Bridal showers used to be very traditional gatherings thrown in by someone outside the bride’s immediate family to celebrate her life. Showers somewhat prepare the bride for the more different chapter in her life and the important roles she’s going to undertake, as a mother and as a wife. All the bride’s close friends and family members are invited to get together and take part in this festivity.

Bridal showers have become fun theme parties with trendy shower ideas that make the event more personal and memorable for the bride-to-be. Let her know just how much you appreciate her by following these useful party ideas in organizing a bridal shower.

To turn an ordinary event into a special one, do a little party planning ahead of time. Look for a host that would best suit the theme party. This can be a close friend, relative, co-worker, one of the bridesmaids or the maid of honor. Set the date for the shower at least a month before the wedding. You can consult with the bride, unless you want it to be a surprise for her.

Choose a party venue depending on the budget and the number of guests expected. You can consider holding it in a restaurant, a garden, a hotel room, or somebody else’s home. Use party decorations depending on the theme. For a Hawaiian luau bridal shower, use tropical decorations. For tea parties, then you can go for more fancy and lacy items. Floral arrangements add a feminine touch to any location. To keep the party spirits up, bring in some colorful balloons.

Ideal food for bridal showers are appetizers, finger foods with dips, soups, and pastries. Plan a buffet menu that consists of light food recipes for the guests. A pretty cake would look best as the centerpiece. Bridal shower cakes are also done according to the party theme or sometimes in coordination with the wedding colors and motifs. To make the cake more personalized, remember some of the bride’s favorite hobbies and use these as creative cake designs. Bridal towel cakes, made of rolled bath and hand towels or washcloths with beauty items tucked inside, make for memorable gifts and decoration.

Bridal showers are not complete without shower games. Bridal shower games keep the party atmosphere up and are great opportunities for the guests to interact. There are plenty of classic bridal shower games to choose from and you’ll never run out of fun and wonderful ideas that the bride and everyone else would surely enjoy. You can quiz the bride and put her in a hot seat asking how well she knows the groom.

Make the guests prepare short speeches that best describe the bride-to-be and how they would always remember her. You can also have the guests write well-wishes and advices for the soon-to-be-married couple so that they will always be reminded of their love and good fortune.

For gift suggestions, pick presents that are truly meant for the bride. Normally, stuffy wedding gifts, like home appliance and baby stuff, are given to the bride. This time, give her a creative gift or something that would remind her of her passage into womanhood. Such gift ideas are newlywed cookbooks, gift certificates for a romantic dinner, travel accessories for their honeymoon, sexy lingerie, or gift baskets.