Bridal shower brunch planning can be at once fun and overwhelming. Need a blue print to get you to the event on time? This post is all about how to host a bridal shower brunch that your guests – and most importantly the bride – will absolutely love!
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If you’re anything like me, you are 1) always super busy doing a million things for your family, work, volunteering, etc. and 2) love to create special memories for loved ones by hosting events. When you offer (or are volun-told) to host a bridal shower, I have you covered with a step-by-step guide so you can party plan with less stress.
When my kids were really little, I hosted a bridal shower. I remember feeling so overwhelmed with wanting to throw a perfect event for the bride but lacking time to execute. If only I had a simple guide to walk me through exactly what to do, saving me tons of time and giving me the tools to pull off a chic, well organized event. I would have felt a lot less stress!
My hope is this post is that bridal shower brunch planning guide for you – so you can have your mimosas and drink them too!
Decide on a Budget
Bridal showers can become expensive quickly. You need to have a budget number in mind to help guide all of the decisions you’ll make to plan this special occasion.
A good rule of thumb is to expect $20-30 per person – averaged out across food, beverages, decorations, venue, etc.
Pick a Date
Begin with the end in mind. What date will your bridal shower brunch be on, and where will it be held?
Make sure you check with the bride to find out her availability, first and foremost. In addition, she may need to coordinate other VIPs’ schedules, like her mother, future mother-in law, maid of honor, etc.
You’ll want to also confirm the time you’d like guests to arrive. Since it’s brunch, 11:00 am seems like a good start time – but again just check that with the bride.
Drop a Pin at a Location
Once the date and time are nailed down, location is the next task at hand. If it’s in your home, you can skip the next step. If you want to hold the event at a different location – like a private room at a restaurant – then make a list of places to call for their availability. Before you do that, though, the next step is crucial – so you know how many guests need to be accommodated.
Agree on the Guest List
Ask the bride for a guest list. You don’t want to assume! You could give her a starting point list, and ask her to edit. She may need to consult with her side of the family and her future husband’s to finalize. Buy a few extra invitations just in case there are late additions.
Keep in mind: Anyone invited to the bridal shower should also be invited to the wedding.
Choose a Bridal Shower Brunch Theme
Now for the fun part! Picking a theme. By theme, I mean color palette, vibe, etc. It doesn’t have to be super theme-y. Just something to rally around so the entire event feels cohesive.
To get the juices flowing, here are popular theme ideas that can be combined with the overarching “brunch and bubbly.”
Bridal Shower Brunch Themes
- Boho
- Minimal
- Eucalyptus
- Watercolor floral
- Watercolor abstract
- French flower market
- Main squeeze (lemons)
- Fall in love (autumn)
Order and Mail Invitations
Now that the date is set, guest list certified, and theme decided, you are ready to shop for and order invitations. Etsy is my favorite place for invitations. There are a ton of customizable options.
There are a few envelope details that will elevate any invitation you choose:
- One detail that often gets overlooked is the postage stamp. Call me crazy but I like to try to theme the postage stamp with what is being mailed – to the extent it’s possible. For a bridal shower, you can look for hearts, a cause stamp near and dear to the happy couple, or a design within the color palette.
- Another is handwriting the addresses. If you’re like me and don’t love your own handwriting, ask for help. Have a friend with great handwriting – or better yet lettering skills? Offer to pay her for her talent!
- Finally, use a simple return-address stamp. I like to stamp my envelopes on the flap rather than on the same side as the delivery address. If you don’t already own one, return address stamps are reasonably priced and available to order online. Etsy is a good starting point. I think the look of a stamp is so much cleaner than a sticker or handwritten return address.
Calendar Block the Run-of-Show
Let’s get organized, ladies! We’re going to calendar block the entire event. In other words, we’re creating a schedule or itinerary, starting with the critical things you’ll need to do as hostess before the event starts.
Spend an hour doing this and you’ll save yourself TONS of stress later because you will be organized and know what needs to happen when and in what order.
I learned about calendar blocking from Amy Landino. In a nut shell, calendar blocking is transferring your to-do list to your calendar. You can even go so far as the calendar block the entire bridal shower planning process. But for now, we’re going to stick with just the day of and create a “run-of-show” production schedule to help you and everyone else with duties during the event know what’s going on and when.
To-Do List
- Pick up catered food and rentals
- Decorate
- Prep food
- Arrange buffet and beverages
- Bride arrives
- Guests arrive
- Mimosas and socializing
- Brunch
- Games/Activities
- Gifts
- Distribute favors
- Dessert
- Guests depart
Run-of-Show
Obviously, you’ll want to adjust the schedule to your own specific needs, but this should give you an idea of how to get started!
Plan the Bridal Shower Brunch Menu
Brunch food is an easy theme. Usually, the recipes are crowd pleasing and flexible for special dietary needs. (p.s. Make sure you ask the bride well in advance for any ingredient restrictions the guests have.)
The recipe options are endless. And if you’re having the meal catered, you still have choices to make. It can be overwhelming!
Here is how I approach planning a brunch menu for a more sophisticated, elegant event:
Bridal Shower Brunch Menu
- Eggs (quiche, frittata, eggs Benedict, sous vide)
- Meat (charcuterie board, smoked salmon)
- Vegetable/Fruit (asparagus, fruit tarts, mixed greens salad with fruit dressing and toppings)
- Sweets (mini Belgian waffles, cinnamon rolls, tiny muffins, babka, puff pastry)
Think Through the Event Layout
If you are hosting the bridal shower in your home, you may need to adjust your furniture layout to accommodate the guests.
First, if you are serving a sit-down meal, do you have enough seats around your table? Or do you need to rent additional tables and chairs? If so, where will they go?
Second, decide on different stations – for beverages, dessert, activities – to help with the traffic flow. Do yourself a favor and don’t put everything in the kitchen. You’ll have a traffic jam!
Instead, get creative using different spaces of your home – a side table, an entryway table, a coffee table – for the stations.
Lastly, literally walk through the event as a guest starting at the front door. I know this may seem silly, but you will be surprised at what you discover. Here’s a simple example:
- Guest walks in front door, has coat and gift. (Gap: Need to identify door greater to take coats and space for gifts.)
Go through each step of your run-of-show putting yourself in the guests’ shoes. You’ll probably discover you need to enlist some friends or bridesmaids help with certain tasks, such as taking coats and directing guests to where to place gifts and find the beverages.
Decide on Decorations
Now that we’ve used our left brain for event logistics, let’s switch to our right brain and get creative with decorations!
Keeping in mind your budget and theme, brainstorm a list of decorations. Here is a list to kickstart your list.
- Welcome sign on easel for front porch or entry
- Banner for mimosa bar
- Balloon garland for main seating area
- Centerpieces
- Pictures of the bride and groom
- Napkins, plates, cutlery
- Bridal “thrown” for gift opening
Research and Buy Supplies for Games
Whether you do bridal shower games or an activity – or both! – you’ll need to plan ahead so you can order supplies. Etsy again has a wealth of trendy games so all you need to do is download and print. Activities can be fairly simple as well. Need idea starters? Here you go!
Bridal Shower Games
- What’s in your purse
- Ring hunt
- Over/under
- He said, she said
- Mad Libs wedding edition
- Famous couples
- Name that tune
Bridal Shower Activities
- Floral bouquet arrangment
- Make-your-own sugar scrub
- Make-your-own lip balm
- Recipe book (ask guests to bring in invite)
- Date night ideas
- Advice cards
Gift Opening
If your bride isn’t outgoing, this could be awkward for her. So many sure you have plenty of music going on, and possibly overlap dessert with gift opening. That way people aren’t just staring at her the entire time!
Amazon Music is an easy way to play a mix of love songs or the bride’s favorite artist.
Give the bride a special seat (check out my Bridal Shower Decorations Pinterest board for tons of ideas on how to create a “thrown” or bride chair), and have someone at the ready to help clear trash and organize gifts as they are opened.
Also, you or someone else will need to help the bride remember who gave her what. As she’s opening the gifts, jot down the exact item and who it’s from. She will need that to write thank you cards later.
Last but not least, assign someone to gather the ribbon to create the traditional rehearsal bouquet. This is a great job for a flower girl!
Research and Order Shower Favors
Near the end of the bridal shower, distribute favors. You can also have them on a table near the exit so people can take them on their way out.
Need ideas? I wrote a blog post on 12 bridal shower favors your guests will love. The post includes a few ideas in 12 different categories – candles, matches, lip balm, luxury honey or jam, etc. – plus packaging tips. (Because presentation is everything, right!?)
Additional Resources
3 MODERN BRIDAL SHOWER IDEAS – TOP THEME TRENDS FOR THROWING A CHIC SHOWER OR SPRINKLE IN 2021
12 BEST MODERN PARTY SUPPLIES BRANDS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
7 SPRING MIMOSA BAR SET UP ESSENTIALS
3 SECRETS TO CREATING A SIMPLE CHEESE BOARD
Cheers!
