DIY Fabric Bridal Shower Invitations

This great DIY find from Wedding Chicks and Paper & Thread Studio is sure to excite everyone. Take a look at these creative fabric bridal shower invites that are super easy to put together (no sewing required-we swear) and are ridiculously creative.

Real Showers: A "Chocolat" Chocolate Shower

Wow. This bridal shower that the author of the blog More than an Army Wife threw for her sister is great... and full of ideas for all of us.

The bridal shower was inspired by the hit movie Chocolat. Chocolate was the theme and they carried it out in every way.

The venue was Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery in Wrightsville, Pa. Look at the photo above to see the gorgeous venue. The winery describes its building as a "French Country Chateau" which really sets the stage for a shower inspired by a movie that is set in a "quiet little village in the French countryside."

The menu was chocolate inspired with items like:

Vegetable Display with Chocolate Yogurt Dip

White Chocolate Ambrosia Salad

Chocolate Soup with Mascarpone Brioche Sandwiches made with honey and cream cheese

Panini with Chocolate and Brie

Chocolate Fondue with Strawberries, Pineapples, Bananas, Pretzels, and Marshmallows

A chocolate candy buffet was a huge hit.

Even the games were chocolate inspired. They played four games: "How Well Do You Know the Bride and Groom?" quiz, "Guess the Candy Bar" taste test, "How Many Kisses Are In the Jar?" guessing game, and a version of "Don't Forget the Lyrics". Of course, the prizes related to chocolate and included a fondue pot, a chocolate making kit, and a chocolate spa set.

The highlight for most showers is the cake and this cake is no exception. Made by House of Claredon the bottom layer was chocolate cake with dalmation mousse filling (vanilla mousse with chocolate chips), the middle layer was french vanilla cake with chocolate mousse and the top layer was chocolate cake with Bailey's Irish Cream mousse. Sounds delicious.

For favors, the guests were lucky enough to get white chocolate covered fudge Oreo cookies with photos of the bride and groom, bride and groom chocolate miniatures, and copies of the movie Chocolat.

To top off the event, in addition to gifts, all of the guests were asked to bring their favorite chocolates for the bride. What a nice treat for the bride.

To see more of this shower, head over to More than an Army Wife.

Wedding Day Emergency Kits

One of your duties or jobs as a bridesmaid is to help make sure the bride is prepared on her wedding day. One of the ways to do that is to make a wedding day emergency kit.

Face

• Makeup for touch-ups
  
• Mirror
• Tissues
• Blotting papers
• Q-tips

For the Clothes

• Static Guard
• Stain remover ex. Tide Pen
• Double sided tape-ex. Hollywood Fashion Tape
  
• White chalk or baby powder (to disguise any stains on the bridal gown)
• Sewing kit (w/ scissors)
• Safety pins

Hair

• Brush
• Hairpins (ex. bobby pins)
  
• Hairspray

Smile

• Floss
• Travel toothbrush and toothpaste or Colgate Wisps
  
• Gum
• Mints

Nails

• Clear nail polish
• Nail polish
  
• Super glue
• Nail file

Body

• Tampons
• Deodorant
• Advil/Tylenol/Motrin
• Alka-Seltzer
• Tums
• Band-aids
• Visine
• Purell
• Pantyhose
• Contact lens solution
• Smelling salts
• Perfume
  

Jewelry

• Wedding band (something to act like wedding bands if need be)
• Extra earring backs
  

Feet

• Slippers
• Various foot cushions

Food & Drinks

• Water
• Small snacks
• Straws

Beyond the body

• Phone numbers of almost everyone you can think of (the officiant, vendors, other bridesmaids, groomsmen, church, reception hall)
• Directions to ceremony, reception, hotel, etc.
• Pens
• Cell phone with extra battery
• Cash (just in case)
  

Depending on where the wedding is, you might want to customize the kit. If the ceremony or reception is outside, add bug spray/bug repellent, sunscreen, umbrella (just in case), sunglasses, and antihistamines. If the bridal party has flower girls and ring bearers, bring coloring books or activities for them to do.

It's a good idea to store this where you will remember it. See if you can place it in the bridal salon or dressing room the night before. Or stash it in the limo.

Of course you don't have to put together a kit. Mojuba Bridal has one kit which contains basically everything a bride could ever wish for. The contents include: Madame Paulette^™ couture stain removal kit, L’Occitane^® luxurious hand cream, BugCatcherz^® fashion tape to keep your clothes in place, Ms. Manicure^® nail files, Charles Worthington^® hairspray, Scope^® mouthwash, Mojuba^™ Kodak^® camera, a sewing kit with pre-threaded needles, and lots more. Best of all, the Mojuba Bridal kits come in a fashionable clutch. Classy Bride has a kit which contains the must-have items to help brides fend off any last-minute fiasco: toothbrush/paste, brush, hair spray, dental floss, mints, drinking straw, pain reliever, antacid, lotion, emery board, clear nail polish, polish remover, tissues, deodorant, tampons, adhesive bandages, bobby pins, mirror, lint remover, mending kit, scissors, safety pins, stain remover, static remover, super glue, 2-sided tape, earring backs, and corsage pins.

Either which way, with a kit like this, you're sure to gain points by saving the day.

Bridal Shower Inspiration: Colorful Dessert Bar

Dessert bars are huge right now and can easily take the place of food for the entire bridal shower. That's why we were so excited to see this dessert bar from the talented Kelly Porter.

(All images are copyrighted Porter House Designs.)

A few tips from her beautiful dessert bar:

-Look for creative dessert plates, candy jars, and other knick-knacks at local antique shops, salvation stores, and thrift stores. For most themes, not matching is a good thing. Candy and desserts usually look best when you take different size containers and use them.

-After finding a ruby red cake plate, Kelly placed it on top of one that she already owned to create a delicious cupcake and cookie tower. Interested in creating your own cake stand this way-try this DIY tutorial found here.

-Kelly was inspired by a colorful sarong which she used for a tablecloth. She then added personal touches and, even more color, with scrapbooking paper and ribbon.

To see more of this dessert bar, head to Porter House Designs.

Invite out-of-town guests to the shower?

Bridal Shower Etiquette: Invite Out-of-town guests who can't make it?
Q: The bride's guest list includes lots of out of town guests, many who live in different states and who would have to fly to get here. Needless to say, we don't expect any of them to come. If we invite them, does it seem as though we invited them just for presents?

A:Feel free to invite out of town guests. They are under no obligation to send a gift and many will feel honored that they were invited to the shower. Just be warned though-don't assume that every guest will say no. Many guests who are close to the bride will fly in just for a shower so make sure there is room at the shower if they decide to go.

J Crew Wedding & Parties Sample Sale

Yes, the blog world can't get enough of J Crew's line of bridesmaid gowns. And we are one of their biggest fans. Now, here's your chance to get the dresses at sample sale prices. Yeah! Caveat-the sale is in NYC. The sale will be taking place from February 18th through February 21st. Check out the link here.

(Thanks to Perfect Bound for the inspiration for this post.)

FREE Bridal Shower Invites for Cocktail Parties

Wedding Style Guide has a great freebie-FREE printable bridal shower invites for bridal shower cocktail parties. Find them here. Use the money you save on invites to buy better liquor.

FREE Bachelorette Party Games

Bachelorette.com has a few great freebies for bachelorette party games. Try the Marriage Word Scramble for a great, non-alcohol, non-sexual, safe for all ages and crowds game. They also have a great printable Bachelorette Party Bingo where they did the legwork for you-just print out the cards and get ready to play. Best of all, both of these games are absolutely free-just print them out and use them at the party. These are great to use if you were looking for non-drinking, non-sexual games to get the party started.

Pay for the bride for a destination bachelorette party?

Bachelorette Party Etiquette
Q: We're planning a trip to Vegas for the bachelorette party. Do we have to pay for everything for the bride?

A: Typically for the bachelorette party, the bridal party (and other guests) pay for everything for the bride. BUT when it comes to a destination bachelorette party the rules can be bent. After all, few guests can afford to shell out a few hundred (or thousands) of dollars for themselves plus someone else.

So, what to do?

1) Figure out what the trip will cost. For example, a flight to Vegas and 3 nights at the Bellagio will run you about $504. Add up the plane fare, hotel room, and cost of any activities that you have planned for your destination bachelorette party like manicures at a spa or the latest Cirque de Soleil show. Don't forget about meals, drinks, as well as taxes and fees.

2) Ask the other guests what they can afford and what they want to pay for the bride. It's a good idea to at least cover the plane and hotel room for the bride.

3) Make sure the bride knows what you are covering for her for the bachelorette party. If you explain that you are covering most expenses but can't cover everything most brides will understand. Just make sure she knows ahead of time so you can adjust your schedules if need be and maybe choose a cheaper bachelorette party.