Along with the invitations to the bridal shower, send in blank recipe cards as well. Ask each guest to write her favorite recipe and bring it to the shower. Collect the recipe cards from your guests as each guest arrives, tie them with a beautiful ribbon and put them in a keepsake box. When the gifts are being opened, present the bride with the box of recipes. She will be thrilled with your thoughtfulness and have a great selection of recipes to make for her new husband!

To make it a little competetive, after receiving the cards, have the bride read aloud the names of the recipes she received and have her pick her favorite just from the name. Have that person win a prize.

This does take a little planning, as you want to give your guests enough time to get their recipe and write it out, but the end result is worth the effort and the cost is minimal.

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We have a free printable “Know the Bride” game available, as well as a free printable Naughty “Know the Bride” game in our printable bridal shower games section, too. It is but natural that the bride should be the center of attention at her bridal shower. To make the bride feel special and shower her…

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Gather a bunch of magazines that your guests can cut up and make a list of 10-15 wedding and marriage related words, you can even throw in some non-marriage words for variety. Divide all the guests into 4 or 5 groups and give each group a list of the words and the magazines (3-5 per team is good) along with an 11 x 14 piece of construction paper, scissors and glue.

Each group has to cut out words and pictures from the magazines and glue them on the paper to represent and make the words from the list. The group that finishes pasting all the words first wins.

When making up your words list make it a little fun (or naughty!) by adding some off the wall items like “a man’s butt” and even a few weird ones like “hot dog” or “panty hose”. Have the guest put the name of the “Bride to be” at the top of the page or perhaps you want to find words that describe the bride to be. If you are having a themed bridal shower, pick words related to the theme. The options and creativity of this game are endless!

When you are finished you can gather the collages up and present them to the bride in a scrapbook as a gift to remember her bridal shower.

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Put down the bride’s name vertically on paper cards. Ask each guest to write out a piece of advice (only 2-3 words each), beginning with the letters in the bride’s name. The advice can be risque or pragmatic. Of course, the more risque is it the more fun everyone has! Get the bride to read out all the advice aloud and share a few good laughs.

Example: Andrea
A: Always say “I love you”
N: Never go to bed angry
D: Don’t forget the sexy underware
R: Read Cosmo for advice
E: Eat in bed
A: Act naughty!

To add a bit of competition to the activity turn it into a fun contest with everyone voting on the “Best Advice”, “Most Creative”, “Funniest Advice” etc. Give a small prize for each winner.

At the end collect up all the advice pages and put them in a book or memory box for the bride as a great reminder of her shower.

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Get a bunch of candles and give one to each guest. You can also cut small holes in the bottom of paper cups to push the candles through to create candle “holders” so the guests do not get wax on themselves.

Make everyone stand in a circle with the bride in the center. Light the bride’s candle first. As the bride stands in front of each guest, ask the guest to say something special to the bride-to-be. It could be a special message, best wishes or just good marriage advice. Once the person has finished the bride can light the guest’s candle with her own.

Once everyone’s candles have been lit you can choose to say a prayer for the bride for a happy future and marriage.

Variation: Instead of or along with lighting the candles, you as the host of the bridal shower can also take a book and write down all the messages as each person is saying them. This becomes a great keepsake book for the bride for the years to come.

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Talk to the owner of a bar or club you frequent and set up the bridal shower there. Get a waitresses costume for the bride and make her play “sexy waitress” for the night. Put a label saying “Bride To Be” so that everyone knows it’s only a game. Let the bride serve drinks, gather tips and in general play a friendly, flirty waitress to your group (and everyone else at the bar if she is up for it!). Depending on how out going your bride-to-be is this can become one funny night. Just make sure to tip her well!

Note: As the hostess of the bridal shower, etiquette does not require you to sponsor the entire bridal shower at a bar or club. That can be pretty expensive. What is your responsibility however is to buy the entry for all the guests to the club, buy a round of drinks for everyone and give away some favors as a thank you.

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