Whether you're a maid of honor planning your best friend's shower or a bride-to-be looking for inspiration for your own party, you likely have one thing at the front of your mind: You're looking for details that'll make the bridal shower one-of-a-kind. After all, this particular celebration should be anything but cookie-cutter. It's about the bride, and there's no one quite like her. Mark the special day and her bright future by planning a fête absolutely no one will forget.
Enter the following unexpected bridal shower ideas, which will help you do just that. From surprising activities and next-level place settings to personalized favors and the ultimate shower snacks, these sweet details guarantee that the bride will be toasted in style. However you decide to format this pretty party, you and your bride are guaranteed to find a detail, idea, or moment here bound to inspire something entirely unique. Click through for all of the unexpected bridal shower inspiration you never knew you needed.
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DIY Bouquets
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An unexpected activity everyone is sure to love: Have guests create their own bouquets in place of a game. Featuring dozens of fresh blooms on full display, this makes for a great interactive experience, ensuring everyone goes home with a keepsake of the soirée.
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Chalkboard Sign
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Make the bride-to-be feel extra special with a chalkboard sign.
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Custom co*cktails
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Who doesn't love a dedicated drink corner? Ensure every guest at your bridal shower will reach for a drink with these festive beverages.
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Bottles of Wine
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Send bridal shower guests home with their own wine bottles. Fishing net and tassels add a touch of flair to the celebration.
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In-Bloom Macarons
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Update a favorite sweet with illustrated buds that match the shower's floral scheme. They're almost too pretty to bite into! The key word here being almost.
Unexpected Wedding Food Ideas Your Guests Will Love
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On-Trend Invite
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Two acrylic slabs make for a trendy bridal shower invitation. Bonus points if you opt for lettering in a just-as-chic metal like rose gold.
Bridal Shower Invites to Inspire Your Own
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Woven Fixtures
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Incorporate oversize woven light fixtures strewn with beautiful blooms for a wow-worthy bridal shower.
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Celestial Theme
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If she's a zodiac enthusiast, throw a shower inspired by the stars. A celestial place setting, an indigo and jet color palette, crystal centerpieces, star-themed place cards, and embroidered constellation favors will result in a look that's completely out of this world.
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Custom Favors
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Creating party favors with an illustration of the bride and her new ring is sure to bring a smile to the bride-to-be's face.
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Flower Wall
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Take a cue from this ecstatic bride and fill a wall with beautiful white roses. It makes for the perfect bridal shower photo-opp.
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Memory Lane
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Bring a personal touch to a quiet corner by setting up a family photo station. This is a great way to include loved ones that are no longer with you. While it doesn't make up for their absence, seeing their faces in photos will help you feel their love at the shower—and help your guests (especially the ones that never met Nana or Pop!) get to know them, too.
Tips for Honoring Deceased Loved Ones at Your Wedding
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Girls' Picnic
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Throwing a bridal shower with a smaller guest list? An intimate picnic is the way to go. Splashy rugs and cozy pillows make sitting on the ground comfortable. A stylish tablescape, with taper candles and lots of blooms, elevates a casual picnic into a lady's brunch.
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Woven Favors
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If you're planning on showering the bride at an oceanfront venue, send attendees home with a thank-you bag filled with beach essentials. Straw hats wrapped in flower crowns, woven totes, and slippers are an elevated, on-theme take-home.
Love These? Check Out Welcome Bags from Real Weddings
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Floral Pops
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Planning a summer shower? Lemonade ice pops, filled with fruit and edible flowers, are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
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Sweet Sign
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A vintage window can be repurposed as the prettiest bridal shower sign. A sweet, succinct sentiment, like "Showered with love," is the perfect add.
Creative Signs That'll Dress Up Your Wedding
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Balloon Arch
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Floral installations may be trendy, but we're just as taken by this dusty-peach balloon arch. It makes a major statement, so be sure to keep the rest of your tablescapes décor quiet.
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Personal Aprons
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These personalized aprons are a two-for-one. They'll serve as both place cards and bridal shower favors your guests will actually use.
Discover More Creative Favors Ideas
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Bring the Inside Out
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Forget the rentals. Bring out a beloved desk or vanity when it's time to set the dessert table. Need more room? Simply open the drawers—they act as makeshift trays and look even lovelier filled with fresh blooms.
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Filter IRL
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An interactive photo frame mirrors your Instagram grid, while loads of fun props add something extra and unique to your bridal shower festivities.
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Unusual Centerpieces
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An array of geometric-inspired centerpieces adds intrigue to an already powerful table. Gold-rimmed and transparent, these vases offer something extra to a colorful affair.
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Tequila Shots
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If margaritas are the bride's absolute must-have, adorable Patron shooters make an appropriate favor. How fun would it be to take a shot all together at the beginning of the party using these little guys?
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Letter Board
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A hot pink letter board isn't just the way to express a hilarious bridal shower joke, but it's also about as Instagrammable as it gets.
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Sitting Pretty
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Make opening presents a whole lot prettier by decking out the woman-of-the-hour's throne with blooms, moss, and lots of leafy greens.
See Head Table Ideas from Real Weddings
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Subtle Blooms
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While we're all about grand gestures and big statements, a quiet centerpiece makes a different kind of impact. A milk jar filled with pink, cream, and peach peonies is elegant without feeling over the top. It won't break your budget, either.
Affordable Centerpieces That Still Look Elevated
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Fringed Light Fixtures
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Add a little oomph to your summer bridal shower décor with fringed hanging lanterns in your wedding colors. These merge seamlessly with the tablescape for a picture-worthy event.
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Incense Bar
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Banish all negative energy on the day of the party by burning fragrant herbs. Send guests home with their own bushels, paired with relevant essential oils, so they can do the same in their own homes.
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Regal Confection
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If you're planning on serving quite a few guests at the shower, a three-tier might be necessary. Opt for a simple, gold-dusted cake, topped with a crown fit for a queen (like the bride!).
Discover Even More Bridal Shower Cakes
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Look Up
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On the décor front, the smallest bridal shower details can have the biggest impact. Take this dainty bird cage, for example. Hung from a pergola's rafters and filled with sprigs of eucalyptus, baby's breath, and peachy-pink roses, it becomes an elegant overhead display.
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Parasols
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Beat the heat and shelter from the sun with adorable parasols. They're perfect for outdoor bridal showers—plus, they stand pretty at the entryway to the party.
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Terrarium-Inspired Centerpiece
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Pixies Petals spiced things up by filling hexagonal glass vases with sand, roses, thistle, and protea.
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Love You Like XO
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Take notes from this sparkly scene, designed by Whitepeaco*ck Weddings, when planning your bride's shower. A sequined table runner brings the dessert table to life, while Beyoncé-inspired cookies appropriately sum up the occasion.
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Kids-Inspired
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Whether the bride is a kid at heart or you're thinking of ideas for a kid's table at the bridal shower, this fun place setting is sure to brighten up anyone's day.
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Incense
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Give the gift of calming scents with an incense bar. Guests can choose which smell suits their needs, and the colors incorporate a fall element to this autumnal bridal shower.
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Fruit Focused
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Forego a classic floral centerpiece and opt for sliced fruit. Citrus like oranges and grapefruit add bright spots of color that guests can enjoy throughout the bridal shower.
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Salty Favors
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Pretty pink Himalayan sea salt makes for the perfect bridal shower gifts. A color-coordinating pink ribbon makes them great to set out on a table near the entryway.
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Restaurant Décor
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Just because you're hosting a bridal shower in a restaurant doesn't mean you need to take the restaurant's décor at face value. Add high and low staggered candles and scatter seasonal fruit—like figs and pears—for a fall feel.
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Showstopping Centerpiece
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A bright pink faux tree like this is sure to stop guests in their tracks. Each table gets their own pink foliage that's elevated enough so guests can still see and speak to one another.
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Origami Garlands
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Birds of a feather take flight in this beautiful pink origami garland. Placed above the dessert table or buffet, it makes for a lovely addition to bridal shower décor.
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Pumpkin and Pampas Grass
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An unexpected duo, painted pumpkins and pampas grass make this bridal shower table simply serene.
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Oversize Lighting
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When looking for a venue for a bridal shower, take a restaurant's existing décor into consideration. We love the floating orbs in this Arizona-based restaurant.
