Friday Five: 5 Bridal Shower Must Haves

Last weekend was my little sister’s bridal shower! If you followed along on InstaStories or saw the gingham goodness on Tuesday (hello spring!), you knew that. I flew back to California to celebrate my favorite bride and help my mom throw her the best shower ever. As MOH, I took this task very seriously. With wedding season around the corner, I thought I’d share the 5 things that I think make for a great bridal shower.

Before I jump in, let me caveat that everyone planning a bridal shower (or any wedding event) should find out what their bride wants. Getting married is all about the happy couple so it’s good to touch base with them first. Everyone is different and their priorities will vary which is totally fine! With that, here goes!

1. Location. This was the very first thing I asked my sister about. Location is so important. Most importantly, figure out what the bride wants and go from there. If she wants a backyard BBQ feel, wonderful! If she wants a swanky brunch with a theme, fabulous! If she doesn’t know, well talk it out and help her decide. My sister had a ton of people coming to her shower so we decided to host it at home. It gave it more of a family vibe which worked out perfectly.

2. Flowers. My mom and I woke up at 7am on Saturday to run to Trader Joe’s for flowers. They always seem to have the best ones and the prices just can’t be beat. Since we knew we would be having the bridal shower at my mom’s house, I wanted to have florals on the tables. I love a loose bouquet so I spent a few hours before the party started arranging our loot into clear, mismatching vases. My mom, sister, and I were jamming out to country music and prepping everything and it was just such a fun time. I tried to mirror her bridal shower invitations as best I could! Also, I think I’ve found my passion! Can I quit my day job and just become a florist?

3. Mimosas. What celebration is complete without champagne? Not a one! The main ingredient = bottles of champs. Doesn’t have to be top shelf, just some kind of bubbly. My mom found these cute carafes which we poured 4 different kinds of juices into. She printed off cute little name tags to label everything. We also had fresh cut berries available for people to drop into their mimosa. I totally finished off the leftover fruit after everyone had left!

4. Cute Desserts. I was swooning for the desserts on Saturday! My mom and sister are so talented when it comes to crafting! They made cake balls with blush and navy paper straws as decoration. They were SO delicious. I probably had about 5 before the afternoon was over. They also made these heart shaped Rice Krispie treats. Some were dyed pink and the others were coated in pink chocolate. Again, so yummy. My mom also made these cute little ring signs to stick into mini powdered donuts! It really hit home with the wedding theme! We decorated with a love balloon, sparkly ring garland, and tassels of course.

5. Friends. Duh! Where would any of us be without our besties? There is no shower without your girls. All of the guests mingled for a bit before lunch – it was so fun meeting everyone and putting faces to names! We played a few games throughout the afternoon (but not super cheesy ones). Gifts were opened and my sister got tons of great gifts for the home as well as a few inappropriate ones which made for a great laugh.

If you need a little more inspiration, you can see photos from my bridal shower a few years ago here! I was still living in LA and wanted to hold it at a cute restaurant near where I lived. It was a totally different feel but it was what I wanted. I was not a very “hands off” bride I’m afraid so my mom and sister got tons of direction from me. My shower and my sister’s were different but both were amazing!

Do you have any bridal showers coming up? Are you excited for wedding season?