Plan Wedding Showers Like a Pro...

What bridal shower food to serve at the party.

If there's one thing that's sure to be found at every bridal shower party, it's bridal shower food. The question is, which bridal shower food to serve? Do you serve a full-blown meal or just finger foods? Do you have a dessert buffet or will one cake do?

I'm Patti the Perfect Party Planner and I'm here to tell you exactly what bridal shower food you're going to want to serve at your party.

It All Depends on the Party

What bridal shower food you serve will largely depend on the type of party you're throwing and the time of day the party is being held.

If you're throwing the bridal shower at a ritzy restaurant at dinnertime, of course dinner is going to be expected. However, if you're throwing the party at your home in between lunch and dinner, finger foods should do just fine.

When Dinner Is Called For

If you are throwing a party and the time of day calls for dinner or lunch, chicken dishes are usually inexpensive and easy bridal shower food dishes to prepare. However, it's always a good idea to give the guests a choice from at least two main courses.

Fun Finger Foods

If finger foods are enough to suffice, try mixing it up. Finger sandwiches are a given. Almost every bridal shower party that serves bridal shower food has finger sandwiches.

Try to liven it up by serving sushi or other exotic delicacies. The more unique the bridal shower food menu, the more memorable the party will be.

Dessert

Cake is a must – there's no two ways around it. However, try having a dessert table in addition to the bridal shower cake. Having an array of sweets in your bridal shower food lineup is sure to impress those with a sweet tooth.

No matter what bridal shower food you serve at your wedding, as long as there's a variety of choices to suite everyone's varying tastes, the menu should be a hit.

Posted by Patti at 8:11 AM | Permalink

Two great bridal shower cakes to bring to the party.

One of the best parts of bridal showers is the bridal shower cakes. From themed to decorative, bridal shower cakes really do run the gambit. When throwing a bridal shower, it can be hard to decide what type of cake to serve at the party.

If you're looking for the perfect bridal shower cake idea you've come to the right place. Patti the Perfect Party Planner is here with two great bridal shower cakes for you to bring to the party -- one edible and one not!

Bridal Shower Cakes Number 1 -- Bridal Shower White Cake

White cake has always been easy to make and is a favorite among those who are making their bridal shower cakes on their own. For this cake you'll need:

3/4 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 cups sifted cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 egg whites

To create this bridal shower cake you'll first need to grease two 8-inch round cake pans and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Then mix butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Sift the flower with baking powder and salt and add to the butter and sugar mixture along with milk. Stir in the vanilla.

In a large glass mixing bowl beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter. Then quickly fold in the remaining egg whites until thoroughly mixed. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans.

Bake for 25 minutes and then cover with white butter icing.

White cakes always make great bridal shower cakes and this one is sure to be enjoyed by your guests!

Bridal Shower Cakes Number 2 -- Bridal Shower Towel Cake

When it comes to bridal shower cakes, this one isn't edible but it sure does make a cute gift. Every bride needs towels and white towels go with every bathroom.

Buy one bath towel and roll it so that it looks like the bottom layer of a wedding cake. Then buy two hand towels and roll them the same way, tying them together with a ribbon. Place them on top of the rolled bath towel so it now looks like you have two layers of a wedding cake.

Buy five wash cloths and roll them the same way you rolled the other towels, tying them together with a ribbon and placing them on top of the rolled hand towels. Now you have a three-layer wedding cake that isn't edible, but sure looks cute and is very practical.

Who says bridal shower cakes have to be complicated? With these two bridal shower cakes, you'll have fun putting them together and both are sure to bring a smile to everyone's faces.

Posted by Patti at 6:18 PM | Permalink

What's appropriate and what's not when it comes to sending out the wedding shower invitation.

So you're sending out the wedding shower invitations and you're not sure what's appropriate and what's not? Worry not! Patti the perfect party planner is here to give you the low-down on wedding shower invitation etiquette.

Proper British English

First, when writing your wedding shower invitation, it is important to note that the invitation should be written using proper British English. Words change. Honor becomes honour and favor becomes favour. If you want the wedding shower invitation done right, check the wording.

Location, Location, Location

Okay, you're wedding invitation could be perfect but if you mistype the location or, worse yet, leave it off entirely, you're going to have a big problem on your hands. When proofreading your invitation make sure that the name of the location as well as the address is listed on the wedding shower invitation.

Time and Date

Just as important as the location, when it comes to your wedding shower invitation you had better make sure you get the time and date right. If you don't people are going to be showing up early, late, or not showing up at all!

Anyone Up For a Themed Party?

If you're throwing a themed party, the wedding shower invitation is the place to let people know. Whether they need to come in costume or bring a special gift, the wedding shower invitation should list any themes planned for the wedding shower.

RSVP or Regrets Only?

When writing the wedding shower invitation, make sure you mention whether guests should RSVP or contact you with regrets only.

RSVP means that whether or not they can attend, guests will let you know either way. Regrets only means that the only guests who will be contacting you will be the guests who aren't attending.

I suggest using the RSVP option on your wedding shower invitation. That way, if you don't hear from someone on your invite list you can contact them asking if they are attending or not.

If you have regrets only on the wedding shower invitation, you might assume that there are 20 people showing up when in actuality there are only 10.

Not Just an Invitation

By following these guidelines, the wedding shower invitation will not just be an important step in the wedding shower process, but will also be a tool that lets you know how to plan for the wedding shower.

Posted by Patti at 1:06 PM | Permalink

Which wedding flowers are right for your wedding?

If there's one thing that every single wedding has, it's wedding flowers. Wedding flowers run the gambit -- from bouquets to boutonnieres, it can be an overwhelming process deciding which wedding flowers to have at your wedding.

I'm Patti the Perfect Party Planner and if there's one thing I know, it's wedding flowers. I love floral arrangements and the only thing I love more than floral arrangements is bouquets. If you've been fretting over the wedding flowers for your wedding, take a deep breath and relax.

I'm going to go over wedding flower basics with you so you'll be prepared to make the all decisions up ahead for your wedding flowers.

First Decision

The first decision you need to make is whether you're going to prepare the bridal bouquet and other wedding flowers yourself or if you're going to enlist the help of a pro. In my opinion, if you can at all afford it, hire a professional florist for the wedding.

Most florists will be able to work within any budget and letting them worry about the details of your wedding flowers will allow you time to manage other, more important aspects of the big day.

Look For Ideas

Once you have decided whether you're going to be hiring a professional to prepare your wedding flowers or whether you're going to go it alone, you need to decide what type of flowers you want and how you want your wedding flowers to look.

My advice is to buy as many bridal magazines as you can and look through the pictures. Clip out the wedding flowers that you like and glue them to a poster board, keeping in mind that the wedding flowers should coordinate with the wedding colors.

Once you have finished clipping and pasting, review the flowers you chose and pick out the ones that you like best.

Making a List, Checking It Twice

Now that you know what type of wedding flowers you want, it's time to sit down and make a list of every single wedding flower need. This means counting out how many boutonnieres you'll be needing, how many table arrangements, bridesmaids bouquets and of course, don't forget the bridal bouquet.

Go Shopping

Once your list is prepared, you'll either need to go shopping for the wedding flowers yourself or you'll need to hire a florist.

If you're preparing the wedding flowers yourself, wait until the day before the wedding to purchase the flowers or the petals may begin to wilt on the day of the wedding.

If you're going to be working with a professional florist, shop around. See who in your area is offering what and compare rates. Make sure they understand your wedding flower needs and that your personalities click. The last thing you want is to be working with someone you can't get along with on something as important as your wedding flowers.

Posted by Patti at 8:30 AM | Permalink

Stand apart from the crowd and show your creativity with these unique bridal shower gifts.

Unique bridal shower gifts are always fun to give, but they're not always so easy to come up with. That's why Patti the Perfect Party Planner is going to tell you how to give unique bridal shower gifts that any bride-to-be is sure to love.

Unique Bridal Shower Gifts #1 -- Wedding Countdown Clocks

Wedding countdown clocks make great unique bridal shower gifts and are available online and at a number of bridal shops.

The wedding countdown clock is a digital clock that counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the bride's big day. When the day arrives the display will begin to flash and continues flashing for 24 hours.

Most wedding countdown clocks will begin to function like normal clocks after the day of the wedding, making it a practical gift in addition to being fun.

Unique Bridal Shower Gifts #2 -- Autograph Gifts

Autograph gifts are great unique bridal shower gifts too whether it be an autograph plate or a stuffed autograph bear. After the bride-to-be opens presents, she can have everyone at the bridal shower sign yours so she will have a keepsake of everyone who was there.

Unique Bridal Shower Gifts #3 -- Honey Do Whistle

A honey-do whistle makes a great gag gift. Buy a large silver whistle and decorate it with ribbons and lace. Attach a card with clear instructions that each time the bride-to-be has a honey-do list for her future husband, all she needs to do is blow the whistle and wait for him to come running.

Unique Bridal Shower Gifts #4 -- Honeymoon Gift Baskets

Put together a gift basket for the bride to take with her on her honeymoon. If she's going somewhere sunny, include items like suntan lotion and sunglasses. If she's going somewhere cold give her some ski gloves and a scarf.

While unique bridal shower gifts may take some forethought and creativity, the smile they bring to brides' faces is well worth the time, money and effort.

Posted by Patti at 10:04 AM | Permalink

The most popular good games for bridal showers.

If you're throwing a bridal shower, you're probably looking for some good games for bridal showers. Coming up with good games for bridal showers can be a fun and rewarding task.

I love bridal shower games and I'm outlining some of the most popular good games for bridal showers for you to get you started.

Good Games for Bridal Showers #1 -- The Alphabet Game

In this game, the host starts a sentence using the letter "A" to describe a wedding tradition or an item. For example, she can say she went to the store and bought an album for the wedding.

The next guest then repeats the sentence and adds another item at the end of the sentence but this time they use the letter B. Each guest takes a turn using the next letter of the alphabet.

Anyone who is unable to add to the list using the letter given to them is out of the game. The person who stays in the longest wins the game!

Good Games for Bridal Showers #2 -- Bridal Shower Trivia

Bridal shower trivia is another one of the good games for bridal showers. To prepare for this game, you'll prepare trivia questions about the bride such as what year the bride graduated from school, what her favorite food is, etc.

During the game, the guests then try to answer as many questions correctly as they can. The guest to answer the most questions correctly wins the game.

Good Games for Bridal Showers #3 -- Bridal Scramble

For this game you'll want to prepare twenty words that have something to do with weddings (church, bells, cake, dress, etc.). Scramble the words and give everyone five minutes to unscramble them. The person to unscramble the most words during the five minutes wins the game.

Good Games for Bridal Showers #4 -- Pin the Bouquet on the Bride

No list of popular bridal shower games would be complete without Pin the Bouquet on the Bride. To play this game, have each of the bridal shower guests draw a bridal bouquet on a piece of paper and put a picture of a bride on the wall.

When everyone has drawn their bouquets, blindfold the guests one at a time and have them try to tape their bouquet as close to the bride's hands as possible. The guest who gets the bouquet closest to the correct position wins the game!

These good games for bridal showers are sure to be a hit and will break the ice, will keep your guests entertained and will create memories to last a lifetime.

Posted by Patti at 9:47 PM | Permalink

Three bridal shower themes that can really liven up a party.

So you're throwing a bridal shower party and you know you want it to be themed, but you're having a hard time coming up with good bridal shower themes? Once again, Patti the Perfect Party Planner is to the rescue with three great bridal shower themes that can really liven up a party!

Bridal Shower Themes Number 1 -- Firsts Party Theme

The first year of marriage, the newlyweds will be encountering a lot of firsts. Their first time shopping together as a married couple, their first time cooking together, their first time traveling together, etc.

The theme of this shower is to get the bride-to-be prepared for all of her and her soon-to-be husband's firsts. At this party, each guest brings a gift to help the couple through some of their “firsts”. For example, for their first Christmas someone might bring an artificial Christmas tree as a gift or a wreath, Christmas ornaments, etc.

To decorate for the First Party Theme, you would put pictures representing the first things couples do. For example, a magazine cut-out of a baby could represent a first child and a picture of two people cooking together could represent a first meal.

Bridal Shower Themes Number 2 -- Hours of the Day

With this bridal shower theme, guests are each assigned a different hour of the day and they purchase gifts based on the hour of the day that they were assigned.

For example, if a guest is assigned 10:00 p.m., they might want to buy bed sheets or pillows as gifts. If they're assigned 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., they might want to give pots and pans to cook dinner in.

To decorate for the Hours of the Day Theme, you could tape pictures of big clocks throughout the party room and instead of numbers, have the names of the people who were assigned those hours on the clock.

Not only is an Hours of the Day bridal shower fun, it also helps prepare the soon-to-be newlyweds for their life together.

Bridal Shower Themes Number 3 -- Alphabet Theme

The Alphabet Theme is probably the simplest of all bridal shower themes. In each guest's invitation, assign them a letter and let them know that the gift they purchase must start with the letter they were assigned. For example, if you were assigned a “P”, you could buy pots and pans.

To decorate for the Alphabet Theme, tape the letters of the alphabet all over the room and have a letter-shaped cake for dessert.

While these bridal shower themes are great to start with, the best part about bridal shower themes is using your imagination. Take these bridal shower themes and run with them and see what other ideas you can add to them!

Posted by Patti at 4:10 PM | Permalink

When to send the bridal shower thank you card and what to say.

Wherever there's a bridal shower, a bridal shower thank you card is close to follow. Manners are so important and sending out a bridal shower thank you card to all of your guests is good manners.

The question is, when do you send the bridal shower thank you cards out and what do you say in them?

I'm Patti the Perfect Party Planner and I've been sending out bridal shower thank you cards for more years than I care to admit. If you need to know when to send them and what to say, you sure did come to the right place!

When to Send Them

There's an ages-old saying that says timing is everything. The timing of your bridal shower thank you card is no different. It's important to send your bridal shower thank you cards as quickly as possible.

Ideally, each bridal shower thank you card should be sent within four days of the end of the bridal shower.

What to Say

What to say is just as important as when to send you bridal shower thank you card. When writing the bridal shower thank you card, name the person it is being addressed to rather than just writing a generic heading.

Also make sure that you list the gifts they gave you in the bridal shower thank you card. For example, if Aunt Jenny gave you a crystal cake tray, your bridal shower thank you card should read something like this:

Dear Aunt Jenny,

Thank you so much for the stunning crystal cake tray. It is just perfect and I am sure I will be getting lots of use from it. Thanks again for all of your thoughtfulness,

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

What If You Don't Like the Gift?

A bridal shower thank you note lets guests know how much you appreciate the care and thought they put into your present. Even if you don't like the gift, it's important to show your appreciation of the thought that went into the gift.

While it may only take a moment to write, a bridal shower thank you note will mean a lot to those who spent time and money on your gifts.

Posted by Patti at 2:17 PM | Permalink