A bridal shower is an exciting time in a bride-to-be’s life, and even more so a lovely excuse to have a fabulous event with your closest girlfriends! What’s really great about the bridal shower is that there are tons of different options when it comes to all the fantastic things you can do with themes, décor, food, and much, much more! When planning for a great and memorable bridal shower event, you have two main options of party genre to choose from: A bridal shower or hens party.

Hen Party or Bridal Shower

Opting for a Bridal Shower

When opting for a bridal shower, this is usually a good idea when there is a variety of guests that will be in attendance (think age, family ties, etc.) Bridal shower party ideas work great especially for bigger bridal showers with more guests there, too. Bridal shower events are wonderful for several different reasons, from introducing everyone through fun icebreakers to ensuring engagement and comfort with games, activities, and even the smallest party details, such as music or decorations.

Themes & Games

Pick a theme first and foremost that represents the bride and what she truly loves, and this is a great place to start when planning. Next, decide on at least two icebreaker-type activities that guests can immediately engage in and meet everyone at the shower who they might not already know. Some classic icebreakers can include 2 truths and a lie, or something more modern such as Guess the Celebrity Bride in which the name of a famous bride is taped to a guest’s back right when they walk in and the first part of the party consists of everyone asking questions to one another in attempt to guess who the celebrity bride is. This engages guests in instant and fun conversations to get the party going.

Photo Credit: Day 7 Photography on DIY Bride via Lover.ly

After the icebreakers, you can then incorporate popular games such as Bridal Bingo and the ever so loved Toilet Paper Dress game. Unique game, however, also hold a fabulous place at a bridal shower event, so let your creativity really shine. From Name that Chick Flick to Guess the Flavor (involve cupcakes and cookies and gourmet treats alike here!), you can really give the guests and the new bride activities to participate in that are truly memorable and special. Whatever activities you choose to use at the bridal shower, they definitely don’t have to cost so much. Even with many guests, any of the ideas aforementioned are affordable and really quite effortless to put together.

Opting for a Hens Party

As for the second option in regards to celebrating the bride-to-be, you can alternatively do a hens party—or you could do both a bridal shower and a hens party—it’s really all up to what your bride wishes! A hens party tends to be more of an intimate affair with less guests and goes for a night or for a weekend instead of just brunch hours that a bridal shower normally calls for. Also known as a bachelorette party, this event brings together the bride’s closest girlfriends to celebrate her upcoming “I do’s.” Just like a bridal shower, there are plenty of ways to ring in the celebration and a lot of memorable laughs to ensue!

Weekend Soirees

Weekend soirees are extremely popular, and some fantastic ideas for this are winery vineyard getaways, all-inclusive boat cruises, a glamping campout, or even a music festival event. For a single night hens party event, the bride’s favorite nightclub, bars, or perhaps a Broadway or burlesque show are all unforgettable and extremely snazzy events. Regardless of when and how you choose your hens party getaway, the activities are just as important as a classic bridal shower. A few games and activities to keep the fun and laughter going are a couture twist on the Toilet Paper Wedding Dress game, or you can even involve the groom-to-be in a Newlyweds Drinking Game. Ask the groom questions ahead of time and then see how many the bride-to-be can get right! Truth or Dare and a bridal scavenger hunt are both also great ways to keep the guests interacting and engaged during either a hens weekend or a party night.

The important thing to remember about any hens party is that it should be fun and exciting, but also relaxing for the bride and her guests. Putting together an event that is as special as it is interactive is important, as this is something that only happens once in a lifetime for the very special bride-to-be.