When the Spring hits it seems like every other weekend involves a baby or bridal shower. I truly love these celebrations because they signify new life. There is big change coming in a good way. A family is expanding by adding a new member through marriage or birth.

Recently, we threw my little sister a bridal shower. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is NOT easy to put together these celebrations. However, they are hard work with lots of reward. To see the excitement on the faces of the ones you love as well as bring people together for a joyful occasion is a wonderful feeling.

There were a couple of stand out details that I thought were worth sharing. Along with some of my personal tips that you may find helpful if you are planning an event this season.

The Bloom Bar

How many shower or wedding favors have you received over the years that ended up being tossed away? I wanted to give away something that people actually wanted. More than that, would keep the smiles happening long after the event was through. The DIY Bloom Bar is the perfect solution! Not only do guests have fun with the DIY nature of the activity, but they are excited to take the flowers with them. Mine have been going strong all week, reminding me of the great day we had!

The Stems- Work with a local florist to buy flowers in bulk. Or your local supermarket such as a Whole Foods or a Trader Joes will usually sell you flowers in large quantities. Make sure to check what is in season. You will want to have 8-10 stems per person. Think of 2-3 green stems, 2 filler flowers (babys breath, carnations, spray roses), and 2-3 main flowers (sunflowers, roses, dahlias, gerbera daises). I personally would stay away from Hydrangeas because they are fickle and wilt quickly!

Galvanized Buckets or decorative Buckets- Use decorative or galvanized buckets to hold all of the flowers. Make sure to fill them with a little bit of water to keep the flowers fresh. Having a spray bottle handy also helps.

Personalized Wrapping paper- I found this on Etsy.com and they added the perfect personalized touch! I also purchased clear flower sleeves from amazon to help keep people from getting wet from the dripping stems!

Other items I had available were ribbon and trimming shears. I also found a great downloadable and printable sign on etsy as well!

Champagne Wall

I received so many comments about how “different” this was. Instead of regular place cards we had a champagne wall for guests. They would grab their glass complete with their name and table number on top. We rented the wall from a local party rental place and had the sign, “Sip and Be Seated” on the top. The place cards were a bit on the DIY side, I bought the printable from shop on Etsy. As well as the sign!

Games

It seems the bride can go either way on the subject of games. They either love them or hate them! I like to keep them simple. Also, I try to consider the Brides personality. In this case my sister works in the fashion industry. I thought this guess her dress was a sweet way for her to see what people are anticipating her wearing.

In addition, Nick and Katie have been together since high school. Which is quite a bit of time! This Through the Years game was a fun way to spotlight that. Everyone had a nice time reminiscing as they looked at the photos trying to guess the moment in time.

I know some people get embarrassed to open gifts but I love to see them! Seeing the different kitchen and home items is always interesting for me. I also think this time is where a lot of sweet moments happen. When friends and relatives of the bride give them an heirloom or something truly from the heart. We game my sister a memory box for her to store her wedding and future memories in. We also gave her the charm that will be on her bouquet with out grandparents on it. This is your chance to be super thoughtful! In the past I have seen recipe boxes and books made for the bride. We also did a photo and letter book from all of her bridemaids which had us all sitting around her for a moment as she looked through. It created a nice intimate moment.

Other fun details we included was a signature drink, which was an Espresso K-Tini. Being the venue had fire pits outside we made up little s’mores kits. Which encouraged everyone to stay a bit and visit with each other.

I think the main thing to remember is you are honoring someone you love and care about. Thinking about special memories and parts of their personality can really help in planning the event. The small details are always the ones that make the most impact.