Bridal Showers for the Non-Traditionalist

Traditionally, bridal showers are events at which the guests give items meant to set up housekeeping for two – kitchen items, linens, even furniture, and small appliances. But nowadays, the types of bridal showers being given are limited only by the imagination! Here are a few suggestions you might want to consider if you are in the market for giving a bridal shower that’s a little out of the realm of “traditional.”

The Spa Shower

Almost everyone loves a day of pampering, and a day at the spa with close friends and relatives can make memories to last a lifetime. Depending on your budget, you can either purchase your guests’ spa treatments yourself or request them to bring a specific amount of money to the spa to pay their own way. (Unless you run with a well-to-do crowd, keep everything under $30 so most people can attend without busting their budgets!)

Schedule a light lunch or evening meal afterward to give the bride-to-be her gifts and to enjoy some good conversation, laughter, and admire one another’s spa results (new pedicures, manicures, etc.). Goody bags for your guests can include inexpensive nail files, clippers, and polish along with perhaps an herb- or oatmeal-based facial masque.

Go Fly a Kite!

Pack a picnic lunch, round up the gals (guys can be invited, too!), gather your kites, and make a day of it. Gifts can be opened at the picnic spot while cake is being served after the meal. Awards for the “Best Kite in Show” and “Best Kite-Flying Ability” can be given along with special treats for the guests to take home such as a new kite, books on flying kites, kite posters, or small prints of kites that can be matted, framed, and hung.

This kind of shower puts the “kid” back into everyone and lightens everyone’s mood, so encourage guests to “think young,” maybe even go barefooted, and enjoy the rare opportunity to act like a child!

Time of Day Party

This type of bridal shower makes for a very interesting and fun event! After you’ve made sure of everyone that can come to the party, assign each guest an hour of the day. If you’re hosting a really big event – more than 24 guests – don’t worry about some of them getting the same hour. That will only give the soon-to-be-married couple more gifts! Every guest must provide a gift that pertains to the hour to which they were assigned.

For instance, someone receiving “12 p.m.” would most likely bring a gift that relates to “lunch time.” Something like a set of matching salad plates or casual drink ware. Someone who got the time “10 p.m.” might bring lingerie for the bride-to-be or perhaps bath goodies – anything that relates to “getting ready for bed.”

These are just a few of the things you can do to turn a traditional bridal shower into something special and memorable, something you and your friends will still talk about years from now. So put on your thinking cap or brainstorm with friends, family, or maybe even an online forum, and you’re sure to come up with a host of bridal shower ideas that are anything but traditional!