Theme showers become parties

A typical bridal shower can be transformed from a gab fest into the party of the year.

SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

A bridal shower is the opportunity for family and friends to “shower” the bride with their affection, good wishes, and, of course, gifts. From the theme to the games, the little details will take your party from a typical gab fest to the party of the year.

Choosing a creative bridal shower theme can make the party. The couple that already has everything might appreciate a charity shower, where guests bring a donation to benefit the couple’s favorite nonprofit. Or add a little spice with a cocktail-themed shower. Hire a local bartender — whether from your favorite bar or a bartending school — to show the guests how to make some fun cocktails. You can even try out some signature concoctions to serve at the wedding.

A honeymoon-themed shower offers many party possibilities. Play up the couple’s chosen honeymoon locale: Use maps of the destination for place mats, serve food indigenous to that region, or have passport holders as favors. Guests can give the bride a gift certificate for a romantic dinner or provide her with beautiful lingerie for the vacation.

Cliché-free Games

Skip the typical toilet paper bride game and surprise guests with a fun alternative. Pump up the energy in the room with Bridal Pictionary. Divide the group into two teams. In a bowl, place slips of paper that have different wedding-related sayings on them: tossing the bouquet, going to the chapel, always a bridesmaid.

For a more sentimental option, have each person write down her favorite memory of the bride, then ask the guests to guess who wrote the memory. Things can get silly and carried away depending on the group of friends, and how adventurous the bride was in her youth!

If you’re looking to add a modern twist, try an activity shower. Hire a chef to teach everyone how to create the bride’s favorite meal, or hire a florist to teach flower arranging basics (which can double as favors).

Another growing trend? The couple’s shower, aka the “Jack and Jill” shower, with a coed guest list. Think of this more as a cocktail party for the couple. Even more popular is the destination girls’ weekend at a luxurious spa or a vineyard in Sonoma.