bridal shower 101

Over the holidays, I had the pleasure of hosting a bridal shower for one of my very best friends. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed planning, preparing, creating and decorating for this event! It was so much fun! First, the invites (here), then the menu, drinks, games, party favors, music and decorations!

 

Now this wasn't our first rodeo at the Olson household, but I believe that with each shower hosted, we've gotten a little better. This is mostly thanks to my mom, my sister and my wonderful friends for helping, because let's face it, bridal showers are A LOT of work!

This time around we tried a champagne punch as the feature cocktail and it was a great success. We tried this recipe, and not only did it taste delicious, but it looked great too! Thanks to my wonderful sister who kept the drinks and music flowing throughout the evening, keeping everyone happy. 

As for party favors we decided on mini bottles of champagne (here), infused chocolate bars from one of my favorite chocolate shops in Madison, DB Infusion Chocolates, as well as a special piece of handmade jewelry for each guest. 

Since the shower I have found so many great DIY party favor ideas on Pintrest, you can check them all out here, under Amazing DIY's. Party favors are always my favorite part of party planning, although they generally take the most time, I love giving everyone a little reminder of the bride and her special day.

It was difficult to choose between all of the fun games out there for bridal showers, but we landed on a few good ones: bridal shower mad libs (here), wedding pictionary (word list here), and Ask the Groom (here). One of the best suggestions I got for games was to video or tape record the groom's answers to the questions for everyone to watch or listen to at the shower; it really makes for a special touch.

The decorations were another one of my favorite parts to the shower prep! Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers so I started there, and then used the colors from my moms china to tie everything together. Since the shower was at night, I used tons of candles to create a very elegant atmosphere. My parent's lovely dinning room and fire place help to set the mood perfectly! 

The best part was definitely seeing all of my friends and the bride to be having such a great time! I was really honored to be able to host such a fun night for my friend; all the creativity and planning was just an added bonus!

I can't post this without giving a special THANK YOU to my mom and my sister for all of their help; couldn't have done it with out you two!

Hope you find some helpful tips here for your next event! Oh, and Cheers to Ashley & Jason!

xoxo, Chelsea