You are hosting your best friend's bridal shower, and you want it to be both fun and beneficial. If you've known the bride for a while, you may feel comfortable surprising her with a theme. The pragmatic hostess may check with the bride-to-be to see if the happy couple is lacking in any specific area. Either way, a theme bridal shower helps invited guests zero in on something they'll know the couple will appreciate. Here are some newer ideas for bridal shower themes and gifts.
Pick a party!
Health, Fitness and Outdoor Adventures
Is the duo-on-deck an active couple who like to stay fit and enjoy outdoor activities? They can always use more golf balls, tennis balls and cases of sports drinks. How about gift certificates for activities like skydiving and whitewater rafting, or tickets to sporting events? Horseshoes, anyone?
Spa and Beauty
Have a certified masseuse at the bridal shower. Get manicures and pedicures. (Waxing may go a little too far.) Gifts include gift certificates for spa retreats, facials and beauty products, personalized his-and-her terry robes and aromatic candles.
Backyard Paradise
Make it a barbecue, and gift the comfy couple with all the "fixin's"! For grill guy, there are barbecue utensils, a gas grill and a selection of gourmet barbecue sauces. Who wouldn't love a hammock, patio furniture or a romantic outdoor fire pit? Think birdfeeders, garden tools, stylish outdoor dinnerware and cutlery. They may never leave home.
Bedroom/Bathroom
Have a pajama party! (A "shower" bridal shower may make some folks uncomfortable.) Include the couple's color scheme in the bridal shower invitation, and watch sheets, pillowcases and towel sets pour in, along with romantic candles, gift certificates for book stores, a massager, blankets, a breakfast tray, matching slippers and maybe even a mirror for the ceiling…
Do-It-Yourself
Sooner or later, something going to need repair - just hope it's not their marriage. Outfit them with hammers, saws, screw drivers, garden tools, painting gear, an assortment of nails and screws, measuring tapes, power tools, a workbench, and last but not least, a first-aid kit.
Pet Lovers
Three dogs, two cats and a hamster? The new blended family? Gourmet treats - for pets and humans - are always a hit! Consider a paw print kit, or a gift certificate for doggy day care or pet photography. Give pet toys, leashes and collars, and a gift certificate for house cleaning. Any pet owners would sit up and beg for that last one!
At-Home Fun and Games
Nesting and canoodling are running neck-and-neck with big nights on the town. Lots of today's couples like to enjoy one another's company or entertain - at home. Give guests a casual evening of game playing, and stock the happy couple's rec room with everything from backgammon and Scrabble to ping-pong and pool. Oh, and think twice before you buy a pool table for an apartment-dwelling couple...
|
