometimes having a jumping off point is helpful, so I thought I’d share a little bit about our menu and other aspects of the day…and if you’re planning a shower this spring or summer maybe some of what we did will inspire you!
The Menu
We had planned the bridal shower to be in the early afternoon on a Sunday. Knowing that the guests would be coming from many different activities, we decided to serve light lunch foods and dessert! Many of the recipes are from The Pampered Chef and I’ve linked them below.
Tomato Basil Squares
Southwestern Snack Squares
Classic Deli Wraps
Easy Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Veggie Tray with Ranch Dip
Peanut Butter Passion Bars
Andes Mint Mini Cheesecakes
We also made a yummy punch with orange juice, lemonade concentrate, and Sprite! And of course a fun coffee bar for those of us who skipped our Sunday afternoon naps 😉
The Decorations
I ironed a long piece of linen fabric and used that as a table runner. Then I took a few of our sea grass placemats and put them down the center of the table on top of the creamy white linen. They helped add a little texture and neutral color, while also providing a barrier between the hot food and our farmhouse table! Those two elements really helped form the base of a very elegant, but simple tablescape. I found super pretty balloons that came with gold confetti at Dollar General (whaaaaat??!) and anchored them in groups of three on either side of the center. After spreading the extra confetti around the table, our simple decorations were complete!
Games and Activities
The internet did not disappoint when it came to finding bridal shower games…we had our choice of probably hundreds. The two we decided on were a candy bar matching game and a game pairing celebrity couples…both were short and sweet, but also got lots of laughs 🙂 The Dollar Spot at Target had an abundance of bridal shower games and décor this spring, so I picked up some sweet Mad Lib style sheets for the guests to fill out and give to the bride. It was one little extra that turned out to be really special!
We didn’t pick a specific theme for the shower and our group wasn’t very large, but just pulling together a few simple and elegant details made for a wonderful afternoon together! Hopefully some of these ideas will inspire you too!
