Heart Theme
Decorate with all kinds of hearts. Plan on a heart-shaped cake with heart decorations, plates, and name tags. Advise guests to choose gifts that have some connection with hearts and to let their creativity shine.
First Theme
This theme is all about the many things the bride and groom will do for the first time as husband and wife. Christmas ornaments, Thanksgiving platters, and photo albums would all be good gift choices.
Time-of-Day Theme
Assign each guest a time of the day and have them select a gift that would be used in that time frame. For example, if you were selected for 7:00am, you could give a gourmet frying pan for breakfasts, or big, deep coffee mugs.
Room-of-the-House Theme
The hostess assigns each guest a different room in the new couple's home, and gifts are purchased for that area. For example, if you are selected for the living room, DVD's, a snugly throw for over the couch, or a personalized popcorn bowl might be great.
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For this type of shower, each guest brings along a copy of her favorite recipe plus one of the ingredients to make it. This is a great way to fill a pantry and get a stack of tested recipes. You can also have each person bring a kitchen item that would be used when making their dish.
Season ThemeGuests are instructed to choose their gifts according to the seasons of the year. You can either assign the season, or let the guests get creative. Pumpkin cookie jars would be great for fall, and delicate sheets with floral embroidery would be a perfect spring item.
Garden ThemeThis is a wonderful theme if the newlyweds will be moving to a new house or love to putter outside. Gifts for this theme can be bulbs, potting soil, garden gloves, gift certificates, and anything else you can tie to a garden idea.
It is the job of the hostess to make sure that all the guests are clear on the theme. This can be done with an added line on the invitation, an enclosed note, or a phone call if the gathering is small. Try to select a theme that reflects both bride and groom. Think about what kind of couple they are and what types of things they enjoy. If they are into wine tasting, hold a wine shower. Use the above suggestions as guidelines, then tailor your idea to fit the couple. Everyone wants to give that perfect gift. A bridal-shower theme will help guests choose gifts that will be cherished.
