Plan Wedding Showers Like a Pro...

Many people choose a wedding shower theme to match the wedding theme. Themed weddings are becoming increasingly popular, especially medieval weddings, so if the bride is planning a medieval wedding you can imagine how much fun you could have with a medieval wedding shower theme.

But what if she isn't? Great news: it doesn't matter! Finding unique bridal shower themes is difficult enough without following arbitrary rules. No one ever said the shower and wedding themes had to match, and if the bride doesn't have a theme for her wedding, so much the better -- maybe you'll help her find one!

Medieval wedding shower ideas

When planning this most creative of unique bridal shower themes, you have a lot of creative freedom. However, there are some ideas that will help your wedding shower seem like a professionally planned event.

1. Invitations

Use calligraphy or a calligraphic font on your invitations. You might begin with the traditional Hear ye, Hear ye! for a classic touch. If you want guests to come in costume (always a fun touch), give them enough time to plan and purchase their outfit.

2. Gifts

Traditional medieval wedding showers involved guests bringing wooden kitchen utensils and tools for the bride and groom. Invite guests to do exactly that (they don't have to be wooden) as an extra gift for the bride.

3. Music

Check out some of the great wedding shower theme music you can find online. Check out iTunes and download movie soundtracks or modern takes on medieval songs, such as the Medieval Baebes or Loreena McKennit.

4. Food

If you're going for tradition, make everyone eat without modern-day utensils! Serve lots of fresh fruit and cheese, and thick soup or stew with crusty bread. You can serve drinks in goblets -- hit your local thrift store and you'll be surprised what you come up with. These can make great gifts for the bride, too.

5. Decorating

Decorating is easy for a medieval theme. You can go simple (lots of candles and flowers) or ornate (design banners or borrow tapestries to hang around the room). If you really want to go all out, use someone's unfinished basement to mimic a medieval castle.

6. Games and Entertainment

You can look up wedding shower ideas and give any modern game a medieval twist. Pin the Tail on the Donkey becomes Pin the Flag on the Castle. Alternatively, hire a court jester (clowns or jugglers, or even dancers) to put on a show.

7. Party favors

Again, easier than it sounds! Gold covered chocolate coins have a medieval feel. You can create scrolls thanking gifts for attending and tie them with ribbon and scatter a few coins around. Jars of homemade preserves or honey are also very fitting gifts.

Above all, have fun! A medieval shower is the perfect wedding shower theme for almost any bride.

Posted by Patti at 9:49 AM | Permalink

Arguably, wedding shower prizes are one of the most important parts of a bridal shower. Yes, we know it's all about the bride, and of course she should be the focus. But this is also a party, and the guests who attend will be looking forward to entertainment, food, and... prizes - just as much as they look forward to seeing the bride open her gifts.

With that in mind, prizes for your wedding shower games should be an important part of the planning process, not an afterthought. Here are some tips on how to choose your prizes as well as some suggestions for unique gift ideas.

1. Consider fitting prizes to the bridal shower theme. It's not necessary, but it is a nice touch. If you picked a simple theme, this won't be hard to do. On the other hand, if your theme is something more complicated, you may just have to pick nice gifts you think guests will enjoy -- and that's fine too.

2. Whatever your bridal shower theme, try to avoid cheap gifts like inexpensive soap and candles. Soap and candles are fine, but if you buy them at a discount store, they probably won't smell nice and will wind up in the trash.

3. Consider your audience. The age and gender of the guests makes a big difference when you're buying wedding shower prizes. Get prizes that will appeal to everyone in the crowd.

Specific wedding shower prizes and ideas

The above were just some basic suggestions for shopping guidelines -- now here are some unique ideas to help you shop.

1. Plants or flowers. You can't go wrong with a plant - almost everyone appreciates receiving a bouquet of flowers or a potted plant.

2. Good quality chocolates -- less is more, and most people would rather have 2 high quality candies than a box of discount store chocolate from last Christmas

3. Gift cards for movie theatres or local coffee shops. Just a few dollars on a gift card makes a great gift.

4. Journals or pen sets. Everyone needs a pad of paper and a pen.

5. Jewelry. You can find some beautiful and personal pieces of costume jewelry these days that won't break your budget.

Any of these make beautiful prizes for wedding shower games. Note that many of them are disposable or consumable items -- try not to add to guests' clutter with unwanted items. Have fun, and remember that wedding shower prizes are very important to the shower's success.

Posted by Patti at 9:40 AM | Permalink