1. Tea Party Your setting can be indoors at a home, in a restaurant or hotel, or outside on a patio, in a park or an actual garden. Invitations could be in the shape of a pretty teapot. Any colors will work but the bride’s colors are a good choice. If you are doing the tea and food yourself, you’ll need pretty tea cups and plates, several flavors of brewed tea, and a selection of fingers foods such as tiny sandwiches, teapot shaped cookies, or bakery tea cakes. A lovely silver tea service is the perfect centerpiece. Ask your guests to dress accordingly, in dresses and hats, if they can. When the fun is over and the gifts unwrapped, send your guests home with a small packet of herbal tea as a party favor.

2. Pink Poker Party – I found this cute party idea online and since the Wedding Belles are known for their weekly poker games, I couldn’t resist including it. There are many ideas here and a video showing how to make a darling invitation on your computer. Pink is the word and everything, including the drinks which can be pink lemonade or pink martinis. Consider a shower cake like the one shown, only made in pink and decorated with playing cards, a pink and white chocolate cheesecake or any of the other recipes included at this great site: http://www.celebrations.com/article/ladies-only-pink-poker-party

3. Fiesta, Luau, or Asian garden party – Cultural themes are very popular and you can find all the info and paper decorations online or at your party store. All three can be set around a swimming pool if that’s available, or anywhere outdoors or indoors. An Asian party, especially would be fun and unique. Incorporate paper fans and lanterns and parasols as part of the decor, eat with chopsticks and serve sushi, mini egg rolls, fortune or almond cookies, or even Chinese carry-out. Small, colorful take-out boxes would make terrific favor containers.

4. Cowboy – Invite your guests with a cowboy boot design or even better, create ‘wanted poster’ invites for each of your guests. Use hay bales for seats, burlap for tablecloths or the country look of red and white checked. Decorate with anything western – photos of horses or cowboys, horseshoes, bandannas. Wanted posters of the bride and groom are especially fun and easy to make on your computer. Your food can be a full out barbecue or simple fare like pretzels, chocolates in the shape of hats and boots (available online from Oklahoma Chocolatier BedreChocolates.com), or have a cake or cookies in the shape of a wagon wheel or boot. Yee-hah!

5. Wine and Cheese Shower – Provide a variety of cheese and wines for guests to sample. Include the label beside each one. Party favors can be s wine glass. Invitations can be computer generated on Word with a wine glass art. Decorate with elegant flowers, lace table clothes, etc.

6. Music, Music, Music! – Plan your shower around a particular music theme. The 50’s are always fun but consider, too, the big band era, disco, the psychedelic 60’s or even a classical evening in fancy dress. Your taste, your choice!

Most of the showers I’ve attended have been simple cake and punch or finger food showers with decorations of wedding belles or photos of the bride and groom as kids. At one shower that stands out in my mind, the bride brought a large painting of her and the groom. She asked all the guests to sign the blank areas around the painting. Today that painting hangs in her home as a sweet reminder of a very special time.

So how about you? Have you seen any sentimental or unique things done at showers? Can you brainstorm any other cool theme ideas?