Weddings Editor: Tina Byland • Social & Style Editor: Becca Newell • Photographer: Katie Martin • Model: Elle Einwaechter of T.H.E. Artist Agency Hair/Makeup: Behind the Veil • Bride's Clothing and Jewelry: Scout & Molly's, Silva Wear • Engagement Ring: Models own • Flowers: The Flower Shop • Cake and Cupcakes: The Honey Hive Bakery, home of Cakes by Rachael • Wine and cheese: Fishpaws Marketplace
Somewhere in between toilet paper dresses and crudité platters, idal showers started feeling monotonous. Lacking. Uninspired (except for by Pinterest). At the same time, planning a idal shower can feel like a practice game for your big day. The logistics are all the same, just on a smaller scale. We’re here to add a bit more color and excitement to your idal shower with the newest trend out there, activity showers!
The key to planning an activity shower is to plan it around a hobby or interest you enjoy. The activity will take place of hours of games and potentially awkward chit chat between your high school besties and your great aunt Mildred. The gifts can fit into the theme, as can the favors, food, and decorations.
Below, you’ll find inspiration for some of our favorite ideas for activity showers. You’ll find suggestions for decorations, gifts, attire, and favors. We hope it’s just what you need to kick-start the planning process!
Aprons Amore
For the ide who loves being in the kitchen, hire a baker or chef to come do demonstration for her shower.
Decorate with elements that you typically find in a kitchen. Place some flowers in a mixing bowl, display your cutest kitchen towels, have aprons at the ready for guests.
Give the ide everything she’s going to need to fully stock her own kitchen. From big items like pots and pans to the smaller items like a fruit and vegetable peeler, now is the opportunity to make sure her cabinets are fully loaded. Also, make sure everyone gives the ide a recipe to add to her recipe book!
Wear something equally sweet and functional. Most women don’t cook in high heels and sundresses on a regular basis anymore, but why not dress the part of a 1950s housewife for this special occasion?
Favors for a kitchen shower are particularly easy. Miniature cutting boards, kitchen towels, or a pretty whisk and spatula wrapped in a bow are all fittingly sweet thank you gifts for guests.
Garden Party
For the ide with a green thumb, get ready to dig in the dirt and make some living masterpieces. Ask a relative or friend who has a few gardening tricks up their sleeve, or, alternatively, invite a florist to come give a demonstration.
Decorate with all the flora your heart desires. Keep the food and drink in theme with a spread fit for a farmer’s market. A salad bar with a variety of fresh lettuce, colorful tomatoes, radishes, carrots, and peppers works double duty as both a decoration and your food table.
Give the ide everything from the lawn and garden section of her registry. Some of our favorite ideas are a rain barrel, composting bin, lawn hose, and a weed whacker.
Wear an outfit that you don’t mind getting dirty. If you plan to pot plants and make flower arrangements, think twice about wearing that cute little sundress you have on rotation for nice events. Realistically, most of us wouldn’t be caught wearing a dress in our garden!
Favors are built-in for a garden party. Send each guest home with the floral arrangements, planted seeds, and potted plants they created during the party.
Love,Lashes, and Lips
Get glam and try out a fresh look for the wedding. Bring in a hair and makeup team to give everyone a makeover!
Decorate the party space with plenty of lighting and ight colors. Keep decorations fun and think of colors that complement the ide.
Give the ide everything she needs to be pampered as a new wife. You can take it literally and gift her a new vanity for her master bedroom or you can get creative and gift her a basket of little odds and ends to stash away in her house (think lip balms, lotions, soaps, leather conditioner, room mists, jewelry cleaners).
Wear whatever your heart desires! A makeover party can be as casual or as formal as you would like to make it. We like the idea of keeping it girl-next-door simple and then changing into something more va-va-voom for an evening out after the shower is complete. Don’t let those fresh faces go to waste!
Favors to give out for a makeover party are endless. Perhaps let each guest take home the lipstick they’ve chosen for their new look. Or a clean set of makeup ushes. Whatever you choose will certainly be useful, even if it gets stashed in the bottom of a purse at first.
In Vino Veritas
Raise your glasses in honor of the ide! Pick out a full flight of different Chardonnays or try out each wine from a local vineyard. Add some hors d’oeuvres and you’ve got yourself a wine tasting shower fit for any ide to be.
Decorate like you would for any food and wine party, just kick it up a notch. Display cheese platters on a variety of trays and dishes. Scatter flowers around the room in tiny bunches. Keep the space functional with places for guests to set down their glasses and plates as they walk around.
Give the ide crystal and silver! Shower her with everything she’ll need to be a fantastic hostess. Don’t forget to equip her with a fantastic wine tasting guide book, a state-of-the-art decanter, and (of course) a few bottles to take home to share with her soon-to-be hubby.
Wear your happiest sundress. Pull out the stops head to toe with your favorite jewelry and shoes. You’ll be doing a fair share of toasting so be sure your nails are freshly manicured.
Favors are plentiful in the wine market. A custom-labeled bottle straight from the tasting menu is the perfect way to thank guests. Chocolates to accompany the wine are also a crowd pleaser.
