Sure. Your girlfriends want to get together to honor your upcoming wedding and shower you with gifts. But that old time meet at someone’s house and play games, open gifts (be sure not to break those ribbons!) and have punch and cake just isn’t the style for you.
Well now there’s options.
Many soon-to-be brides and their friends are opting to do something just a little bit different. They’re looking to have an adventure. Among the ideas have been to take everyone to a wine room at a local wine shop and sample the specialty wines. At some creative locales, the group can paint and sip wine was they create. Or if beer is more your style, how about a beer tasting at the Slippery Pig in Poulsbo or another local brewery?
If your group likes to create, head out for a place like Kitsap Mosaics where participants can create a mosaic picture, coaster, box or tile while drinking wine. And when everyone’s finished, give them to the bride to use in her new home.
Manager Kristin Gumpert said bridal parties will sometimes make mosaic letters that spells out the bride’s soon-to-be new last name.
“They can make any of the projects we offer,” she said. “Sometimes they will all work on one project like a mirror that can be hung in the bride’s home. Mostly they just want to spend some time together and get crafty.”
Other ideas include picture frames that can hold a picture of the couple and can be displayed at the wedding reception.
Another up-and-coming thing to do is to have a DYI “work” party where the bride and her friends sit down and make some of the decorations that will be used at the wedding. Several local wedding coordinators, including event planner Chloe of CME Experience, will help make the arrangements, find a place and gather all the needed supplies.
If your friends are more of the do-gooder type, why not have your shower be a volunteer effort? Some brides and their friends are devoting a couple of hours by working at a local nonprofit together, doing things such as walking dogs at the human shelter, or sorting canned and boxed foods at the local food bank. This is a great way to give back, especially if the bride is someone who doesn’t like the focus being on her.
Still popular are couples showers, where both the bride and groom are honored by all of their friends, men, women, and couples.
At their events, it’s customary to serve snacks and beer and wine and let the couple talk about how they met and became engaged. Sometimes there’s silly games, such as “How well do you know the bride and groom?” where guests try to answer questions like “What’s his/ her favorite movie?”
Whatever the style, remember wedding and bridal showers are really meant to be a way to celebrate the upcoming union and “shower” the couple with gifts, be they practical like a toaster, or creative like adding to their funds for the honeymoon. While shower gifts aren’t usually as expensive as wedding gifts, some couples, especially those who are older and already have a household set up, would prefer funds for an adventure or even a charitable donation made in their name.
Just make it an event that highlights the couple and their wishes and can be a great memory for years to come.
This story originally appeared in the 2017 Wedding Guide.
Leslie Kelly can be reached at lkelly@soundpublishing.com.
