For fall weddings, summertime is usually bridal shower and bachelorette season – it’s sunny outside, the fashion is bright and sassy, and, overall, everyone is a bit more relaxed and primed to party. This year; however, things are quite different and social distancing is making planning social gatherings, like bridal showers, challenging to say the least. Bridal showers have evolved so much over the years that there really isn’t a fool-proof formula for a finer-than-fabulous fete – it just takes friends, family, food, and fun. And COVID can’t call dibs on all of it, even if six feet of social distance is involved.
We’ll be honest, as much as bridal showers have changed as of late, this year’s virtual, backyard, and drive by showers are kind of our favorites. A bride is still going to get all the love she would have gotten at a “traditional” soiree and probably even more (seriously, who can see a drive by shower happening and not beep beep beeeeep for the beautiful bride?!) Of course, not being able to see ALL of her best friends, family members, work wives, and future family is sad, but at the end of the day, isn’t it easier sending one big virtual 😘 than spending an inordinate amount of time hugging and kissing guests? We think so! Oh! And not to mention: COVID might be cancelling a lot, but gifts don’t have to be #bridalregisteriesremain.
If you’re the Mother of the Bride, Mother of the Groom, Maid of Honor, Sister-in-Law, or a creative colleague with extra down time on your hands and lots of love for the soon-to-be-Mrs. in your heart, then we’ve got a lots of ideas (and pretty props) to help you zhuzh up your BFF’s Zoom shower and make it one her guests will never forget!
Photography by Esmeralda Franco
First thing’s first, though, you’ll still need to let everyone know what to do and where to go.
Any one of our exclusive Style Me Pretty bridal shower invitations can check that box off for ya! All of the delightful designs are completely customizable, so whether you’ll be hosting a mini shower for a small group of guests, a virtual brunch with as many guests as will fit comfortably in your Zoom gallery, or a drive by bridal shower and pre-vow parade for all the important people in her life to stop by with gifts, balloons, DIY-ed signs, and flowers, you can personalize all the details, timing, registry information, and more.
Make sure where she sits is special.
You might be joining her at her home or perhaps she’ll be sitting next to her spouse-to-be outside, but wherever she’ll be sitting to open presents, have conversations with her partygoers (partystayers?), basically just to be the guest of honor – polish it up a bit. She deserves it!
Style her drink cart for a tiny cohort.
Small shower or not, Bellinis and Mimosas don’t have to be missed! Whether you’ll be joining her or just prettying up her place to share the day with her guy or girl, you can really make her smile with some bar cart decor (also really nice for the wall behind or above!). Gorgeous garlands, a petite display of macarons, and masterfully-put-together bouquet of paper flowers. It all looks 👌.
Photography by Josh Deaton
Send clink-worthy favors for a virtual toast.
You might not be drinking champagne, berry-infused spa water, or sweet signature sips with the bride or the rest of her guests, but you can make the virtual experience feel all the more festive with celebratory drinkware. Speeches aren’t cancelled either, so when the time is right, ask everyone to raise a glass and send all the well wedding wishes to the best bride!
Photography by Matthew Land Photography
And leave her with thank yous to match her bash (pssh, it’s still a bash!)
We’d say fill them in for her, too, because no bride likes writing out thank you notes… but she’ll be more than willing after having such a great day! In our Wedding Thank You Cards shop, we have a number of photo-less designs that work stunningly as bridal shower thank yous. But for an even more special touch, invite a photographer (maybe even the wedding photographer the bride has booked for the future) to come for a mini session and have her shoot a few solo bridal shower shots that you can incorporate into her thank yous (and have framed to commemorate the occasion).
We know it’s tough to rethink the whole bridal shower blueprint that’s been around for decades, but, with our help, you can feel confident knowing that you’re planning something your best girl’s going to love! We promise!
Danielle Halibey is a writer, editor, and publicist living in New Jersey. She has been immersed in the world of weddings since planning her own whimsical, romantic affair in 2014. And isn’t that what they always say, “those who can’t do, teach?” Well, once her nuptials were over, she still had stuff in the ‘I Do’ industry to do. She writes regularly for top wedding blogs including Style Me Pretty and Wedding Chicks, and has garnered millions of press impressions for brands in the wedding space: fashion, beauty, wedding talent+tastemakers and more.
