To all my beautiful maids of honor, sisters and mothers out there, I wanted to talk to you about an important part of wedding planning: the bridal shower. Whoever is hosting the big gift-giving event has a lot of details to cover. From picking a theme and inviting guests to decorating the space and ordering food, the shower isn’t a simple affair. And if you’re having the party on a budget, you might be a bit concerned. Fortunately, you can provide the bride with a stunning party and save money by going the do-it-yourself route with decorations. As the bride goes through her wedding checklist, you can get to work on these super-easy-to-make decorations:
Folding photo centerpiece
If you’re having the shower in a remote location, such as a restaurant, you don’t want to have to carry a lot of stuff. The decorations you use will have to be transported to the shower. Keep things simple by making a folding photo centerpiece. These decor items are lovely to look at, but fold up when not in use, making for easy toting. All you need are some scrapbooking supplies and great pictures.
Cut a long piece of paper (make it about a yard in length). It should be about 7 inches tall if you’re using 4 by 5 inch photos. Fold the long strip in an accordion pattern, placing the fold every 6 inches apart. On the flat part of the paper, glue down your choice of photos. You can even glue the photos on a frame of colored paper first! The pictures can be ones of the bride as she was growing up, the groom or the two of them together. When it’s done, you should have pictures on both sides. The centerpiece will stand on it’s own, curtsey of the folds.
Guests will love looking at the pictures and you’ll love how easy the centerpiece was to move around.
Monogram table cloth
If you’re looking for an even faster decor option, why not enhance the table cloths you’re using for the bridal shower? Start by purchasing (or sewing) plain ones that are the same color as the bride’s wedding hues. Then head to the craft store to find iron-on letter patches in the shape of the bride and groom’s monogram. You can use your iron to press the letters onto the cloth. When you get to the shower, drape the cloth over the dessert table, or even the dining tables, so that the letters are easy to read.
