Throwing a bridal shower is one of the best ways for you to show your happiness for the upcoming wedding of your sister or friend. While bridal shower activities are fairly easy to prepare, choosing the best centerpiece for the event is often when people come up short for ideas. If this is your problem as well, here are a number of bridal shower centerpiece ideas for you to consider.

1. DIY Bridal Shower Centerpiece Ideas

Dove-shaped paper figurines, flower vases made of prettily painted bottles, and handmade wedding-inspired candles are just a few bridal shower centerpiece ideas that you can make by yourself. Better yet, most of the materials for these bridal shower centerpiece ideas can be found at home.

2. Affordable Bridal Shower Centerpiece Ideas

Words are very precious, so if you wish to reduce costs, here are bridal shower centerpiece ideas that will cost you few dollars but lots of creativity: one hand-painted tall candle instead of a bunch of them, fresh flowers from the garden, or a card welcoming the guests to the bridal shower.

3. Bridal Shower Centerpiece Ideas for Outdoors

When choosing a centerpiece for a bridal shower held outdoors, always make sure that it’s tough enough to stand sudden torrents of rain or gusts of wind.

4. Bridal Shower Centerpiece Ideas for a Second or Multiple Marriage

Avoid using the color white as much as possible unless you’re 100% sure that neither the future bride nor the groom will find it offensive. Pastel colors are always good choices and red – although bold – will do great as well because it’s the color that traditionally represents love and romance.

5. Take-Home Bridal Shower Centerpiece Ideas

A bridal shower centerpiece doesn’t have to be there just for display. They can serve as take-home goodies as well for your guests. A vase can be filled with plastic flowers or miniature balloons that your guests can take home afterwards. The same thing goes for baskets, baby buggies or wagons filled with loot bags for your guests.

By: Anthony Lee

You were given the honor of being chosen the maid or matron of honor and now you have to step up to one of your big duties: throwing the bridal shower. The question is how are you going to arrange a bridal shower party that is fabulous, especially if you have minimal event planning experience. Plus, you need to worry about sending out the bridal shower card in a timely fashion so all of the guests can be notified and will be able to attend the special event. If you’re worrying about any of these issues, keep reading for some helpful advice.

Planning Bridal Shower Games & Activities

Thinking of interesting ways to entertain your guests is an important step to take before you send out the bridal shower invitations. While refreshments are important and you’ll want to set aside some type for opening gifts, that will still leave you a decent amount of time to fill with activities that will make the people who receive the bridal shower invitation happy they decided to come to the event. Otherwise, you may have one of the shortest showers in history.

If you’re going to have a mixed guest list meaning many of the people won’t know each other, consider starting with an ice breaking activity. For example, you could pass around a bowl of candy and ask each guest to take as many as she wants. Tell them not to eat the candy until you give them the green light. Then start at the beginning and have each guest tell one thing about herself for each piece of candy she took from the bowl. Although most guests will be nervous at first, they will quickly enjoy the activity.

Other fun activities include trivia games about the bride and the groom, matching famous romantic movie quotes to their movie or start who spoke them, name that tune with romantic music, or a version of pin the tail on the donkey which uses a blow-up photo of the groom and a boutonniere.

Getting the Bridal Shower Invite Ready

While you’re planning the events, you should also be finalizing the guest list and choosing the most appropriate bridal shower card. If you’re going with a theme, be sure to choose invitations that match. For example, if your theme is lingerie you should send bridal lingerie shower invitations. Of course, you don’t necessarily need a theme to throw a great party.

Be sure once you’ve selected the bridal shower wedding cards you add all of the important information about the event on the card, including the RSVP contact details. You don’t want guests to have to wonder how to get in touch with you. Additionally, if you have any special requests for guests, such as to keep the party a surprise, you should add that details to the card as well. Remember that bridal shower card are going to ensure that you get your party off on the right foot.

By: Sarah Porter

Just because you have the perfect dress (or so you thought), you forget other important details like hairstyle, make-up, perfume, jewelry and accessories, bridal bouquet, and shoes. It takes more than the just the wedding dress to make you the picture perfect bride on your wedding day. Here’s why.

The Final Hour

Hold your breath for the moment of truth when you glide down the aisle in your beautiful bridal gown. You want everything to be perfect, and the moment you enter the church, there’s no turning back. Those details that might have been overlooked can’t be corrected. It’s too late now to fix the minor blunders that mock you in the face. Of course, you don’t want this disaster to happen. You might rather take that leap down the rapids rather than look all mismatched from head to toe on your wedding day!

Imagine yourself in a cocktail length bridal gown, sporting a stiff bird’s nest for a hairstyle reminiscent of the 1960s coifs. This just won’t work.

Choosing a Hairstyle

On your wedding day, don’t go for an experimental hairdo. If you have never worn your hair up, don’t start now. Go for the hairstyle that highlights the natural inclination of your locks, and don’t get your hair all ironed out for the sleek straight look when you’ve never done it before.

Here are some hairstyles to consider when you wear a definite type of bridal gown or have a specific wedding theme:

* Fairy tale wedding – Wear an updo (bun or French twist) with a tiara. Short hair can be styled perfectly by a creative hairstylist.

* Strapless gowns – Wear your hair loose, or let it fall in soft waves over your shoulders.

* Island romance – Let tousled curls kiss your kiss your shoulders and adorn your long hair with flowerettes or pastel colored hair sticks or hair jewelry. Make sure your hair stays in place despite the soft breeze.

* Formal gown – have your swept up to show the contours of your face and accentuate your look with a tiara.

* Adventure wedding – Ask the hairstylist to come up with straight side bangs and loose curls at the bottom.

* Traditional gown – The chignon or the modern coif will perfectly suit a sparkling tiara.

Before going for any of these hairstyles, however, heed the hairstylist’s advice. Hairstylists have to figure out the best hairstyle to go with the shape of your face, your bridal gown, your wedding theme, your body build, height, and your overall personality.

Wedding Make-up

Your make-up should be as close to natural as possible to avoid that caked look that makes you look older than you actually are. The make-up artist should always highlight your best features, hide the imperfections, and make sure that your make-up will stay in place the whole day. Eyelashes and eyebrows are also given a work up for that perfect wedding bride look.

Shoes and Accessories

As much as possible, avoid chunky shoes. These give an ungainly look to a gauzy bridal gown. The shorter your bridal gown, the prettier your shoes should be. When you’re trying on those wedding dresses, bring along that shoes with the kind of heel you’d want to wear for the wedding. If you’re not used to killer high heels, don’t attempt to use it on your wedding.

Never make the mistake of over-accessorizing, or you’ll light up the whole congregation with your baubles. If you’re wearing a tiara, drop earrings, and a necklace, that would be enough. Elaborate gowns will be enhanced with simple jewelry and simple gowns will be chic with elaborate jewelry.

By: Sarrah Beaumont