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Wedding

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A wedding is a day to celebrate the love and union of two human beings. A bridal shower however, is all about the bride.

It is a celebration of a woman, her essence and who she is going to be in the future without losing her core personality.

It is for that reason that I love bridal showers so much. I can’t think of a better occasion to go all out showcasing the bride-to-be in the midst of ones they love.

Starting with the bridal shower invitations

The bridal shower invitations are the first impression of the special event.

When guests view the invitation for the first time, it evokes emotions, builds excitement and provides an initial glimpse into the bride’s personality.

It also sets expectations of what the day would be like. For most people, it would send their imaginations to overdrive.

Naturally, you need to pay attention to the bridal shower invitations. You need to create something that talks about the bride without actually talking about the bride.

For me, it all starts with the theme. The theme that you choose, will speak volumes about the person you are celebrating.

Choosing the perfect bridal shower invitation theme

Tea Party Bridal Shower Invitation

Remember, the bridal shower theme does not need to complement the wedding theme. You truly can go all out to bring out the bride’s personality.

The theme that you choose reveals a lot about the bride’s nature. This needs to be reflected in your bridal shower invitations.

For instance, I have seen beautiful tea party bridal shower invitations that have a gorgeous color scheme.

What this tells me, is that the bride is someone who is elegant. They are graceful, stylish and have mannerisms that exude confidence.

On the other hand, for someone who is more outgoing, loves a party or a carnival, I would opt for fiesta bridal shower invitations.

Whichever theme you pick for the bridal shower, just keep in mind that it needs to showcase the bride’s personality.

As the one planning the bridal shower, don’t get overwhelmed by the theme, color choices, food and drink options etc. If you keep the bride in mind, all answers would come to you on their own.

Here are a few more examples of bridal shower invitation themes. While going through them, think which words speak of the bride and you will know the one to pick.

  • Tea party
  • Fiesta
  • Rustic
  • Greenery
  • Vintage
  • Beach
  • Fairytale
  • Cocktails
  • Floral
  • Nautical
  • Tropical
  • Boho
  • Contemporary

What Next After Picking the Theme?

Once you have narrowed down on the theme, there are a few other considerations from a design perspective.

Colors: I have heard suggestions that colors such as purple or gold go well with bridal shower invitations.

However, as we are talking about creating invitations that showcase the bride’s personality, the colors need to be reflective of this as well.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with colors that the bride-to-be would love.

If required, order a sample of the bridal shower invitation you have designed online to check how each element looks and feels after printing.

Envelopes: After the card, comes the envelope. It is important you pick an envelope that matches the spirit of the actual bridal shower invitation.

Match the envelope color as closely as possible to the actual invitation.

For convenience, choose a service that provides easy to use peel and seal envelopes. That would make life much simpler when mailing them out.

Photos: If you decide to use a photo of the bride on the invitation, try to get one that matches the theme.

Therefore, using the tea party or fiesta example, try to get hold of a photo that has the bride in an elegant or party pose respectively.

Other content elements: Needless to say, all other elements on the bridal shower invitations such as fonts, text content, graphics etc. should complement the overall idea of showcasing the bride’s personality.

Ideally you should use online tools to create the bridal shower invitations that automatically generate the most appropriate fonts based on the chosen theme.

Final thoughts

A Bridal shower is such a wonderful occasion to show the bride what she means to her loved ones.

It is not just about celebrating the new life she is about to enter, but honoring the person she is deep down inside.

For that reason, a bridal shower that celebrates or showcases the bride’s personality clearly demonstrates that people see her and love her for who she is.

Saving money on weddings can seem something of an oxymoron. As any blushing bride will attest, spending a lot of money and planning a wedding go hand in hand. That need not be the case.

If you consider yourself to be something of a frugal bride, then this handy guide will give you great cost saving exercises that you can implement into the planning your big day:

1. Forgo the Church

Many brides want to get married in a church as it forms part of the ‘big, white wedding’ dream. However, getting married in a church is notoriously expensive. If you want to save money on your venue costs, then you need to start looking around for other wedding venues.

There is a great selection of alternative wedding venues in the UK, which are still as beautiful, and grand, as getting wed in a church.There are hotels, parks, town halls and registry offices to name but a few. This means that you can still have a white wedding, but on a budget in a great wedding venue.

2. Get Crafty

If you want to save a fortune on wedding stationery, which is hideously expensive, then you need to start getting creative and start making your own. With a plethora of arts and crafts shops, you will be spoilt for choice. Enlist the help of the bridal party to assist with the creating, and making, of the invitations.

3. Invite Less People

While this handy tip may seem commonsensical, inviting fewer people to your wedding will save you a lot of money. This means that you may not be able to invite your aunt that you haven’t seen in years, but it does mean that you will get the people there that you want involved with your big day.

Think about your close friends and family, and don’t invite long lost relatives or someone you met in a pub once. You will save a small fortune in the process. Having a small, select wedding will be a blessing.

4. Pre-Loved Bargains

Saving money is imperative when planning your big day, so it may be time to start digging around for pre-loved bargains. You can shop for pre-loved accessories, such as veils and tiaras, or you can look for second hand table decorations. If you are feeling particularly thrifty you can look online for pre-loved bridesmaid dresses.

Scour charity shops, factory outlet stores and eBay for some serious bargains. You can still have a beautiful wedding, but you do not have to spend mega bucks to achieve it.

5. Use Paper Flowers

Fresh flowers can be pricey, but many brides do not want to forgo flowers on their big day. You can still have a picture perfect bouquet, but at a snip of the cost should you choose to have paper flowers.

Paper flowers look amazing and are a cost-effective solution for brides on a budget. They look particularly beautiful when formed part of a vintage wedding theme. Your paper flowers can have beautiful pearl and gem adornments to ensure that they sparkle on your big day. You could even try making them yourself for that extra special touch.