You know exactly what you want when it comes to planning your wedding. But a family member asked you the other day for bridal shower ideas—and you said you’d have to think about it. The truth is you don’t have a clue what you’d like. It used to be simple—it was a women-only celebration. But bridal showers have changed since the first one in the 1890s. In fact, in recent years there have been some unique trends that speak to the bride’s personality. Guest lists have gotten shorter too—more ladies are deciding not to invite their second cousin whom they hardly know and opting for close family or friends instead. So what’s new for bridal showers in 2018? Let’s take a look!
Bro-dals
Why should the bride get to have all the fun? Multiple showers are a thing now and it shouldn’t be any different for the groom. A bro-dal is simply a bridal shower for the groom with all his buddies and close family members. They can celebrate, for example, at a fun pool hall or poker night. But why go out? The groom can get some awesome ideas for creating his own casino night on Pinterest.
Destinations
It was thought to be different when bridal showers went from someone’s home to a country club or a bar. But in 2018, some brides-to-be want to just get away with their friends for a fun weekend in the country or at a favorite beach. With a destination shower, you won’t need to worry about decorations; nature will provide all the décor you need! You could send out invitations with country décor or on driftwood from the beach to a small group of your closest friends and family members. Just be mindful that this type of bridal shower will be pricier than a traditional shower; so you might want to have a combination celebration of bridesmaid brunch, bachelorette party and bridal shower in one weekend.
A Focus on Charity
If you’ve lived together for a while, chances are you have pretty much everything you need. So what should you tell your potential guests to give for gifts? Encourage them to bring a donation for their favorite charity or community food pantry. It’s a win-win situation! When your wedding’s over, consider donating your flowers and centerpieces to Rebloom. This fantastic company will take your flowers and create small, individual arrangements to send to local hospitals and nursing homes. What a beautiful way to spread love and smiles!
A Couple Celebration
This shower is for the couple who loves doing everything together and is more along the lines of a cocktail party. Since both men and women are invited another option is to have a barbeque or dinner party. The festivities are still focused on the bridal shower presents though; however, the gifts are geared more toward gadgets and home accessories and are given to the groom as well as the bride.
Interactive
Over the years, brides-to-be wanted to get away from those traditional games that have always been present at a bridal shower. This year, the “in” thing is to have fun activities that everyone can get involved in. Do your friends and family love to cook? Employ a chef to give a quick lesson on tasty, easy desserts or appetizers. Pottery or basket weaving are always fun to learn; or bring in your neighborhood florist to teach a class on flower arranging. The interactive possibilities are endless.
Did one of these trends light a spark of inspiration for you? Maybe you’ve come up with some on your own. Either way, everyone’s sure to have a blast at your bridal shower that they’ll remember for years to come.
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