If you would like to print your own bridal shower invitations, visit our stationery section. We offer affordable, easy to print stationery & envelope seals. If you have any questions please email us.

For inexpensive shower favors be sure to check out our personalized favor magnets. Best of all if you have a picture to match a theme we can use that also.

SHOWER GAMES

COUPLES TRIVIA (Thanks to Diane D. of Irving, TX)

COST: This game will cost you anywhere from $2.00 - $5.00 (for the cost of paper, pen and bubble gum)

Compose questions that have to do with groom’s past to see how much she really knows him. Some questions have a one word answer. Some questions are multiple choice. On the multiple choice questions, give them a life line (like in the millionaire game) and that way it involves the audience. For every question the bride to be gets wrong (and you compose it so that they will get most of them wrong), the bride is given bubble gum. Have a towel ready. 20 questions in all. Everyone was laughing and it was a great game for couples.

WHO KEEPS THE CENTERPIECE?

COST: This game will cost you anywhere from $3.00 (the cost of a bag of balloons) plus the cost of your centerpieces (depending on what you decide to spend on them)

Details: Decorate each table with a balloon filled either with helium (preferred so it floats) or use small balloons just blown up. Inside each balloon before blowing them up place pieces of small paper. Each table will only have 1 winner. So for example say there are 10 people per table, 9 of those pieces of paper will say "SORRY", only 1 will say "WINNER"!.

During the opening of the gifts, starting from the 1st gift, each person passes their balloon to the right of them to the next person at their table. When the 2nd gift is opened, they pass that balloon on in the same order. At the end of the gift opening the balloon they are holding they pop to retrieve the little piece of paper inside. If their paper says "WINNER", they take home the centerpiece, if they receive a paper that says "SORRY" they haven't won. This is a great way to keep people talking and an even better way to capture funny pictures as they try to pop the balloons. If you want for added enjoyment you can have them pop their balloons 1 table at a time to capture the funny moments on camera!

THE BRIDAL BOOK GAME?

COST: Paper, computer ink, ribbon. The cost of the winning prizes you give away.

Print the Bride and Groom's Names and Wedding Date on the front cover of the book.

Page 1: This page will read "This game is really easy and we hope that you have fun, no one can tell who the winner will be until the game is done".

Page 2: Each page of rhymes will tell you exactly what to do. They will lead you to the winner, perhaps it will be you.

Page 3: Roses are red, violets are blue. Now please pass this book to the person who is just left of you.

Page 4: (Bride's Name) and (Groom's name) are counting down to their special day. We're all excited for them, it's not really that far away. Now pass this book on to the person with the most recent birthday.

Page 5: The bride is still preparing, for there are still things left to do. Now please pass this book to the lady with the eyes of brightest blue. But if there are no blue eyes to be completely fair you must give this book to the person who has the longest hair.

Page 6: We hope you all are having fun with the rhymes in every verse. Now please pass this book on to the person who has the smallest purse.

Page 7: Wedding bells will be ring real soon, and "I do's" we'll hear them say. Now please pass this book to the lady with the longest dress today.

Page 8: There are many binds in marriage; faith and love are the strongest. Now please pass this on to the person who has been married the longest.

Page 9: (Street) in (City) is where they will reside. Now please pass this book to the lady who is the newest bride.

Page 10: Family and friends come here today from places near and far. Now please pass this book on to the person who came furthest in their car.

Page 11: This game is nearly over and it's been fun, we think. Now please pass this book on to the person with nails of brightest pink!

Page 12: (Bride's Name) will be a gorgeous bride and (Groom's Name) will look good too! The winner of the centerpiece is the guest to the right of you! Please pass this book on.

Additional Ideas: Be creative, you can use clip art to decorate the pages. (there is plenty of royalty free clip art on the internet). You can take a hole punch and punch a few holes through the pages and thread ribbon through it to make it a memorable keepsake book for the future bride. You can print the pages on paper that matches the color theme of the bridal shower or wedding party dresses. Insert little known facts at the bottom of the pages: example: future bride's b-day, future groom's b-day, date they met, date they were engaged, date of the wedding, # in wedding party, honeymoon destination, etc.. You can add a 2nd twist to the game for 2 prize winners by collecting the book, then asking questions to the little known facts that were at the bottom of the pages. See who can remember the most & the winner of the most correct answers wins a prize. As a tie breaker put a number on the last page .... The bride can then keep this book to add to her shower memories.

WHO SHARES MY SPECIAL DATE? .... (Thanks to Billy, W. VA)

COST: This will vary depending on the prize you want to give out. For ideas, use a votive candle holder, a frame, etc.

Details: As each guest arrives designate a person to go around & ask each guest for the date of their anniversary, or if they are not married, their birth date. DO NOT TELL THEM WHY THEY ARE DOING THIS! The designated person will write each guests date down on the same notepad. After everyone has given their date, they should be compared to find out who shares the same date as the Bride & Groom. If nobody shares the same exact date, the closest date to the Bride & Groom's wedding date is the winner. Announce the winner any time during the shower. It is recommended by our submitted reader that this should be announced sometime in the middle of the shower due to the fact that some guests don't stay the full extent of the shower for one reason or another.

PLAYDOUGH PENIS BRIDAL SHOWER GAME?

(Thanks to Casandra Zillinger, HI)

Supplies needed: Playdough - can be purchased at a local dollar store to keep the cost down.

Details: As each guest arrives hand them a cookie dough size amount of Playdough. Tell them that they have to make a man's penis out of it. The sculptures are then put in the center of each of the table's where the bride-to-be will walk around and pick the best one. After the best is picked from each table, they are put together and the bride-to-be picks out the final winner! This person wins a prize!

WHAT'S IN THAT PURSE?

Details: This is a fun shower game that gets everyone involved. Each person gets out their purse. The bride is given a list of possible items that each lady may have in her purse. The Bride randomly chooses items off the list, such as a mirror, lipstick, nail file, etc.. You may start out with common items and make it a little more exciting and crazy by adding things to the brides list to call out like sewing kits, alarm clocks, toothbrushes, dental floss, etc. As each item is called, the first lady to show that it was in her purse gets a prize. (If you have younger girls at the shower now is a good time to get them involved in the reading of items, or passing out of the gifts). It's a fun game & will get everyone laughing when you see the amazing things ladies carry in their purse!

Here's a game my best friend did for me at my bridal shower.... It's called Who now's the bride to be best. She passed out a list of questions that were all about me. Example how many tattoo's does the bride to be have? What is her favorite color, Ect... The person who get's the most answered right gets a price.

WHO REALLY KNOWS THE BRIDE?

(Thanks to Michele T.)

Details: Have the hostess sit down with the bride and write down around 25 questions about her. There will only be one master sheet with the answers that nobody will see. You can personalize this sheet by writing

Etc ... up to 25 questions. (the questions can be as funny as you want. They can also be as racy as you want depending on the guests and the bride-to-be's preference)

NAME THAT FLAVOR? ..... (Thanks to Kaven in Elizabethville)

Details: This is a fun shower game that gets everyone involved because most everyone will eat a slice of cake. Each person gets a slice of cake or a cupcake (whichever you choose to give out for desert). Provide each guest with a piece of paper and pen. Tell them to write down the flavor of the cake, filling flavor, icing flavor, etc. Be sure to write down the flavors of the ingredients beforehand as well as a tie breaker # in the event more than one person guesses correctly. The tie breaker # could be the age of the bride and groom combined ... this will be your winner!

NAME THAT SPICE?

(Thanks to Helen in Newport)

Note: This is a great game especially if you are going with a kitchen themed shower.

Details: This is a fun bridal shower game that gets everyone involved because even after they have made their guess they are curious to see if they are right. Take at least 10 zip lock bags (the smaller the better) and number them from 1 - 10. Then put a different spice in each one. Without opening and smelling the spice the guests are to identify the contents and write it down on their sheet. It sounds much easier than it is ... especially when they start to look alike. Ask them not to share their thoughts ... remind them there is a prize on the line .... Place a 5 - 10 minute time limit on the game and then see who has the most correct. The person with the most correct wins a prize!

THE LUCKY ENVELOPE IS ..... (Thanks to partysrus, GA)

PS. YOU CAN GIVE THE THANK YOU CARDS TO THE BRIDE AS A GIFT. This is a MUST!

Details: Not only does this game do wonders for the bride, but it gives one guest a chance to go home with an extra gift! Let the Bride know in advance, well in advance (especially if she's picky) that you will be buying her Thank You cards for her as a gift (so pick them out together). This can be well in advance from the shower to really throw her off. If she's not the picky type of person, pick them out on your own.

As each guest arrives the day of the shower, hand them an envelope and ask them to put their address on the envelope & place it in the bowl (preferably kept at a head table). Advise them that at the end of the party the bride will choose a winning envelope from the bowl & the winner gets a prize. Let them know that they are also doing the bride a HUGE favor by self addressing their envelopes because the bride will be able to use these for her Thank You cards. This helps the bride by not wasting hours addressing envelopes when she can devote that time to plan for the wedding.

SHOWER GIFT B-I-N-G-O! ... (Thanks to Tyra)

Details: This is a game intended for larger showers. Prepare ahead of time blank bingo cards/paper, but instead of writing bingo at the top, write "KATHY" (bride's name) at the tope in place of BINGO. Each guest will fill out the blank bingo card/paper with the gifts that they think will be given at the shower. While the gifts are being opened, the guests should mark off each gift they wrote down that was correct. (that the bride opened) When a person has five crossed off in a row, either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, then they yell "KATHY" (bride's name) and they are the WINNER!

BRIDAL SHOWER SCRAMBLE ... (Thanks to sofgru@yahoo.com)

Details: This is a game intended for any size bridal shower. Prepare wedding bridal scramble sheets ahead of time. You may wish to get the bridal party together and have everyone write down a few words to do with a wedding. Next to the words have them mix up their words.

Then put one person in charge to make a list containing all the words on their home computer. At the top you may wish to personalize your bridal shower game by adding the bride-to-be's name

Be sure to print a few extra in the event a few extra guests are added to the bridal shower guest list.

Have someone hand out the game folded in half & let each guest know they are not to open them until they are told to. After everyone has a sheet & a pencil let each guest know they are to unscramble each word and that the words are wedding related. At the end of 3-4 minutes have each guest put their pencils down. Have them pass their sheet to the person on their right & read out the correct answers. After you are done have them get their sheets back & see how many they had correct. The person who has figured out the most wedding related scramble words is the winner. You can present the winner with a winning gift of your choice.

PASS THE SECRET MYSTERY BOX ... (Thanks to Kelli in Trumball)

COST: $7-$20.00 - The cost of the bride-to-be's gift. (corsage, pin, ribbon, etc)

Details: Most hostesses provide the bride-to-be with a corsage or something to wear on the day of her shower so this is perfect to incorporate this into a game early on in the shower ... perhaps as soon as the bride arrives. This is a fun game that keeps guests wondering and a little nervous at the same time. It will also break the ice between guests that do not know each other. At the end of the game there is a sigh of relief heard by all and a bunch of laughs and comments that will come with it. Place something small to medium size in a nicely wrapped box. The gift in the box can be a corsage, a funny ribbon, pin, etc). The gift can be as expensive or inexpensive as you wish. Pass the mystery box around while music is playing and tell everyone that which ever guest is holding the box when the music stops must wear what is inside of it!! At this point of the game everyone will assume that it is lingerie or something to embarrass them ... which keeps them passing the box even faster so they are not stuck holding it in the end. The guest that is stuck holding the box in the end should be given a prize .... however, not what is in the box. You can let them know this was a game meant to fool them & that prize is really for the bride ... the person who was stuck holding it in the end will put it on the bride ... if it was a corsage, pin, etc.

GUESS THE LUCKY NUMBER

COST: $3-$10.00 - The cost of the jar and candy (try to find a clear jar from home!)

Details: Before the shower find/buy a jar. It can be a decorative jar, or a plain jar. Fill it with candies (you can keep the theme of the month if you like, ex: Christmas candies for December, Candy corn for Fall months) you get the idea. You can also dress up the jar with craft paint, a ribbon, etc. Then have each guest guess the amount of candies in the jar. Winner, or closest to it, wins the jar full of candy. This game has many options ... perhaps jellybeans, M&M's, etc...

SAFETY PIN GAME

Details: This game is just a fun silly game to get people in the spirit of the party. This game can be played throughout the party, one turn per guest. Keep a tally sheet handy & put one person in charge of this game. It sounds pretty easy to play ... but it's tricky! You will need a bag of rice (preferably long grain), safety pins and a blind fold (this can be a bandanna, etc).

Directions: Take a large bowl and fill it half way with your rice. Mix in approx. 60 safety pins (medium size) ... small works okay also. Have the hostess let the guests know that there is a safety pin game available throughout the party that they can participate in. Have the designated person to this game stand up so that guests will know who to go to to play. Blindfold the guest as they take their turn and have them try to grab as many pins as they can in a 30 second time frame. It's fun to watch and raises the competitive edge when guests know there is a prize involved. Read the winner of the game (the person who was able to find the most safety pins) at the end of the party.

DON'T CROSS YOUR LEGS / SAFETY PIN GAME ... (Thanks to Syri)

COST: The cost of the safety pins, paint, and the winning prize(s) you give away.

Details: Take a bunch of safety pins and spread them out on newspaper. Spray them with any color spray paint you wish ... it should be bright color .... perhaps hot pink. When each guest arrives provide them with two safety pins they should attach to themselves in an area that others can easily see. If a player is caught crossing their legs the person who caught them is able to take one of their safety pins. The person at the end of the party with the most safety pins wins!

DON'T SAY "WEDDING" GAME ... (Thanks to Julie Cheng, AK)

Details: Provide each guest that arrives with a clothes pin. Tell them that they are not to say the word "Wedding" and if they do, the person that catches them saying it first gets to take that persons clothes pin. The person with the most clothes pins at the end of the party wins! Try to use words such as "Wedding", "Groom", "Honeymoon" ... common wedding words that would be commonly said to the bride in a conversation. This keeps the game fun and encourages guest to listen to each other!

OVEN MIT GAME

(Thanks to Brandy, MI)

COST: The cost of the oven mitts, pantyhose, and the winning prize(s) you give away.

Details: One person is nominated from each table to play this game .... they need to decide between themselves who will play. The contestants from each table will come to the front of the room and they will have to put on a pair of oven mitts and attempt to put on a pair of knee high pantyhose. The person who accomplishes this the quickest wins a prize .... and everyone who played gets to keep the oven mitts. Everyone who played walks away laughing and happy they won something!

BOUQUET OF BALLOON WISHES ... (Thanks to Jennifer in CA)

COST: The cost of the balloons, helium, and the winning prize(s) you give away.

Details: In the invite we asked guests to arrive by 1pm. The bride would not arrive until 1:30. As each guest arrived we provided them with a small piece of paper (all pieces must be the same size) and asked them to write a special wish or piece of knowledge that would be part of the centerpiece and possibly read by the bride. We designated one person to blow up the balloons for us as the guests handed them in. (this lucky person was my brother!) There were 50 guests so we broke up the centerpieces into 5 balloons each. When guests arrived we had one balloon already present in the centerpiece in the event the bride arrived early so no one table would look too empty. As the balloons were blown up the room became even more colorful. The future bride-to-be loved pink so we did a pink and white polka dot theme. The point of this game is to have all the balloons filled up with wishes from the guests. The bride is to choose one balloon from each table, pop the balloon, read the wish and the who it was from. The person who's wish was read will receive a prize.

Provide the same size piece of paper in every invite ... explain that they should write their wish for the future couple on it and return it in the rsvp envelope that it is for a game and you need it prior to the bridal shower party. You now have all the papers needed to put in the balloons beforehand. This way your centerpieces will already be finished prior to the guests arriving in the event the future bride-to-be shows up early!

Additional notes to this game: After the bride has picked one wish per table & the prizes are given out, she has the choice of keeping the rest of the balloons to make a keepsake wish book or releasing the balloons with her guests and watching as they disappear into the air.... hence the name of the game .... Balloon Wishes !! I hope everyone benefits from my game, I came up with it myself , Luv Jenny :)

WHO HAS IT "PURSE GAME" ... (Thanks to Shelly Kelvin)

Details: You type up a sheet prior to the bridal shower day with different items one may carry in their purse. You can also add some out-of-the-ordinary items for fun. It may shock you to see what women really carry in their purses!I As you call out the item, the first person to find it in their purse and call out "I have it" while holding it up in the air for all to see gets a point. The hostess keeps track of who receives the point. (a good idea may be to pass out name tags as the guests arrive so they will know who each person is. On the name tag include a number. As the person holding up the item gets a point they should also call out their number. ) This is an easy way to keep track of who is getting the point when you (the hostess) has no idea who these people are! When you get to the end of the sheet (you can have as many items as you wish .... just don't drag it out too long) the person with the most points wins! If you want to offer other twists to this game you can also bring a scale and have a winner of the heaviest purse & lightest purse. This is a fun game for all ... and it's funny to watch people rip through their purses not knowing what the prize is beforehand!!

WHO SHARES OUR DATE BRIDAL SHOWER GAME

(Thanks to Michele T)

Details: As guests arrive have them write on a piece of paper the date they were married, Month, Day, Year (be sure they include their name on the paper so you know who it is). If they are not married they can list their Birthday, Month, Day, Year. During the shower, preferably when there is a quite time, liven the mood by announcing the winner. The winner is the person who shares the date, or is the closest to the Brides wedding date.

PIN THE TIE ON THE GROOM BRIDAL SHOWER GAME

(Thanks to Michele T)

COST: The cost of the blown up groom's picture, the poster, construction paper, double sided tape and the winning prize(s) you give away. (you can bring a bandana from home to cover guests eyes)

Details: Take a picture of the groom and blow up his face at your local photo shop ... or at home on your computer. Buy a poster of a hunk or go in the opposite direction and buy a poster of a geeky man. Cut out the future groom's picture and glue it to the poster over the head of the other guy. Cut out enough bow tie shapes for each guest ... have a few extra on hand just in case. Play pin the bow tie on the groom. Be sure to put double sided take on the back of each bow tie so that the guest is not able to remove it once they have placed their bow tie. The winner is the person who is the closest to putting the bow tie on the groom!

FUN AND GAMES SHOWER ... (Thanks to Jepritchettjr)

Details: Send out invitations that say "Come help us fill their coat closet with games and their bedroom with fun!" This is a great way for the future couple to receive MANY TYPES of fun games for entertaining themselves as well as future guests. If you have a guest list with willing participants, you can even open some of the games at the shower to play. What Fun!

CO-ED BRIDAL SHOWER GAMES

CO-ED BRIDAL SHOWER GAME -

THE LEG GAME

(Thanks to Michele T)

COST: The cost of the winning prize(s) you give away ... this prize will go to the guy the bride-to-be picks if he is not her future husband. Then flip it around, when the groom has his turn the prize will go to the girl the groom-to-be picks if she is not his future wife.

Details: This is a fun game for all involved .... you can also take turns having the bride-to-be go first and then the groom-to-be later on in the evening with women's legs. Have at least 5 different guys roll up one pants leg to their knee. The bride-to-be will be blind folded and then prompted to feel the men's legs and guess which was her future husband. This game is lots of fun .. be sure to take pictures!

CO-ED BRIDAL SHOWER GAME -

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR PARTNER

(Thanks to Michele T)

Example of some questions: Favorite color, favorite food, favorite restaurant, favorite sport, his/her birthday, favorite month, favorite tv show, etc. You can spice it up by throwing in questions like favorite sexual position, age he/she lost virginity, place, etc. This is a fun game for all involved. One person will be chosen to read the questions to the couples playing the game. The couples will write the answers down on their pads. At the end of 10 asked questions, the person asking the questions will read the answers to see who knows their partner the best. The couple with the most correct answers wins a prize.

CO-ED BRIDAL SHOWER GAME

(Thanks to Michele T)

Details: This is a fun game for all involved and the outcome may surprise you. Blow up balloons of different sizes but full enough to pop easily. Get 5 chairs of the same design together (use the same style chairs so no sore losers will use the excuse that they were at a disadvantage because of their chair) & have the men sit down. About 5 feet in front of the men (you can use paper bags from the grocery store) put different size balloons in each bag. (3 - 5) balloons per couple. As the game begins, the man's partner will have to take a balloon from the bag and put it on her partners lap and pop it without either of them using their hands. Most of the couples will sit on the balloon hard, they may also use their mouth to pop it if they are creative thinkers! The man can also hold her by the waist helping her jump up and down on his lap to pop it. They will repeat this until all the balloons in their bag have been popped. Do not give them hints beforehand on how to pop their balloons ... This game is lots of fun .. be sure to take pictures!

SHOWER THEME IDEAS

KITCHEN SHOWER THEME

This theme concentrates on items for the kitchen. This can range from everyday appliances (big & small), to pots and pans. Toasters, microwaves, blenders, can openers, radio's, televisions, everyday kitchen utensils, cookbooks, glasses, flatware, dinnerware, dish towels, and everything/anything else you may find in someone's kitchen. For larger kitchen items, more than one guest may choose to share the cost of the gift.

BATHROOM TOWEL THEME / Centerpiece Towel Cakes

COST: This could be a gift from one person or a bridal party combined gift. The cost will vary depending on the quality of the towels, ribbon, and decorations used.

The future bride and groom's shower gift could also double as your centerpieces to keep the cost of the party down. You can create simple towel cakes by rolling up a larger towel for the bottom layer, a hand towel for the center layer, and a wash cloth for the top layer of the cake. If you wish to make your cakes a little larger you could use (roll) 2 towels for each layer.

Step 1: Rolling the towels (layers) Fold each towel in half lengthwise twice. Roll it up as if you were making a snowball on the ground. (this is to give you an idea of what I'm talking about). Repeat this with all the layers of different size towels. This will give you three layers to the "towel cake".

Step 2: Adding ribbon for accents Cut satin ribbon or ribbon of your choice so that it will go completely around each layer of your cake and make a nice little bow in front. (try to find ribbon to match the color scheme of the party or theme) At this point you should have 3 layers of your towel cake, each with a ribbon tied around the center and a bow in the front. (the ribbon will go around the layers as if you were measuring them with a tape measure). When this is done, stack the cake layers starting with the largest layer at the bottom and the smallest at the top. There is no need to attach them to one another, however, some people do choose to purchase a thin small wooden dowel at a local craft shop and push it through the center of each layer.

Step 3: Add Accents for that extra WOW factor! Once the layers are stacked, you can put it on a decorative cake base (these can be purchased at a local bakery, craft shop, or party store. Some have lace around the base giving it a fancier look, or you can opt for a silver or gold base. To keep cost down you can simply cut a piece of cardboard to size. The base does not need to be seen. You can add a flower at the top of the cake, and you can place smaller matching flowers around the layers of the cake. Another idea is to place fake flower petals on the cake and around the table it will be sitting on. This gives a more romantic look to the table and you can also add votive candles around for the added touch! This will make the perfect centerpiece. If you wish to wrap your towel cakes in clear wrap (as you would wrap a gift basket you can, however, there is no need to. Balloons can be tied to them to put more color into the room, or you can add a bow to the clear wrap. Be sure to present these towel cakes to the bride as she is opening her gifts or guests may consider these attractive centerpieces as a give away for the table. Enjoy ... they are fun to make and the future couple will definitely love them.

RECIPE THEME SHOWER - IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GOURMET SHOWER

COST: ($2 + .... depending on the recipe cards and the box purchased to hold the cards. For an inexpensive gift you can use plain index cards & a plastic container that holds them (can be purchased at Staples). This may also be a good idea being that things can splatter in a kitchen and ruin a pretty recipe box.

The Recipe theme shower idea can be done stand alone, or in conjunction with the kitchen or gourmet shower, or any type of shower. It's a simple and inexpensive way to have all the future couple's friends involved in a simple gift giving idea they can use for many years to come. Have every guest bring their favorite recipe for the couple to add to their recipe list. Very often, a recipe card (or an index card) will be included with the invitation. Be sure to include a little note asking the person to share a special recipe with the couple and to make sure they bring the recipe card provided with them to the shower. The person throwing the shower can either purchase an inexpensive index card box holder (from Staples) or they can purchase and decorate one (from Michaels or another craft store). If cost is a factor the cards can also be given to the future bride in a decorative gift bag. People often have a recipe card box in addition to the standard gift giving.

SPA THEME SHOWER (Thanks to Lisa in IA)

COST: $1 + / This will depend on if the host/hostess is paying for the party or if each individual guest is paying for themselves. Cost of gift baskets & contents.

This theme is usually reserved for small showers, or larger showers where guests are willing to foot their portion of the bill in advance. If it is a small shower and the hostess is willing to pay for everyone you can have a relaxing experience at a spa where the bride-to-be normally visits. Perhaps everyone can get a pedicure or a manicure. Most guests will pass on a facial because not many of us wish to be seen without our makeup! Be sure the spa can accommodate everyone and that everyone will be in a room together. Ask them to have tea and juice to hand out with a small pass around tray of fruits and finger foods. After the relaxing portion of the party serve a cake or dessert that the bride is particularly fond of along with juice or coffee. The bridal party may wish to ask everyone to bring a nail polish, bath beads, or other relaxing small gift for the wishing well in addition to their normal shower gift. The bridal party may wish to purchase a gift certificate together for the bride and groom at the spa where the party is taking place to enjoy after their stress of the wedding planning is through. Ask in advance, sometimes the spa will provide you with a discount towards your gift certificate being that you are hosting a party at their location. If this salon/spa is the place the bride is having her nails or hair done at for the wedding, a gift certificate would be the perfect gift! For our favors we sent each guest home with a gift basket containing aromatherapy candles, bath beads, hand cream and tasty chocolates. We purchased all the items on sale which kept the cost of the baskets down. We also made gift tags on our home computer to give it that personalized touch!

THE COOK - GOURMET SHOWER THEME (Thanks to Brianne of Augusta, FL)

If you have a seasoned cook in the family, focus your wishing well gifts on spices, hand towels, special authors/chefs that your gourmet chef (either the bride/groom, or both enjoy). There may be unique cooking items they have placed on their registries (focus on these). Make sure you have enough gift choices on your list if you go for a Gourmet Shower Theme for every guest to choose from. After all, you don't want the bride & groom to end up with gifts they won't use just so you can focus on a themed shower.

LINEN SHOWER THEME (Thanks to Julie Smyth of PA)

Perhaps the couple have listed in their registry a favorite bedspread, a new sheet set, etc. In this category gifts can range from kitchen towels, bath towels, to table linens. Use your imagination.

LINGERIE SHOWER THEME (Thanks to Ariel Higgins of Lafayette, NJ)

This is a touchy theme and you must know if the bride would appreciate such a shower first. Some brides are picky regarding their sleepwear while others welcome the idea of introducing new styles in their life. Perhaps she should be told of the type of shower in advance so that she may preview her favorite lingerie store or catalog & give many ideas in advance. Be sure to include her measurements in the invitation. Guests may also include such gifts as a romantic basket of bubble bath for the couple, their favorite artist may have a new CD out, lotions, candles, a bottle of the couple's favorite champagne, scented soaps, his favorite aftershave or cologne (she would love smelling on him). Perhaps her favorite author has a new book out as well. Just a few ideas. After all we want her receiving gifts that her and her future groom will appreciate and can use.

GLASS SHOWER THEME (Thanks to Carrie Stourermartyn)

Items made of glass are the focal point of the gifts. Glasses, vases, pitchers, frames, hand blown glass ornaments, glass picture frames, any glass gift ideas are acceptable.

HOLIDAY SHOWERS BRING SPECIAL GIFTS

Looking for something different, try assigning each guest a holiday. Let them know that they then need to bring a gift that relates to that holiday that's been chosen for them. They can search the couple's gift registries first, to see if any gifts pertain to their certain assigned holiday. For example, for Thanksgiving you may want to buy the couple the oven roaster set they have on their registry list. Valentines Day you might want to bring a wine bucket or two champagne glasses. For a larger gift idea, more than one guest can foot the gift, for example, Christmas or Hanukah, surprise the couple with a weekend getaway to a ski resort, or maybe just a bed and breakfast in a resort type of get away.

BBQ THEME SHOWERS (Thanks to Brian & Terry K. of Rhode Island)

Maybe your future bride and groom love to entertain outdoors. GREAT, this is the perfect opportunity to have a BBQ theme shower. Instruct guests that they should bring gifts pertaining to outdoor entertaining. Put one person in charge of a list of items that the couple could use and as a guest purchases a gift they can call the person in charge to check that item off the list. This will prevent the couple from getting any 2 of the same items. Again, if more than one guest is willing to go in on a particular gift, such as an outdoor patio set, these should be included in the gift registry. Maybe they can use an outdoor BBQ grill, or even just a set of new grilling tools.

ROOM OF THE HOUSE SHOWER

Assign each guest a room of the house, if you have more guests than rooms in the house, assign more than one as necessary. Guests will then bring a gift that is appropriate for that room. Be sure to tell the guests to check the gift registries so that the bride and groom receive gifts they can truly use.

NAUGHTY AND/OR NICE SHOWER (Thanks to Kelly R. of Staten Island)

The theme says it all! State clearly in the invitations that everyone is to bring their regular gift (they would have purchased for the shower), probably off one of the couple's gift registries. This is the "NICE" gift. Then ask everyone to bring a gift for the honeymoon (instead of having a wishing well, get a suitcase (as if these are the items the couple would be taking on their honeymoon! You can include ideas on the invite for people to use as the naughty gifts. (some ideas might include, bath/body oils, gels, condoms, body candy, lotions, scented candles, sexy books, handcuffs, champagne & champagne glasses, etc) The guests are the ones who make the shower as naughty as the gifts they choose. You might want to help the guests out by listing Spencers (they are usually in every mall & they are a gag store), or just by listing: naughty items can be found in your local gag store. ** You might want to check with the bride to see if a party such as this is suitable before sending invites out. You can also allow the guests to leave their name off of their gift as I did. Keep the bride in suspense of guessing who gave what naughty gift! Another option if you think the bride would be completely in shock to open gag gifts in front of guest would be to just have guests wrap that little gag gift and put it in the suitcase for the bride to open at home with her Fiancé.

RESTAURANT SHOWER (Thanks to Valeria Howell)

This is a GREAT WEDDING SHOWER ICEBREAKER! On small cards, write or type out love quotes, proverbs, scriptures, pieces of poetry, statistics and other tidbits about married couples (positive, of course). Place them at each place setting. We placed them in front of the candle gifts for the guest. This works as an icebreaker for guests who are sitting and waiting. It also opens up dialogue between the older and the younger women at the shower. The cards add a very personal touch, causing guests to feel extra special.

MARTINI THEME BRIDAL SHOWER (Thanks to Dana Scungill / NY)

COST: ($15 + .... depending on the brand of alcohol you provide for this game (keep the cost down by having multiple people bring liquor and other ingredients for the drinks). Keep the cost down by purchasing your martini glass from the local Dollar Store as well as little stickers for the bottom of the glasses and the fancy picks. Be sure to collect ingredients at least a week in advance as it is not uncommon for someone to forget to bring something. Note: wait a day prior to cut up fruit/lemons etc.

This is a great possible theme and game for the bride-to-be who likes her occasional night out with the girls sharing a martini and a laugh, or a night at home watching an episode of Sex in the City sharing a martini with friends. Every guest is asked to bring a fun martini glass. (if you have guests who do not drink be sure to inform them this is only a game and they do not need to drink an alcoholic beverage). You can include this request in the invite. Be sure to let them know they do not need to wrap the glass but they will leave the glass as a gift to the future couple at the end of the game. Put one person in charge of numbering the glasses so that there is no confusion! As each guest arrives have the designated person hand the guest a piece of paper with a # and be sure to put that same # on the bottom of their martini glass. (you can buy some small stickers at the dollar store for this purpose) Put the glasses all together as the guests should not drink from their own glasses (this mixes things up in the event the bride-to-be figures this game out beforehand). Let each guest know they are not to say which martini glass is theirs, if they do they will forfeit their prize in the event the bride picks their martini glass.

During the bridal shower party ... preferably after your guests have a little food in their stomachs (you don't want your guests to drink even one cocktail on an empty stomach), make martinis and share some fun stories and fond memories about the bride and groom or the bride and her family / friends. The bride will not know there is a martini game going on .... be sure not to tell her. For the guests that do not drink you can provide flavored seltzers and cut up fruit / lemons/ limes. Coordinate the fruit or lemon/ limes to the drink. Example: Cherry Seltzer ... put a cherry with a fancy toothpick in it to jazz it up a bit. Lemon Seltzer .... put a lemon wedge with a fancy toothpick. Include the non drinkers in the fun also!! Try to keep the drinks to a minimum so nobody ends up sick. You may wish to serve these while appetizers are available, or while everyone is eating, or the bride is opening her bridal shower gifts. After about 45 minutes of stories / fun, have the bride-to-be pick out her favorite glass. The person that brought that glass wins a prize. The prize can be anything the host/hostess wish it to be. At the end of the game let the bride know that she now has a fun eclectic martini glass collection compliments from all her guests to start her new life with. Be sure to thank everyone that participated.

Additional tips for this game to jazz it up : Don't forget the olives!! You can jazz it up with fancy picks, and you can dye the salt with food coloring.

If you can find invites with martinis on them that would be great .... if not you can also create this on your home computer.
Be sure to bring newspaper & bags so you can help the bride-to-be wrap the glasses to take home.

As our favors we purchase jars of olives from Shop Rite when they were on sale and made our own personalized labels with the future bride & groom's picture on them. It was a nice finishing touch and it was a favor every guest would use. To some people it may sound out of sorts for a shower gift, however, our bride-to be is a mixologist ... aka ... a bartender at a trendy club here in the well known NYC. After all we were all at this shower to celebrate her! Did I mention we had over 100 guests!

ADDITIONAL SHOWER DECORATING IDEAS...

Picture Perfect, Submitted by Tricia from Wanaque

My family hosted an engagement party for the immediate families on both sides. To our surprise they put together two poster size collages. One collage was of myself as I developed through the years, which included baby pictures, my 1st day of school, Brownie pictures, the prom, graduation, etc. The same was done for my Fiancé. It was a little embarrassing at first but it made a great conversational piece between the families & it brought back a lot of Great memories.

BATHROOM TOWEL THEME / Centerpiece Towel Cakes

COST: This could be a gift from one person or a bridal party combined gift. The cost will vary depending on the quality of the towels, ribbon, and decorations used. This gift could for the future couple could also double as centerpieces for the bridal shower saving you money $$$

GOOD LUCK BOX...

Good Luck Box, Submitted by Claudia Maria Samayoa

My friend and I recently hosted a shower for our best friend and her boyfriend. We invited their friends and as they were arriving we asked them to write on a piece of paper a nice message for the couple and to keep it until asked. When everyone was there, and after thanking their presence, we asked them to read it out loud to the couple and to place it in a cute box. At the end, our friend and her soon to be husband thanked everyone and kept the box as a "memory box" with messages of their closest friends as they were to start a brand new life together.

SHOWER RECIPES

Quick & Easy Punch, Submitted by Kathy from Maywood

Ingredients: 2 liter bottle of ginger ale, 1 gallon of cranberry juice, 1 pint of sherbert (optional), 1 bottle of champagne, 1 package of frozen strawberries. Directions: Stir all ingredients together. (Ice is optional)

SPECIAL TOUCHES FOR THE FUTURE BRIDE

A UNIQUE TOUCH TO MAKE HER FEEL SPECIAL!

Every bride wants to enjoy every aspect of her upcoming day including her bridal shower. Make her feel extra special and pampered by adding some of the finishing touches listed below.

SHOWER GAMES

COUPLES TRIVIA (Thanks to Diane D. of Irving, TX)

WHO KEEPS THE CENTERPIECE?

THE BRIDAL BOOK GAME?

WHO SHARES MY SPECIAL DATE? .... (Thanks to Billy, W. VA)

PLAYDOUGH PENIS BRIDAL SHOWER GAME?

(Thanks to Casandra Zillinger, HI)

WHAT'S IN THAT PURSE?

WHO REALLY KNOWS THE BRIDE?

(Thanks to Michele T.)

NAME THAT FLAVOR? ..... (Thanks to Kaven in Elizabethville)

NAME THAT SPICE?

(Thanks to Helen in Newport)

THE LUCKY ENVELOPE IS ..... (Thanks to partysrus, GA)

SHOWER GIFT B-I-N-G-O! ... (Thanks to Tyra)

BRIDAL SHOWER SCRAMBLE ... (Thanks to sofgru@yahoo.com)

PASS THE SECRET MYSTERY BOX ... (Thanks to Kelli in Trumball)

GUESS THE LUCKY NUMBER

SAFETY PIN GAME

DON'T CROSS YOUR LEGS / SAFETY PIN GAME ... (Thanks to Syri)

DON'T SAY "WEDDING" GAME ... (Thanks to Julie Cheng, AK)

OVEN MIT GAME

(Thanks to Brandy, MI)

BOUQUET OF BALLOON WISHES ... (Thanks to Jennifer in CA)

WHO HAS IT "PURSE GAME" ... (Thanks to Shelly Kelvin)

WHO SHARES OUR DATE BRIDAL SHOWER GAME

(Thanks to Michele T)

PIN THE TIE ON THE GROOM BRIDAL SHOWER GAME

(Thanks to Michele T)

FUN AND GAMES SHOWER ... (Thanks to Jepritchettjr)

CO-ED BRIDAL SHOWER GAMES

CO-ED BRIDAL SHOWER GAME -

THE LEG GAME

(Thanks to Michele T)

CO-ED BRIDAL SHOWER GAME -

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR PARTNER

(Thanks to Michele T)

CO-ED BRIDAL SHOWER GAME

(Thanks to Michele T)

SHOWER THEME IDEAS

KITCHEN SHOWER THEME

BATHROOM TOWEL THEME / Centerpiece Towel Cakes

RECIPE THEME SHOWER - IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GOURMET SHOWER

SPA THEME SHOWER (Thanks to Lisa in IA)

THE COOK - GOURMET SHOWER THEME (Thanks to Brianne of Augusta, FL)

LINEN SHOWER THEME (Thanks to Julie Smyth of PA)

LINGERIE SHOWER THEME (Thanks to Ariel Higgins of Lafayette, NJ)

GLASS SHOWER THEME (Thanks to Carrie Stourermartyn)

HOLIDAY SHOWERS BRING SPECIAL GIFTS

BBQ THEME SHOWERS (Thanks to Brian & Terry K. of Rhode Island)

ROOM OF THE HOUSE SHOWER

NAUGHTY AND/OR NICE SHOWER (Thanks to Kelly R. of Staten Island)

RESTAURANT SHOWER (Thanks to Valeria Howell)

MARTINI THEME BRIDAL SHOWER (Thanks to Dana Scungill / NY)

ADDITIONAL SHOWER DECORATING IDEAS...

Picture Perfect, Submitted by Tricia from Wanaque

BATHROOM TOWEL THEME / Centerpiece Towel Cakes

GOOD LUCK BOX...

Good Luck Box, Submitted by Claudia Maria Samayoa

SHOWER RECIPES

Quick & Easy Punch, Submitted by Kathy from Maywood

SPECIAL TOUCHES FOR THE FUTURE BRIDE

A UNIQUE TOUCH TO MAKE HER FEEL SPECIAL!