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Help Section
Shower theme ideas
Keep the following in
mind when choosing a shower theme:
- Choose a theme that will allow guests
to find gifts in all price ranges.
- Ask the bride and groom what they need
before you begin any elaborate plans. They may tell you what they really
need is plastic measuring cups and mixing bowls. Sometimes, simple is
better.
- Use the bridal couple's gift
registries as your primary source of information for gift ideas. The
bride's mother or the wedding host should be able to provide a copy of
the registry lists. These lists can not only provide valuable
information on the couple's likes and dislikes, but can be the
inspiration for a theme or supply ideas for organizing group gifts.
- If the couple asks for gifts in a
particular color, send a paint chip in that shade with each invitation.
-
Here are some
suggestions for shower themes.
Round-the-clock
Each guest is instructed to bring a gift inspired by the hour of the day
assigned to him or her. For instance, an alarm clock or a set of coffee mugs
might be appropriate for 7:00 a.m.; 10:00 p.m. might suggest a pair of
brandy snifters. The party heats up when guests have used their imaginations
for hours such as 3:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m.
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Luxury is the limit
This is usually reserved for an all-women shower, but why not let the
men enjoy some pampering, too? Pull out the stops with an elegant tea or
buffet dinner, complete with silver service and damask napkins. Have guests
bring "splurge" gifts like tickets to a concert, his and hers silk pajamas,
trays for breakfast in bed, even gift certificates for his and hers facials
or massages.
Paired pleasers
Shower both the bride and the groom at a "Jack and Jill" shower. Ask
couples to bring gifts that can be used by both the bride and groom, like a
board game, a coffee grinder, a magazine subscription, a wine rack, a
popcorn maker, or a TV converter.
Group dynamics
A great idea for a shower thrown by an affiliated group of people (all
work in the same department, belong to the same sports club, volunteer for
the same charity, etc.) is to let their association suggest a theme. All of
the guests can contribute to the price of one representative gift for the
couple: his and hers workout bags from the team, luggage from the gang in
promotion and sales, a telephone from the volunteer group.
Bargain bounty
Strapped for cash? Shower gifts needn't break the bank. Often the gifts
of greatest value are those that come from the heart. Have each guest bring
a "coupon" they've made and decorated themselves that the engaged couple can
redeem for personalized services. This idea is particularly appropriate for
a couple about to buy their first home or move into a "fixer-upper". A guest
who is handy at gardening may offer a coupon worth two Saturday afternoons
of landscaping chores. A van owner might offer his services to help the
couple move. A handy fix-it person could give a coupon representing one
freshly caulked bathtub or six hours of wallpaper stripping.
Room assignment
Possibly the simplest shower idea, and still one of the most popular, is
to choose a room in the future newlyweds' new home (the kitchen, bathroom,
or bedroom are perennial favorites) and ask guests to bring suitable gifts.
These showers are easy to organize because guests can take advantage of the
couple's bridal registry to make sure their choice of kitchen appliance,
towel color, or sheet pattern is just right.
Garden of delights
If the bride and groom are avid gardeners, and especially if their new
home has the yard space to allow them to indulge their hobby, the garden is
a wonderful theme. Any visit to a gardening store will yield a wealth of
gift ideas, from books and seeds to wheelbarrows and lawnmowers. Make the
shower a garden party, too.

Bon voyage
Whether the guests of honor love to travel or you want to help them with
their honeymoon trip, a travel-themed shower offers great party
inspirations. If you know the destination of their honeymoon, use it to
inspire the decorations and menu. Some guests may want to chip in to buy the
couple luggage or a camera. Gifts can range in price from economical (a
compass or guide book) to lavish (a night's stay at a beautiful hotel or the
cost of the car rental). The bridal couple may even have registered for
honeymoon travel, giving guests an easy travel gift option.
That's entertainment
When the bride and groom are well known for throwing parties themselves,
make their shower a great way to acknowledge them as "hosts with the most."
Gifts might include bar glasses, trays, table linens, liquor decanters,
folding chairs, etc. Alternatively, if the couple are self-confessed
occasional couch potatoes, suggest gifts such as books, board games, videos
and, of course, a popcorn-maker.
This old house
First-time home owners will appreciate a shower whose theme is home
maintenance and repair. Assign each guest a season or a floor of the house
as inspiration for their gift, then watch as everything from a snow shovel
to a floor mop to a crate of window cleaner arrives.
A taste of heaven
Indulge the engaged couple with this shower idea. If they love wine,
throw a wine-and-cheese shower and have guests bring a bottle or wine
accessory as a gift. Some guests may want to pool their money to buy the
couple a set of wine glasses or a wine rack. Alternatively, if the couple
loves to cook, have guests bring a kitchen utensil and tag their gifts with
a recipe. Then challenge the couple to identify the giver of each gift by
its representative recipe.
Wishing
well
Along with regular gifts, guests are asked to bring tiny presents for a
"wishing well," such as a small kitchen utensil (a wooden spoon, a spatula,
a whisk, etc.), a tiny cookbook, a spool of thread, a bar of soap, etc. This
is explained on the invitation, and if you wish, a limit may be set on the
price (e.g., a dollar or two). The hostess supplies a "wishing well" – a box
or basket trimmed with ribbons, for instance – and the gifts, wrapped and
tied to long ribbons, are tossed in. There are no cards, but guests may
write and attach poems. The bride pulls each gift out by its ribbon and
reads the poem aloud.
Go to:
Overture/prelude
Processional
Interlude/signing of the register
Classical instrumental
New age
Popular
Classical: Instrumental
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - Stainer
Panis Angelicus - Franck
Canon in D - Pachelbel
Ave Maria - Bach
Ave Maria - Schubert
Air on the G String - Bach
A Wedding Prayer - Williams
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