If travel is a passion or favorite hobby of the bride-to-be, or if she’s planning a destination wedding to tie the knot, then a geographically themed bridal shower is a perfect way to reflect the air of wanderlust that’s captured her soul.
Whether she likes camping or the downtown metropolis scene, plan her bridal shower around a destination that is close to her heart and will be remembered for years to come. Here are five steps to help you plan an enchanting, location-based bridal shower.
1. Choose a Destination
If there’s a specific place you know the bride loves, whether it’s Paris, London or New Orleans, you can center the perfect bridal shower for her around the theme of that destination city. You can also make her shower feel like a getaway, even though it’s right in town.
2. Find the Best Location
A great venue for a geographically themed bridal shower is a restaurant in the destination city you have chosen. It could be a Parisian-style cafe, an Irish pub or an Italian fine dining restaurant. Another option is a hotel that can cater to your theme; after all, visiting a hotel feels like a getaway in and of itself. To that end, you can really step up your game by selecting a hotel with spa services to treat the bride.
Or, if you’re going for an island or cantina theme during the summer, plan the bridal shower at a hotel that lets you reserve the pool. In the meantime, if your destination theme is London or Paris, host an afternoon tea or coffee at a hotel with a private room or lounge. Or, to reflect a more party-oriented destination, you might choose a bar as your venue.
3. Create Invitations
The next step is to create the bridal shower invitations, which you’ll want to send out at least four to six weeks in advance. Make them in keeping with your geographic theme by getting creative invitation cards made for you. It’s a good idea to get cards that are similar to the wedding invitations so that the bridal shower and wedding invitees mentally put the two events together.
4. Decide on Decorations and Centerpieces
Next, it’s time to check out Pinterest and get some Martha Stewart-worthy decoration ideas. This aspect gives guests (and the bride) their first impression of the event, and it should make the travel theme jump out at them. To reflect the theme, you might choose decor like airplanes or vintage suitcases. But to really “bring” guests to a specific location, choose items that best represent it, such as Mardi Gras beads or an Eiffel Tower centerpiece.
5. Plan a Menu
If your bridal shower will be at a restaurant, speak with the manager about creating a budget-friendly menu. Brunch and lunch will work best for you to get good per-person reservation prices at restaurants, as these are typically off-peak times of the day. No matter what meal you’re planning, make sure it keeps with the theme, i.e. bring out the tacos to your pool-side cantina party.
Best Bridal Shower Ideas
When you’re planning a bridal shower around a theme that speaks straight to the bride’s heart, you want every aspect of her shower to reflect it. From the invitations to the hors d’oeuvres and decor, she’ll have the time of her life being transported to her favorite place before her big day!