Planning a Location Themed Bridal Shower

​When you set out to plan a party, especially a bridal shower, the best place to start is with a creative theme. If you have a bride with the travel bug, why not celebrate her journey into marriage with a geographically themed bridal shower?
After all, who wouldn’t want to be transported to Paris for a romance-filled afternoon of good cheese and fine wine, New Orleans for a jazz brunch of beignets and strong coffee, or New York City for a Broadway sing-along?
Once you choose your theme, every decision will flow and easily fall into place. Here are four tips for planning the perfect location-based bridal shower.

1. Make it Personal

You could plan the most wonderful, beach-themed wedding shower, complete with tropical drinks and a sandcastle sculpture of the happy couple. But if the bride is a city gal who loathes the ocean, it will be a flop.
Instead, think about the guest of honor. Is there a vacation she’s always talking about or somewhere she’s always wanted to go? Is there a city or country significant to her family? Does she love and miss her hometown?
With enough imagination, you can theme a bridal shower around any place, so long as that place is significant to the bride.

2. Set the Tone with the Invitations

Selecting the right invitations can do numerous things at once, including set the tone of your event, let guests know what to expect, and let them know if anything is expected of them. That’s a lot for one little piece of mail!
Still, you can find easily personalized, beautiful bridal shower invitations for any geographical theme, from a British tea party to a Moroccan feast through a website like Minted.com. Make sure to include event details (time, date, location, etc.), as well as anything you’d like guests to do for the theme, such as bringing a bottle of wine for a wine country party or wearing beach attire for a Hawaiian luau shower.

3. Focus the Decorations on Just a Few Details

Think about what makes your bridal shower destination unique and focus your decorations on those details. For a New York City-themed shower, you might look for items that reflect the iconic skyline, yellow taxis and I Heart NY merchandise. On top of this, you can add fun party favors like Mardi Gras beads for a New Orleans-themed party or candles shaped like the Eiffel Tower for your Paris theme.

4. Choose Local Food and Drinks

Choosing the menu for a location-themed bridal shower is the fun part of party planning. Every place, no matter how out-of-the-way, has some local fare that it’s known for. Doing a Cincinnati, Ohio-themed party in honor of the bride’s hometown? Serve an array of Queen City salads, along with mini Skyline chili dogs, Graeter’s ice cream, cocktails made with liquors from Northside Distilling and MadTree beer.

Adding Personal Touches Goes a Long Way

When you’re throwing a bridal shower, your main concern should be that the bride feels special and celebrated. A theme will take your shower from nice to memorable, so imagine how thrilled any bride will be when she sees that you have planned her shower around one of her favorite places — from the invitations to the decorations to the food and drink.