Wedding Shower Ideas
part two

Home Family Parties and Entertaining Weddings and Anniversaries Wedding Shower Ideas - part two

Wedding Shower Ideas Wanted

My sister is getting married and my other sister and I will be throwing her a shower a week before. We wanted to know if anyone has any ideas for it. Are there any showers you went to that stick out in your minds? Are there any themes or fun games you can think of that won't cost a fortune?
Jodi

The Journal

Here is a lovely idea for a bridal shower. Before the event, make a simple journal and decorate it accordingly. (You can use card stock paper & cardboard decorated with a stamp or fabric.)

As guests arrive, ask them to write their name, address & gift given on a page in the journal some time during the shower. If they wish, they can also write a personal note to the bride.

Not only does this journal eliminate the need to have someone write down which guest brought what gift, it provides the bride with a keepsake from her shower. Plus, she won't have to go digging for the addresses! (This idea works wonderfully for baby shower as well!)
M.

And the Pot

Hosting a wedding shower can cost a fortune, so here's an idea that's worked for me throw a "chicken and the pot it's cooked in" shower. Each person brings a dish (if you're having it at mealtime) or an appetizer (if you're not) in a serving or cooking dish -- which is the gift. You can also mail out matching recipe cards to everyone with their invitations and have them bring the recipe to the shower. Then all you have to do is provide drinks and wash the dishes for the happy couple. (And you can give the couple a recipe box that matches the cards you sent out, if you choose to do that.) Finally, have blank index cards out for guests who want to copy down recipes for dishes they liked. Then the guests go home with a gift, too!
Marybeth B.

The Quiz

I threw a wedding shower for a friend last summer. Books, the web, and other sources had advice on almost everything but games. Here's a couple I've played that were fun.

1. Design a quiz around the couple (where was their first kiss, what's their favorite music, etc) and have everyone give it a try, with the most right answers getting the prize. (This can be something simple, maybe a basket of food goodies or bath salts, etc)
   
   
2. An advice game- pick 8-10 topics (finances, past boyfriends, in-laws) and put either the word "never" or "before" in front of each one. Have everyone fill it out, as advice to the bride, either seriously or silly. (So "never say too much" for past boyfriends, for example) This one doesn't really have a "winner," unless you make it the first person done, but you can put together a cute "book of advice" afterwards for the bride, maybe including some pictures from the shower.

Have fun, and congrats to your sister!
Abby

A Wedding Shower Rememberance

An idea I have used is a photo album party. If you have someone who is into Creative Memories or just has this as a hobby, you could get your sister started on a scrapbook for her and her future husband. I certainly wish I had done this when I first got married. The other option is to have everyone bring in pictures and stories about the bride and create some kind of memory page. They could also--if the guests will also include family and friends of the groom--do some kind of page for the groom as well. This could be used as a display for the wedding reception.
C.

A Couple's Wedding Shower

As a soon-to-be-bride (nearly three weeks away), I have experienced three bridal showers in my honor in the last few months. Hostess a couple's shower. Include both male and female guests. Grooms always feel left out of the process and this is a great way for frieds of both the bride and the groom to become acquainted prior to the wedding. The couples that host/hostessed our shower made us matching aprons, presented us with a wide variety of ingredients to make a cake from scratch and turned us loose. We combined the ingredients in front of all the guests and the cakes baked while we opened gifts. When the cakes were finished, we each tasted the others creation. It was really cute and we were able to keep the aprons as a rememberance.
Emily

A Wedding Shower Game

Call the groom the day (or 2) before the party, and ask him some questions like,

1. What is your favorite color?
   
   
2. What is your favorite dish that the bride has made you?
   
   
3. What outfit that she wears is your favorite?
   
   
4. When did you meet?
   
   
5. Where did you meet?
   
   
6. What kind of animal do you remind him of?

Write down what his responses are on index cards. At the shower, pass out the cards when it's time to play this game. Have some of the guests read the questions out loud. Now, have each guest write down how many of the responses the bride will guess right. When that is done, each person again reads the question, and this time, the bride must guess what the GROOMS response was, not necessary what the right answer is. keep track of how many she gets right. The guest with the correct number, wins a prize. It's a lot of fun, and a ton of laughs. We did this at my shower a few years back, and people are still asking about it, talking about it, and even remember some of the answers!
W.

Helpful Tips

One neat thing when I had my wedding shower. My sister gave everyone an index card and had people write down a "tip" for a happy marriage. They were neat to read and gave me some insight on how people (most of them were my mom's friends) got through some of the harder times.

The theme of the shower was to bring stuff to fill my cupboards. People brought a variety of stuff - from spices (for the pantry), to soaps, shampoos, etc. (for the medicine chest/linen closet), to rum, whiskey, etc. (for the liquor cabinet). It was a neat theme - one that I never would have thought of!
Katie B.

Share your thoughts about this article with the editor. Just Click Here and tell us what's on your mind.

Do you have a time or money saving idea that wasn't included in this article? Please send it to tips@stretcher.com. We get the best ideas from our readers!

Faux or Real Fir?
Save on your Christmas tree with these suggestions

A Simple Christmas
Only one gift per child makes for a challenging holiday

Dueling Vices
When you and your spouse argue about spending on your bad habits

Homemade Gifts and Games from Old Photos
Creative ways to use old photographs

Setting an Example
Helping children to become wise caretakers of their money

Have you visited
The Dollar Stretcher Community
this week?

I Would like to:

• Read other articles on this topic
  
• See what else is in this issue
  
• Subscribe to "The Dollar Stretcher" free weekly email newsletter
  
• visit the Problem Solving Center
  
• visit the Reference Library
  
• browse the 'author' index
  
• search 'by date' index
  
• check out Past Issues of Newsletter
  
• go see 'What's New'
  
• "Can You Help This Reader?"
  
• drop by 'Tips, Quips & Quotes'
  
• send email to the Editor of "The Dollar Stretcher"