Image by Katelyn MacMillan 

So your beloved friend is getting married and it’s time to throw a bridal shower.

On a scale of “not at all” to “it’s already done,” how ready are you to throw the most iconic bridal party of the year? If you’re thinking to yourself, “I could use a little inspiration,” you’re in the right place!    

Whether you’re the maid of honor or a family member of the bride to be, the idea of putting together an elaborate bridal shower to celebrate your friend can be daunting for a lot of people. Instead of getting caught up in the details, find the inspiration you need to create the perfect bridal shower!  

Every bride is unique, and that is part of what makes each wedding experience so special. The bridal shower is a perfect opportunity to commemorate the outstanding qualities of the bride while celebrating the wonderful marriage she has ahead of her. How coincidental that the occasion is referred to as a “bridal shower” since the main goal is to shower the bride with affection, gifts, and love, almost like it was titled that way for a reason, but I guess we will never know why… All jokes aside, it is an important milestone for any bride and a fun way to make her feel as special as possible in the days before her wedding. 

If you have found yourself in the position of bridal shower planner you may be wondering where to even begin. No worries, we’ve got you covered! In this article, we will be covering all things bridal showers and our advice on how to throw an unforgettable bridal shower in 2022!

Image by Elizabeth Wahab 

Why do we throw bridal showers in the first place? 

Before we get into the details of throwing a bridal bash, let’s brush up on their history to gain a better understanding of the tradition as a whole! 

Though it is difficult for historians to trace the direct birthplace of the tradition of bridal showers, many scholars believe them to be an extension of dowry practices. While in some cultures, the bride’s family provides the groom with a dowry or a significant gift, in others, the same is true in reverse. In Muslim countries for example, the dowry system is built on the practice of the groom and his family providing the bride and her family with a dowry to ensure her safety and financial security should the marriage not work out. With this historical understanding in mind, it is easy to see how a practice like this could have transformed into what we know as bridal showers over time. 

There is another point in history that can be linked to the establishment of modern bridal showers in the western world, that being practices of the end of the Victorian Era. High society women were known to host an array of events ranging from charity and auxiliary programs to social mixers and pre-marriage parties. To prepare friends for their new roles as wives, these women would host parties to connect over their shared experiences and pass on the knowledge they’ve gained in their own marriages, as well as to provide their newly engaged friends with small gifts to help them during their transition into marriage. 

Though there is no direct and linear linkage from these events to the bridal showers we attend today, it is likely that these things played a role in the development of bridal showers over the years. Having this perspective is not only interesting for people with a knack for trivia and history facts, but it can also help to provide guests and party planners alike clearer insight into what role bridal showers play in wedding planning! 

Now that the history lesson is out of the way, let’s explore five important things to keep in mind while planning the perfect bridal shower for your friend! 

Pick a theme that compliments the bride!

Hopefully, if you are planning the bridal shower you have a pretty close relationship to the bride and can have a great understanding of which themes compliment her likes and personality. If not, you can always use this as an opportunity to get to know her better and work on this part together! You may be thinking to yourself, “but the wedding already has a theme, isn’t that the same thing?” To that we say why not make the most out of the occasion and pick a new theme that makes the bridal shower all the more memorable! There are so many to browse and choose from, but there are definitely a few that are becoming more popular in 2022. Simply googling “bridal shower themes” will bring up thousands of results with tons of inspirational photos and ideas, but we have two suggestions that are guaranteed to make a statement this year! 

Image by Sincerely Media 

Outdoor Garden Party

With everything that has been going on in the last few years, it’s no coincidence that outdoor events have been on the rise. Not only does it allow for safer gathering of more people, but it also allows for a special and memorable connection to the natural elements. Why not opt for a bridal shower in a luscious garden filled with fragrant flowers? Not only does it establish a stress-free environment, but it also acts as an Instagram-able backdrop to the special day! Sip some tea, snack on finger sandwiches, and enjoy the general splendor of life and love at an outdoor garden or tea party! This theme is all things natural and dainty which compliments so many different wedding themes making it a great option for 2022! 

Pajama Party

Maybe the bride is a spontaneous free-spirit, perhaps a unique theme to match that energy is a bridal shower slumber party! Guests may not have to spend the night, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have fun dressing down in their favorite pj’s, sharing their favorite late night snacks, and playing fun games while celebrating the bride! This is great for keeping things down-to-earth while still making memories that last! 

Image by Ricardo Moura

Get the right invitations!

Turns out, wedding invitations are the only invitations that go out once a wedding date is set. People also tend to receive an invitation to bridal showers prior to the day of the ceremony with event details and more. Just like wedding invitations, bridal shower invitations are a great way to communicate the theme and tone of the bridal shower to guests and attendees. Any stylistic choices will contribute to the overall shower theme, so it can be a pretty important component to the event. There are a number of ways to get the right invitations, so here are our top three suggestions for sending out bridal shower invitations in 2022:

Image by Theme Photos

DIY invitations with Canva!

If you are a fan of DIY projects, this is the perfect option for you! Maybe you are struggling to find invitations that fit your bridal shower’s theme, or maybe you just want each and every detail to be perfect, taking things into your own hands can be a cost effective and practical solution! Canva makes this so easy to accomplish, and the best part is you don’t even have to be particularly skilled in graphic design! There are a lot of free templates available on Canva for invitations and they are also completely customizable, too! So, find a general template you like and customize the colors, fonts, and more to meet your needs and you’re all set! You can download your creations and upload them to printing services to have them professionally printed, or you can even print out your projects yourself! 

Image by John Schnobrich 

Save time and stress and order templates online!

If you don’t consider yourself particularly design savvy or you don’t want to deal with the hassle of designing the invitations yourself, don’t! There are so many invitation templates available online, odds are you will be able to find the perfect one at a reasonable price easily! Sites like Zazzle and Etsy are filled with templates so don’t be afraid to save yourself some time and stress while planning the bridal shower!  

Image by Julie Kosolapova

Opt for paperless invitations! 

These days, dealing with the clutter of paper mail can be more trouble than it is worth, especially since there are other methods to sending out invitations to guests! Now, it is easier than ever to send digital invitations! Using programs like Paperless Post, you can create an invitation via their selection of bridal shower invitation templates and get invitations to guests instantly! The other benefit to choosing paperless invitations versus traditional one’s is that you have much better access to the invitations themselves. You can see which one’s have been opened by whom and you can even have guests RSVP online with all of the RSVPs in one place, making bridal shower planning a piece of cake! 

Make sure you have fun party favors for guests! 

While the bride is the center of attention for the bridal shower, it is still nice to show some appreciation to the guests that went out of their way to be a part of the special day. Bridal shower party favors don’t have to be overly extravagant or expensive, even the simplest of gifts can make the difference for guests in attendance! While you have the ability to customize every detail of the bridal shower to the fullest extent, it can be hard to come up with fun and creative ideas on your own. There are a vast variety of resources to scour for inspiration with Pinterest being one of the easiest to access! Before you start organizing your own bridal shower board, here our two adorable and simple favors for a bridal shower in 2022!

Image by K8 

Tasty Tea!

A really cost efficient and cute gift for bridal shower guests is an assortment of teas to try later on! Having a variety can be a fun way for guests to take home part of their experience and savor it over a steaming cup of what may be their new favorite tea flavor! 

Image by Annie Spratt

Tiny Plants!

What is more adorable than sending guests home with a new little friend! Of course, you can choose any type of plant you’d like to offer as a gift, but succulents or cacti are the perfect choice for events like this for a number of reasons! Firstly, because there are so many varieties to choose from that everyone is bound to find something they like. Also, succulents and (most) cacti are some of the easiest plants to care for, making it a great gift even for guests who don’t have a green thumb! 

Image by Casey Chae  

Games and activities

One of the most important parts of planning a bridal shower is making sure the bride is happy and cared for while also making sure guests are thoroughly entertained. This is usually accomplished by ensuring tasty food and drink and planning games and activities for everyone to do together. While most bridal showers involve some sort of trivia game, usually about the bride herself, there are so many other activities out there that may be even more fun to try! If you’re looking for inspiration, be sure to check out Bride’s list of 28 Bridal Shower Game Ideas!

Image by Amanda Vick

Try Something New (Virtually)!

If you’re still not quite satisfied with the activities planned for the bridal shower, why not go out on a limb and try something new? In the age of social media, access to everything is so much easier! Nowadays it takes hardly any effort at all to create an array of fun virtual content for guests to enjoy. Perhaps a memorable custom bridal shower Instagram filter for guests to capture their memories with or you can even start a new trend and make a Tik Tok! Learn a fun little dance for everyone, make up a funny skit, or just capture the magic of the moment to share with others! 

Image by Khloe Arledge 

Finally, don’t forget about the food!

When planning any event, making sure there is great food (and enough of it) is super important! The menu should match the theme and occasion and still have enough variety that all guests can find something to enjoy. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, but it’s definitely not impossible! Plus, as a high-end catering service we have the insider scoop for providing food that elevates the entire experience! 

The first piece of advice we can offer is to have plenty of filler food. Assorted nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, chips, cheese, crackers, and deli meats can be an asset for an event like a bridal shower. Even if you are planning a specific meal, providing finger foods for guests to snack on is a great way to create an engaging and comfortable atmosphere which will ultimately help guests unwind and create unforgettable memories together!

We also recommend having a hearty helping of hors d’oeuvres to act as conversation starts and tasty treats for guests to enjoy throughout the event!

If the idea of planning a menu for the bridal shower is daunting, remember that you don’t have to do it alone! You can easily find the right caterer for your event online, or you can even reach out to Table & Thyme to see what catering options we provide! With our one of a kind grazing tables, any event can be brought to the next level of excellence, so be sure to check out some of our work on our blog or our grazing table gallery! 

While this isn’t a comprehensive planning guide for throwing the most elaborate bridal shower, it is a collection of useful tips and things to remember for hosting an unforgettable bridal shower in 2022. We hope you enjoyed this article and, if you did, we would love to hear from you and connect on social media through the links below! Be sure to stay up to date with Table & Thyme by visiting our blog and other outlets often and if you are planning a bridal shower in 2022, we hope it is a blast! 

For more information on Table and Thyme, contact them today! Follow us on our social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest to see the other amazing events, lavishing grazing tables and beautiful graze boxes we have created.