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Are you always a bridesmaid? Have you thrown bridal showers before? Or is it your First Time? Either way, we’ve put together some fresh ideas along with Do’s and Don’ts for throwing the perfect bridal shower.

DO

Take a deep breath – Before getting started. Visualize the whole event turning out great! Not to worry, your bride, best friend, sister or cousin will certainly appreciate all that you’re doing—even if she’s too distracted to show it right now!

Get help – Now that the right mindset is in place, line up some assistance. Assign your co-hostess (es) specific elements of the party: Invitations/RSVPs, food/menu, games, favors, prizes and decorations. List those who’re helping out as hostesses on the bridal shower invitation.

Decide on invitees – Ask the bride if others are also hosting a bridal shower for her. Sometimes the bride will have a family shower, for example. Ask if your bride would like an intimate affair with a few girlfriends or an all-out event including female co-workers, etc.

Plan personalized games – For instance: ask each guest to reveal something no one else knows about the bride. Then have the bride draw the “secrets” out of a fishbowl and read aloud. She must guess who told the “secret” (nothing too deep and dark). Interesting back stories generally emerge and you all get to know each other just a little better. There are many fun variations on this one.

Have an extra pair of scissors – Or two! One is needed for gift and card opening, the other for assembling the ribbon-bouquet. A third is good if one is misplaced during all the excitement.

Make reservations and check out the venue in advance – Make sure there’s enough room for all and verify the menu or refreshments and other details. If in a home, plan out the seating–in case you need to bring extra folding chairs, for example.

Confirm RSVPs – So you can inform the caterer or venue or do the right amount of grocery shopping/cooking.

DON’T

Don’t choose a theme randomly – Make sure to reflect the bride’s tastes and personality. Don’t go too casual if she has more traditional tastes or vice versa. Consider a theme related to the honeymoon destination. Stumped? Browse a party supply or a custom printing and paper design website for decoration inspiration.

Don’t include too many games – Two or three is plenty, allowing guests plenty of time to mingle, snack and of course watch the gift opening.

Don’t send an Evite – Go ahead and use an online method or email as a reminder, but a custom printed invitation is always a wonderful keepsake for the bride-to-be and guests.

Don’t forget about your gift – In the midst of all your party planning. Choose your shower gift well in advance so that you can get just what you have in mind.

Don’t stress if something goes amiss – Everyone will still have fun and make memories. Enlist your co-hostess to help iron out any issues–it can be a bonding experience.

For help planning a bridal shower, stop by and browse our website. You’ll find lots of inspiration and good advice from experienced bridal shower veterans. At PaperDirect.com, it’s easy and fun to shop online for bridal shower invitations, RSVP cards, stationary, place cards, personalized napkins, favors, decorations and more for your event.

Save money by planning ahead, having a budget and getting the right price on everything you need for  a DIY bridal shower that will be the talk of the town. Here’s a handy DIY bridal shower checklist to help you plan the perfect party for the bride-to-be, which is probably you!

Checklist for 3 Months Prior to Bridal Shower

• Decide if the shower is going to be all female or co-ed
• Set the date and choose venue
• Create the guest list
• Choose DIY bridal shower invitations from PaperDirect

Checklist for 2 Months Prior to Bridal Shower

• Send a save-the-date to VIP guests such as the bride’s mother or parents, best friend and maid of honor.
• Call guests who are traveling far and give them a reminder; help with travel plans, if necessary.
• Establish the budget
• Finalize decisions about any flowers, menu, table lines, favors, music, activities, etc.
• Compile addresses for the guest list.
• Make a to-do list and assign tasks to your helpers.

 Checklist for 1 Month Prior to Bridal Shower

• Fill out and address invitations and mail them
• Order bridal shower favors, decorations and other party needs from PaperDirect
• Call and confirm any foods/beverages guests need to bring

Checklist for 2 Weeks Prior to Bridal Shower

• Place flower order
• Make a shopping list for food and beverages
• Buy liquor

Checklist for 1 Week Prior to Bridal Shower

• Confirm reservations with venue
• Confirm all orders and deliveries
• Confirm RSVPs
• Prepare bridal shower favors
• Prepare shower games

Checklist for 1 Day Before Bridal Shower

•  Prepare any menu items that can be made in advance
• Set up any equipment and tables, hang decorations and place party favors out
• Confirm last-minute details with bridesmaids
• Run any last-minute errands

Remember that shopping online at PaperDirect saves time and money when it come to DIY weddings and bridal showers!

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to save a little money by having a do-it-yourself (DIY) wedding or by doing some parts of the wedding by yourself. Many do-it-yourselfers make their own wedding cakes, decorations, invitations and wedding favors. DIY bridal shower invitations can be as fancy or as simple as you like (or as your skill level allows). If they’re attractive and include all the necessary information for your guests, the possibilities are boundless when creating DIY bridal shower invitations. Here some different types you may consider.

Photo Bridal Shower Invitations

A simple but effective do-it-yourself bridal shower invitation idea is to use a photo, such as one of the bride or the couple together. To keep the photo invitation simple, you can write  all of the details on the back of your picture. Another is to try pasting the image to some pretty, decorative paper to make cards. Find paper matching the bridal shower’s theme or the wedding’s colors and add special decorations like lace or pearls for an elegant touch.

Computer-Generated Bridal Shower Invitations

Printable bridal shower invitations are available from PaperDirect. Your bridal shower invitations will look professionally made when using templates and other products from PaperDirect. DIY bridal shower invitations are easy to create and print yourself. Our elegant or simple invitations come with envelopes, ribbon and seals, where specified.

How to Write Bridal Shower Invitations

If you’re planning a bridal shower for a friend or family member, you’ll want to know the proper way to word the invitations so guests know the details regarding the shower. Like wedding ceremony invitations, the wording should reflect the level of formality of the bridal shower. Remembering a few key points when creating the bridal shower invitations will help to eliminate confusion and make for a fun time for all who attend!

Use a calligraphy pen to write formal bridal shower invitations. State the bride’s full name at the start of the invitation as well as the name of the groom if the shower is coed. Begin the invitation with a phrase like “[name of bride] requests your presence at her bridal shower” or “Please join us for [name of bride]’s bridal shower.”

After you’ve written the bride’s name, state the date and time of the bridal shower. Write out the date and time completely for formal invitations as in: “The sixteenth of June, at six o’clock in the evening.” Then write the location of the shower, as well as the full address. If you’re inviting several of the bride’s friends and loved ones who live out of town, provide written directions on the back of the invitation.

Finally, write the RSVP date at the bottom of the invitation. Include the name and phone number of the person with whom guests should confirm their attendance. The end of the invitation is also a good place to let guests know if the shower is a surprise, so that they do not unintentionally mention the celebration to the bride. If the shower has a theme, such as a time of day shower or a particular color scheme, write this information at the end of the invitation as well.

Shop online at PaperDirect and order the bridal shower invitations you need for the big day!

Use the holiday season to inspire wedding festivities like a Christmas bridal shower! When having a Christmas wedding, you can draw inspiration fro holiday decorations and traditions and celebrate the upcoming nuptials and the holidays. With some creativity, you can wow the bride and still be ready for the holidays. For the bridal shower invitations you can choose holiday-themed invitations and send those to your guests, or you can include a pre-printed sheet in your Christmas card. The sheet should include all the details like the date and time, location and any specific instructions regarding food, beverages or gifts.

Food, Drink and Decorations

When planning the menu for your Christmas bridal shower, be sure to keep to the holiday theme with brightly colored red and green vegetables, finger sandwiches cut into holiday shapes using a cookie cutter, and decorated holiday cookies. A festive red punch or eggnog (spiked if you so chose) make great drinks for bridal showers during the holiday season. The obvious bridal shower party favor would be a lovely Christmas ornament. Poinsettias make lovely shower decorations, and you can hang mistletoe and holly throughout the house or other venue to add a special holiday touch.

Gift-Wrapping Ideas

Wrap gifts using the bride’s wedding theme and colors, which, for a holiday wedding are probably the same colors you would associate with Christmas: red, green, gold, silver and white.  You can even be “green” (eco friendly, that is) and wrap your gift in brown paper bags or newspapers; use environmentally friendly paints for splashes of color. Accessorize the gift with paper flowers that you’ve cut out or household items that you can make work as gift wrap accessories. There are fancy (yet inexpensive) fabrics that can be used to wrap gifts; try chiffon and see how that works for you.

Gift Ideas

Since it’s the holiday season, you may get exhausted just thinking about doing more shopping, but you have to get the bride a great gift for her Christmas bridal shower. Try some items that will allow her to pamper herself like relaxation materials, bath products, entertaining magazines and even some delicious chocolates are all things she can indulge in and enjoy some me time before the big day.

If the couple is planning a honeymoon in a warm location, you can present a gift bag filled with items she can use on her honeymoon like sunscreen, a large beach towel, a good book or even a travel guide for the country she’s traveling to.

Membership to some type of monthly club like a wine club or a cheese club. If you’re feeling very generous, you can buy a one-year gym membership for the bride, but be careful she doesn’t take this the wrong way and think you’re saying she’s out of shape! Wine-of-the-month clubs are great fun, and each new month brings a new bottle of wine to enjoy. The bride and groom can enjoy your gift for months following the wedding.

PaperDirect is your online shopping source for bridal shower invitations and supplies you need to host this type of event and so many others!

There is no better way to honor a bride to be than throwing her a fabulous bridal shower.  Below you will find several ideas for bridal shower themes.

•  Backyard Barbeque
• Luncheon at brides favorite restaurant
• Moroccan Theme
• Paris Theme
• tea party
• Coffee and Dessert
• Coed-invite the men
• Spa get away
• Cooking and recipe-Learn to cook new dishes and exchange favorite recipes
• Bartending- learn to make different mixed drinks
• Wine Tasting
• Luau
• Pajama Party
• Garden Party
• Christmas Ornament

No matter what theme you choose you’re sure to find all you bridal shower paper needs at PaperDirect including invitations, place cards, and thank you notes.