The Chocablock Party & Wedding Blog

Bridal showers have come a long way in the past decade. Where once upon a time it was nearly always a traditional Kitchen Tea, our access to the lifestyles of the rich and famous and every soiree they throw now means that the go-to celebration for the bride-to-be is a swanky little bridal shower.

Some say that having your fiancé attend with his friends can be a different idea but we believe that’s what an engagement party is for plus they’ll all get to celebrate in a few weeks at the wedding proper. But remember, just because this is a party for girls only doesn’t mean it has to be “girly”. If you want to go riding horseback across Noosa beach, go for it. But for those of us with limited budgets here’s a few ideas to help you plan the ultimate bridal shower.

Location, Location, Location

Hosting just another breezy bubbles session with the girls at your house can be fun, but will it be memorable? And isn’t that what every hostess wants to create, a memorable occasion? So set your sights on the great outdoors. Every capital city has stunning botanical gardens that you can use to host a bridal shower, some even have rotundas in case the weather turns on you. Pack 3 or 4 bursting hamper baskets with chicken and champagne and sit by a river watching the birds go by.

Or get in touch with your favourite bayside café and see if they don’t mind opening to cater for a mid-morning bridal shower brunch for you and the girls for a morning filled with sunshine, laughter and mimosas. Or maybe a farm that has a beautiful hill to watch the sunset from. Bring your own blankets and chairs, ask to borrow a hay bale or two and you can host a bridal shower the girls will love.

Finally, why not take a road trip out to wine country or to the country races for your bridal shower. Mini buses are dirt cheap and one of Mum or Dad’s mates will (hopefully) play chaperon for the day for little more than a slab of their favourite beer.

Now for the sweets

Depending on the style of your bridal shower, you can offer sweet treats at the beginning, middle or end. If you’re planning a sit-down affair, why not create your own bridal shower personalised chocolate bars to use as place cards? Add each guests’ name to each bar and the girls will love it!

Or as an extra thoughtful arrival gift, our mini trio chocolates are great as you can add a photo of you on the left, a group photo to the chocolate on the right, and the event name and date in the middle. Or for something a bit more fun, have a giant chocolate freckle ready for each guest as a sign of things to come. Jars filled with pink lollipops also look almost floral when strategically placed around the table.

Go back to school for your bridal shower

Learning a new skill at a bridal shower is all the rage (and no, lay backs and beer bongs don’t count) and you can tie this to your current likes or to something you’ve always wanted to do. Why not hire a professional to teach you and the girls the ins and outs of something creative or interesting. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:

• 1.Learn how to host your own DJ set and go to DJ school
• 2.Personal stylist and wardrobe review sessions
• 3.Write like the Queen and host your own calligraphy class
• 4.Become a cocktail-ologist and have a genuine bartender teach you the ins and outs of mixing drinks. Why not have everybody help create your own signature cocktail while you’re at it?
• 5.Cooking class has never been so fun. Have a Masterchef competition where everybody gets a mystery box and tries to create something delicious or truly disgusting.
• 6.Hire a sommelier to help train your palate to enjoy every kind of wine.
• 7.Paint a nude – no this is not yet another opportunity for you to get your kit off, but have some fun with an old-school painting class
• 8.Dance classes, either formal or hip-hop, it’s up to you. Get everybody out of their comfort zone and learning a few new moves.

And some bridal shower alternatives

For those who still love traditional celebrations, the kitchen tea is by no means dead and you can find a whole bunch of Kitchen Tea Party ideas in our related post.