Bridal Shower Ideas You’ll See Everywhere This Year
1. All About The Custom Photo Op
From the experts at Christina Currie Events in Chicago, Illinois:
What’s your favorite trend you’re seeing at bridal showers this summer?
We love personalizing the bridal shower with the bride’s favorite cocktails, perfumes, and flowers.
What’s a trend you’re predicting for this fall/winter?
More photo op backdrops! We are definitely seeing them already for the weddings. At our last bridal shower, we had a gorgeous balloon backdrop for the guests’ Instagram stories. We’ll definitely see more custom backdrops for bridal showers as we move into 2020. We are also seeing the more personal-gifting bridal showers coming back as a trend. This is in lieu of the large bridal shower that includes gifts from the registry. The personal shower allows guests to shower the bride-to-be with her favorite perfumes, lingerie, silk pillows, sheets, and more.
How do you make a bridal shower represent the guest of honor?
We focus on their loves of life: colors, flowers, cocktails, and perfumes. We integrate those elements into the invitations, décor, cocktails, desserts, and more!
2. A Bridal Shower Color Is The New Black
From the experts at Clementine Custom Events in Chicago, Illinois:
What’s your favorite trend you’re seeing at bridal showers this summer?
My favorite bridal shower trend is the use of a lot of color! I also love that many bridal showers are going with a fun brunch theme and including speciality drinks and adorable little versions of pancakes, eggs benedict, and more breakfast favorites.
What’s a trend you’re predicting for this fall/winter?
Some of our favorite bridal shower trends for fall and winter will include cozy venues with fireplaces, warm speciality drinks, custom menus, and lots of greens.
How do you make a bridal shower represent the guest of honor?
The best way to make a bridal shower special is to include a lot of details that the guest of honor loves. It could be their favorite foods, favorite color, details about the things the couple loves, photos from their time together, or cute games where the guests answer fun trivia questions about the couple.
3. Texture Adds A Whole New Dimension of Decor
From the experts at Kate & Company in Kirkwood, Missouri:
What’s your favorite trend you’re seeing at bridal showers this summer?
I really enjoy seeing our clients far more interested in ways that design can bleed into hospitality rather than over-the-top décor. It truly makes for a beautiful and memorable event!
What’s a trend you’re predicting for this fall/winter?
We’re seeing a trend of mixing all the textures — tartan, fur, and leather — oh my! Simply a designers dream come true. There’s no such thing as too much texture when it comes to creating the perfect palette.
How do you make a bridal shower represent the guest of honor?
Small nods to the guest of honor make a bridal shower personal. From serving the couples’ favorite foods to including a gold-foiled puppy on their cocktail napkins waving a sign saying “My moms are getting married”, there’s no detail too small when it comes to personalizing an event.
4. Couple Showers are the new Bridal Showers
From the experts at LLG Events in New York, New York:
What’s your favorite trend you’re seeing at bridal showers this summer?
We’re loving joint showers, where both partners are present. This trend from the LGBTQ+ community is starting to apply to pre-wedding events for all couples, and we think it’s a great way to be all-inclusive. Instead of calling it a ‘bridal shower,’ make it a ‘couple’s shower’ where it can really focus on showering both partners with love and support for their big day!
What’s a trend you’re predicting for this fall/winter?
We have some ideas up our sleeve for a bridal shower that’s more like a cocktail party, shifting the traditional brunch or afternoon-timed shower to an evening night out!
How do you make a bridal shower represent the guest of honor?
Keep the couple in mind when planning the shower, not the styles or preferences of the people who are throwing it. Think about the overall theme, date, time, and location that’s representative of the couple. If they like to go out, then opt for a cocktail party bridal shower (like we’re suggesting for fall and winter trends!), or if they love cooking breakfast in their kitchen together while dancing to some oldies music, have an intimate in-home celebration that replicates this. Use the event as a chance for friends and family members to get to know the couple better. It’s a great way of bringing people together who don’t get to spend a lot of time with the couple. That way, at the wedding, there’s no division and everyone is eager to mingle!
5. Experiential Bridal Showers with Engaging Activities
From the experts at The Lynden Lane Company in Los Angeles, California:
What’s your favorite trend you are seeing at bridal showers this summer?
We love seeing lots of color at bridal showers hosted at unique venues. For example, a beachfront bridal shower might incorporate bright colors on low tables with pillows. Instead of the traditional bridal shower games, maybe get more active with beach volleyball.
What’s a trend you’re predicting for this fall/winter?
We’re anticipating less formal sit-down bridal showers and more experiential celebrations. Guests can create their own custom scent, participate in a tequila tasting, learn how to make sushi, and more. Gone are the days of the bride opening endless packages and making a ribbon bouquet as the only activity.
How do you make a bridal shower represent the guest of honor?
On the invitation, ask the guests to say three words that describe the bride, then incorporate those into your event décor and design. If the guest of honor has a charity that means a lot to them, ask the guests to make a donation in lieu of bringing a gift.
6. Theming Carried from one Wedding Event to the next
From the experts at Michelle Durpetti Events in Chicago, Illinois:
What’s your favorite trend you are seeing at bridal showers this summer?
What I am seeing now with my clients is a tendency to create experiences not just at the wedding, but throughout the events celebrating and leading up to the wedding, as well. Engagement parties and bridal showers are really taking on a life of their own when it comes to things like entertainment, décor, and food, and it is really fun as a planner to be able to create a series of events for my clients. I love how guests really look forward to every celebration because of how styled and fun they are!
How do you make a bridal shower represent the guest of honor?
In general, a large part of my job and responsibility to my clients is to work with them so that their celebrations reflect who they are, highlight their love story, and create a really welcoming, fun, and unforgettable experience. To do this, I spend time talking with my clients so I can get to know them. Are they avid equestrians? Do they love to travel? What parts of their lives and their stories can we garner inspiration from? From there, it is all about teaming up with the right partners so that, creatively and logistically, we construct a beautiful event that runs as smoothly as possible.
7. Mix Metals for the Ultimate Glam Setting
From the experts at Sugar Branch Events in Mission Viejo, California:
What’s your favorite trend you’re seeing at bridal showers this summer?
A favorite trend we have seen at bridal showers this summer is complete customization of each event, from lots of color to more private locations with fewer guests. We’re also loving hand-crafted menus, attention to detail with minimalistic florals, and concentrating on the couple’s new life moving forward.
What’s a trend you’re predicting for this fall/winter?
We are predicting lots of glam to come back and make a huge impact on fall and winter colors. Think lush, dark, deep hues of the rainbow, paired with classic glam décor and metallics. Mixing metals has been a trend for the last few years, and we will see more of that this next season.
How do you make a bridal shower represent the guest of honor?
We integrate all types of activities into the celebration to reflect the bride’s hobbies, favorite foods, and the couple’s overall style. The bridal shower should reflect them both. Start by choosing a location that will suit their needs and wants. We’ve even done a yoga retreat for a bridal shower and bachelorette party all wrapped into one weekend. Bridal showers have also been transforming into co-ed couples weekends. No matter what the bridal shower entails, it’s all about personalization.
8. Go Beyond the Bloody Marry
From the experts at The Special Event Resource and Design Group in Palm Beach, Florida:
What’s your favorite trend you’re seeing at bridal showers this summer?
We love make-your-own drink stations. We’re going far beyond the traditional Bloody Mary bar. Think specialty bourbon drinks, DIY mojitos, and infused vodkas for summer bridal showers.
What’s a trend you’re predicting for this fall/winter?
Many of our bridal showers are focused on season-related themes. Surprisingly, we are seeing a slight return to tradition. Fall bridal showers are based around autumn colors, and winter events are either holiday-themed or focused on a winter wonderland, like transforming a venue into an Aspen ski lodge.
How do you make a bridal shower represent the guest of honor?
As we take a completely custom approach, we encourage our clients to be a part of the design creation. We invite our clients to our showroom and give them a hands-on experience with choosing linens, décor, and even florals.
9. Transform any Venue into a Garden Paradise
From the experts at Rachel De Marte Events in Chicago, Illinois:
What’s your favorite trend you’re seeing at bridal showers this summer?
Hosting in a garden or garden-theming. You get that lovely summer vibe, the best of seasonal food and beverages, plus these bridal showers are so feminine and always beautiful. Any backyard can be easily transformed, or there are fabulous venues with manicured gardens built in. Imagine guests making their own floral arrangements or herb and fruit-infused syrups while eating lobster rolls and drinking wine spritzers. For a more intimate group, I love a day-to-night spa experience. Start with individual treatments, then gather the group for a light lunch, sauna time, blowouts, and then go right into cocktail hour and dinner. This is so fun for a weekend getaway, too.
What’s a trend you’re predicting for this fall/winter?
Anything with more Instagrammable moments! But, really. Everything is (still) all about that photo.
How do you make a bridal shower special and reflect the guest of honor?
Showcase all of their favorite things. What they like to eat and drink, what activity they would enjoy, and where they enjoy being. If it were me? Celebrating poolside while drinking tequila, eating tuna tartar tacos, and making custom bracelets.