Congratulations on your friend’s recent engagement! You’re probably super excited for their wedding day but before that highly anticipated walk down the aisle, you need to have that much-talked about bridal shower for your friend first.
A Brief History
Did you know that bridal showers are actually centuries-old traditions? The practice can be traced back to the 16th century in Holland. It was initiated as another option to the dowry system to set up the bride for married life, either because the bride could not afford a dowry or her father was against the marriage. In a bridal shower, small favours were given to the bride by her friends and family to help her start her new life with her soon-to-be husband.
According to the Dutch, a young girl fell in love and wanted to marry a miller’s son but her well-off family disapproved. Her father wanted a wealthy pig farmer as a husband for her and made a threat that he would withhold her dowry should she disobey him. When her friends learned of her father’s threat, they brought her gifts in lieu of the dowry. Her father was rumoured to be touched by her friends’ actions and finally agreed to the marriage. Since then, it has become a practice that the bride’s family and friends shower or give her gifts before her wedding.
Nowadays, many brides don’t really need assistance in setting up their homes but they still want to be celebrated by their family and friends. So, here are some unique and non-traditional bridal shower ideas that will ensure you have loads of memories to last a lifetime.
1. Honeymoon-inspired Bridal Shower
If the couple already has their honeymoon itinerary planned out, you can throw them a bridal shower that features what they are anticipated to enjoy. You might even want to recreate the proposal and find an engagement ring similar to the bride’s. You can get it from Certified Diamond Network Sydney residents go to.
For example, if you know they are planning a trip to the Hawaiian islands, then you can have a beach-themed party with invites, decorations, music, and giveaways that reflect the sun, sea, and sand vibes. If the couple will honeymoon in Paris, then set up a Parisian-themed party with French pastries and probably an Eiffel Tower standee.
2. A New House Bridal Shower
Buying a new house after the wedding can be financially straining so for newlyweds, cash wedding gifts can be really useful. But not many are confident enough to inform guests that they would prefer cash gifts. So, help the bride and groom solve this financial conundrum by throwing them a new house bridal shower.
You can set up a shower by registering at your local hardware store and purchasing paint and tools necessary to create a new house. If you want to go the extra mile, then you can register for new furniture and even some mortgage companies that will be helpful for the couple. You can even contact wedding ring suppliers to see if you can be of assistance with regards their jewellery finances. Be blunt with the invitations and ask the attendees to bring a gift that will help the couple with their payments or to complete their new house.
3. A Wedding Shower for the Couple
If you are friends with both the bride and the group, you can also opt to throw a wedding shower for the couple instead. You can have friendly trivia games and other contests like Pictionary and dance-offs. This can even be a battle of the sexes, if you wish to unless of course if it’s a same-sex marriage, so you can have a battle of friends instead.