The intimate nature of lingerie itself lends this type of shower to being hosted by the bride’s good friends. It might be a good idea to invite the bride’s grandmother to the “Stock The Kitchen Shower” being hosted in a few weeks, and leave her off the invite list for this shower theme. In the end, everyone will be more comfortable!

Invitations

As mentioned above, a “Lingerie Shower” is just that - an opportunity to gift the bride with sexy and flirty lingerie. Set the tone of your shower right off the bat with the invitation. The invitation itself will immediately convey to the guests whether over-the-top sexy or even trashy gifts are in order… or if they will be purchasing gifts that the new bride might actually wear!

There are many very cute themed invitations for the Lingerie Shower theme. We really like the selection at PaperStyle.com. They have a great assortment of lingerie themed invitations, from cute to sexy, and classic invites that you can customize with an invitation saying or poem that sets the theme for the shower.

Some great poems or sayings to use on your Lingerie Shower bridal invitations are:

Julie will soon be a bride, all dressed in white,
Let’s help get her ready for the honeymoon night!
A Lingerie Shower honoring
Julie Stevens

Nighties and teddies, a little satin bra,
Are sure to make Michael say
Ooh la la!
Please join us for a lingerie shower honoring
Julie

Cotton pajamas are
Julie Steven’s
Night time attire
She needs a few things to help light the fire
A Lingerie Shower
Will start her off right
Let’s outfit her for the honeymoon night!

There’s been plenty
Of preparation
Before her wedding day
Now all she needs is a little lingerie!

Something sexy, something sweet
Something special to knock Michael off his feet

Ribbons, feathers, satin & lace
Any pretty thing for
Her Michael to chase!

The big event is on the way
Let’s help the bride prepare
For her big day
Instead of dishes, pots and gadgets galore
We’ll do lacey to racey to stock the lingerie drawer
An intimate shower in honor or
Julie Stevens

An important point to remember when hosting a lingerie shower, is to provide the bride’s sizes for bra, panties and other lingerie. It can be included on the invitation, or if the invitation’s design cannot accommodate this information, you can also include a smaller card with the sizing info. It could look something like this:

Sizes:
36C / 6 – 8
Medium

You might also consider hand-making the invitations. The theme of the shower kind of lends itself to this. You could cut out a simple bodice shape using nice white or ivory paper. Attach pretty lace or ribbon, or even glue on a few rhinestone embellishments. Hot glue guns will work best and be the least noticeable!

To set the theme for a lingerie shower that’s a bit more risqué, if you’re leaning more towards a bachelorette party-type shower, you can make an invitation in the shape of a black lace garter.

Setting The Mood

Absolutely! When you’re decorating for a lingerie shower, it’s a fantastic opportunity to go all out and give your home a sexy, flirty feminine vibe! You’ll want to have plenty of fresh flowers placed around the party area. There are many sources for to purchase bunches of affordable flowers. Some great places to buy armfuls for pre-made bouquets are Sam’s Club, Costco or Trader Joes. These stores always have huge bouquets of beautiful flowers that aren’t budget-breakers, so even though you’re decorating your entire house with fresh flowers, it’s not eating up a lot of the party budget. Another spot for flowers is your own backyard! And if you don’t have a garden, ask around the neighborhood or check with your family. Pick whatever’s blooming and it will look and smell amazing. You might also check out your local farmer’s market for fresh blooms.

Purchase some scented candles to lend a nice soothing, sexy feel to the day. Nothing too overpowering… save the apple pie scent for fall! Choose something slightly floral or with a light vanilla flavor. Set the mood with a custom playlist of cocktail party music, we suggest something that’s smooth and sexy, like Michael Buble.

Refreshments

As far as what time of day to have the actual event, a lingerie shower seems to go over best in the evening. You can really vamp up the mood with lighting (or lack thereof) and candles. Also, this is where the drinks come in…you MUST have champagne to toast the bride-to-be and her girlfriends! It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some sparkling white grape juice on hand in case someone doesn’t drink or is pregnant.

You could do champagne as your drink for the night…or you could mix up a signature cocktail, one that is especially loved by the bride. Either way, go for sexy and sophisticated!

We like having a signature drink, plus some prepared cocktails that you can prepare in advance and serve either in a punch bowl or use pitchers, so guests can help themselves. One of our favorites is a Basil Strawberry Lemonade with Vodka, featured on DrinkInventor.com.

And what to nibble on with the cocktails? Try this:
• Purchase 12-15 long-stemmed strawberries, green caps intact
• Slowly melt a bag of chocolate chips (I like dark, but you can use dark, milk and white to have a variety!) in the microwave, stirring after every 45 seconds
• Dip each strawberry into melted chocolate, about halfway up; twirl to shake off excess chocolate and let cool on wax paper. How easy is that? And it’s much cheaper than purchasing them from a specialty store!

You’ll want to have some other food on hand to go with the chocolate-covered strawberries. Girlfriends, especially those with lingerie, swimming suits or jeans on the mind, like to nibble. As a hostess, nibbling is your friend. Look through your favorite cookbooks or online for your favorite appetizer and hors d’oeuvres recipes. Now’s the time to get a little more creative than the usual chips and dip! Choose a few hot items to prepare, and a few cold items. Plan on 2 pieces each, per person. For a simple but totally awesome recipe, try some yummy tomato tarts. Ahh, summer! Girls always like a nice selection of cheeses, paired with assorted crackers and fruit. Just think bite-size!!

Party Favors

After all of that eating, drinking, laughing, lingerie-opening, drinking and laughing, it’s time to gift each guest with her own special favor. A darling, theme-appropriate idea is a sachet—for each girl to place in her own lingerie drawer! I checked a few places online and found some cute ones that you might want to try. The best part about these? You can make them yourself, which will keep your costs down, and they aren’t difficult to make! Yes, you heard right…they are on Martha Stewart’s site and they are really easy to make. Send the girlfriends out the door with their lovely sachets…take off your shoes, prop your feet off and enjoy the left-over strawberries!

The game gets funny as guests try to out-guess each other trying to anticipate the bride’s answer, and there’s sure to be lots of laughs as the bride gives her answers and guests begin scoring their cards.  Finish Her Thoughts is a great bridal shower game that guests of all ages can easily play. Use this as an icebreaker, or as a quick and easy shower game.

Guests get 5 points for each correct answer.  The person with the most points wins!

Download and print our free Finish Her Thoughts bridal shower game now

Preparation
Print and make copies of the MARRY bingo cards and insert them into the shower invitations. The cards should be filled out by the guests before they arrive at the shower.

If you’ve just found this fun shower game, and your invitations have been mailed out, just pass out the bingo cards as guests arrive and have them fill it out before the gift opening starts.

How To Play
As guests arrive, remind them to be ready with their MARRY bingo cards for the Shower Gift Bingo game you’ll be playing. That way, if they forgot to bring their card, you can have a few extra on hand for them to fill out quickly.

As the bride gets ready to open her gifts, remind guests to play attention, and check their card against the opened gifts for a match. If they have a match, cross off or cover the square. If a guest has 5 in a row, they yell “MARRY”, instead of “BINGO”!

The Winner
The first person to make a line vertically, horizontally or diagonally by covering off the squares that match the gifts being opened, wins!

Click here to download and print MARRY bingo cards for the Shower Gift game

Note, this shower game is hard to play at smaller showers, because there are less gifts given and the odds of someone getting BINGO are not very good.

Preparation
Complete the answer sheet when the bride arrives at the shower.

How To Play
The bride casually leaves the room when you’re ready to play this game. Pass out the worksheet, and give guest 2 - 5 minutes to write down as many answers as they can remember.

Now, have the bride re-enter the room. Read the questions and answers from your answer key, to the guests.

The Winner
The guest who remembered the most details about the bride is the winner, and is awarded a prize!

Click here to print the worksheet for The Bride Was Wearing game

There are three copies of the worksheet on this printable PDF. Estimate the number of guests, and divide by 3 to get the number of copies you’ll need. For example, if you’re expecting 28 guests, print 10 copies of this worksheet. That will give you enough to pass out to all of the shower guests, and one to use as the answer key.

Corsage For The Bride
Remember to purchase a corsage for the bride to wear at the shower. This will make her feel special and makes a nice keepsake of the event.

Thank You Photo Memories
As each guest arrives or departs, have a picture taken of them with the bride. The pictures can be used as part of a keepsake album from the shower, and a copy can be included with the bride’s thank you note to the guest.

Sharing Words Of Wisdom
Before the shower, prepare a notebook or pieces of stationary that will later be assembled into a book. Include a note with instructions, and ask guests to write some advice for the new bride. As the shower begins, start passing around the notebook for guests to write their thoughts. It’s nice to include the words of wisdom in the guests’ handwriting, and if you want to do that, make sure to pass out pretty stationary or a nice journal. If you plan to type the snippets later, a regular notebook is fine. If you are typing up the words and assembling the book later, consider combining the pictures taken above with the words of wisdom as a remembrance gift of the shower.

This is a wonderful present to give to the bride on her wedding day, as she is getting ready. The special thoughts from people she loves will be so appreciated!

Disposable Cameras or Designated Photographer
Disposable cameras are a great idea, especially if you’re hosting a large shower. This is such a fabulous way to capture pictures from many different perspectives and things going on at the same time! Have about one camera for every five guests, and place them on the tables. Let guests know that they are encouraged to take pictures!

Alternately, ask one of the guests or an attendant to be the designated photographer for the day. The hostess will be too busy, and the bride would definitely like to have photos of her shower.

Gift Note Taker
As the bride opens her gifts, have a designated person write down each gift and who it was from. This will make writing the thank you notes so much easier! If the shower has many guests, consider having two people recording the gift and giver information, maybe alternating every other one so nothing is missed.

Bow Bouquet
This is a fun bridal shower tradition! Have a paper plate on hand, and cut a small hole in the middle. As the bride opens her gifts, one of the hostess helpers collects the bows, and tapes them onto the plate. The ribbons are threaded through the hole in the middle, and used as a handle. This bow bouquet is then used by the bride at the wedding rehearsal. So cute!

We’re frequently asked etiquette questions about the types of gifts to give at the bridal shower versus the wedding, whether cash is appropriate, etc. Here are some of our most frequently asked questions, which may help you as you get ready for purchasing a gift for the next bridal shower you attend.

How can you let guests know where the bride is registered?
This depends on traditions in the area where you live, and it is best to ask family and friends what the practice is in their experience.

In some social circles, it is perfectly acceptable to note in the invitation where the bride is registered. In fact, many locations offering bridal registries print up special cards for the bride to insert into shower and wedding invitations. If you are the bride, remember to select a range of gifts in several price points so guests have a broad selection to choose from.

In other social circles, it is more appropriate for this information to be relayed via an inquiry to the hostess, and is often then passed around by word of mouth.

Can money be requested as a bridal shower gift?
It is generally unacceptable to note in the bridal shower invitation that cash is the preferred gift. This is even though in a recent survey, 78% of consumers said that they would prefer to give cash as a wedding and shower gift. This is especially true as the average age of couples marrying for the first time continues to rise, and many newlyweds already have most appliances and houseware items.

In some areas, a money tree or wishing well is quite common, and if that is the case in your area, a note at the bottom of the invitation about a money tree or wishing well being an available alternative at the shower would be appropriate. Check out the creative wedding wishing well poems and ideas in our related posts noted below.

If cash is really preferred, spread the word using friends and family. Let them know that when guests ask, they can tell them that the bride would prefer cash as a gift. There’s no harm in having them mention this to guests who inquire as to what the bride would most like for gifts at her shower.

If the bride or wedding couple has something they are planning on using the cash gifts for, it is helpful to know so that this can be communicated at the same time as the inquiry, like “Janie and Rob are hoping for some cash gifts, which they plan to use towards the down payment on a new house”. The bride can also mention this in her thank you notes.

As a guest, if you wish to provide cash or a check to the couple within your card, that is an acceptable gift choice. Gift cards are also an excellent alternative, which will also allow the bride go select a gift according to what would best suit their needs.

Another creative way to handle requests for cash gifts is to inform guests using the couple’s wedding website. For example, at ewedding.com, couples can create a free wedding website that features information about the wedding. Most of them include gift registry area, where the couple notes the stores they have registered at. They could also add a note, such as:

If you were thinking of giving a gift, to help us on our way.
A gift of cash towards our house, would really make our day.
However, if you prefer to purchase a gift, feel free to surprise us in your own way.

Whatever you would like to give us is wonderful
The choice is up to you
We are registered at xxxx,
But money is at the top of our list too!
It will help us pay for xxxx

Should the hostess give a gift to the bride at the bridal shower?
The bridal shower is considered to be a gift to the bride-to-be from the hostess, and it is up to you if you choose to give an additional gift to the bride. If you do choose to buy another gift, a token gift is definitely acceptable, given the costs and effort expended towards hosting the shower event.

Related Posts:
Wishing Well Basket And Poem
Top 15 Favorite Bridal Shower Poems

We’ve put together the etiquette questions we are most often asked by hostesses planning bridal showers to help you as you plan your event.

Bridal Shower Planning - Etiquette Questions

Who should host the bridal shower?
The maid of honor is the traditional hostess for the bridal shower.

Can other bridesmaids be included in the planning?
Yes! All of the women who will be bridesmaids at the wedding have been asked to stand up with bride because they are very important to her. It is proper to ask if they would like to help in the planning. It is also important to include them when selecting a date, so they can plan schedules accordingly.



Is it proper for a family member of the bride to host the bridal shower?
In the past, it may have been considered improper for a family member to host the shower, since this event is traditionally a gift-giving event and if a family member were to host, the perception may have been greed.

In today’s modern society, it has become more acceptable for a family member to host. Sisters of the bride are often bridesmaids and are the most likely family member to host. Mothers of the bride should not be the hostess, but can be involved in the planning process.

If you live in an area that may be more inclined to traditional values, consider the bridal showers you have recently attended and who the hostesses were. You can also ask close friends for advice.

Should the bride help plan her bridal shower?
The hostess can involve the bride on some matters of the planning, such as the date and time, the guest list, gift idea and there may be some games that will require information only the bride will know. In general, try and keep the games and other details a surprise. This will add to the excitement and really allow your bride to enjoy the moment!

Do you recommend hosting a surprise bridal shower?
Planning a surprise bridal shower is complicated and often ends up being not a surprise at all. The bride will usually expect to have shower hosted for her, and thinking that her bridal party has forgotten this special occasion will only add additional stress for her.

A surprise shower could be thrown by her co-workers during a work day. Or she could be surprised by a smaller, more intimate shower with close friends or family in the few weeks before the wedding.

If the bride has been previously married, do we still host a shower for her?
Yes! The bridal shower is a celebration, and the bride should not miss out on this joyous event because she has been married before. Ask the bride if she would like a shower. Depending on the situation, she may decide it’s not appropriate to have a traditional gift-giving party. Instead, consider hosting a casual stock the pantry or recipe shower, with guests bringing a small gift and their best wishes for the bride.

When should the shower be held?
The traditional gift giving shower is usually hosted 1 - 2 months before the wedding. The exception could be if the bride lives a out-of-state, and is traveling back home for her wedding. In that case, you could schedule the shower around a time she will be there for planning purposes, holidays, or the week before the wedding.

Who should be invited to the shower?
Consult the bride with regards to the guest list. Generally, invite the women from both the bride and groom’s side of the family, all bridesmaids and close friends of the bride. Traditional etiquette requires only inviting those who will also be invited to the wedding.

How should we handle inviting step-families?
Today’s families are a mixture of traditional and combined families. If the bride is friendly with the various step-families, they should be included. If there may be a chance of conflict at the event based on the personalities involved, ask the bride to extend the invitation, with the condition of the attendees being civil out of respect to her. Not inviting members of step-families may potentially cause more hurt feelings, so be sure to work closely with the bride on the guest list.

How many people should be invited to the bridal shower?
While it depends on where you are hosting the event, most bridal showers have between 10 and 20 attendees. This keeps the event small enough where everyone will have a chance to mingle with the bride.

I have been to many bridal showers where there are upwards of 50 attendees, and if you come from a large family, this may be a more manageable number to insure family members are not left out.

What kind of invitations should we plan on sending?
The invitations you select can be custom printed, purchased from the card store or sent via email. Many hostesses are choosing to make their own invitations using the computer, and a printing program like Print Shop. This enables you to create a professional looking invitation that you can easily customize, and it looks great!

What information should be included on the bridal shower invitation?
Be sure to include the Bride’s Name and Shower Date/Time. Also important are:
Address of the shower
Map of the shower (optional)
RSVP date and phone number
Hostess’ name and phone number
Shower theme information (if necessary)
Registry Information (optional)

Is it proper to include registry information in the shower invitation?
Yes! Showers are primarily gift giving events, and it is proper in most social circles to include the registry information. If you think some guests may be offended by including it, leave it out but make sure the hostess’ phone number is on the invitation so guests can call with registry inquiries. Many stores offering bridal registries will also have small registry cards that can be slipped into the invitation.

How should we have guests RSVP?
The easiest way of having guests respond is by telephone. Keep a guest list by the telephone and check off “yes” or “no” when a guest calls.

When should the “RSVP by” date be?
The best guideline is to use 2 weeks before the shower. If you are running behind schedule and have mailed the invitations late, choose an RSVP date that is one week before the shower.

What do we do with guests who have not RSVPed by the noted date?
The hostess should call the guest and inquire if they will be attending. This will remind them, if they have forgotten and also give a more accurate guest count.

When should the bridal shower invitations be mailed?
If there are out-of-town guests, plan on mailing their invitations 3 - 6 weeks before the shower. For local guests, sending invitations 2 - 4 weeks before the shower is appropriate.

How should the event flow in terms of timing and activities?
Allow about two hours for the entire shower event. Depending on how many people are attending and whether they’re a chatty bunch, your event may end a little earlier or last a little longer. Here’s a general schedule of how a generic bridal shower will flow, and you can add, remove or re-order it as you like.

• 15 min - Greet guests, serve drinks and light appetizers. After all guests have arrived, if it’s a relatively small shower, go around the room and have each guest introduce herself and tell how she knows the bride.
• 40 min - Play a few shower games. It’s great to play the shower games towards the beginning of your event, as they’re a great icebreaker. Remember, there may be some guests who will only know the bride.
• 30 min - Break for lunch. Once all of your guests have had a chance to get their plate together, the bride will begin opening her gifts.
• 20 min - After the bride opens her gifts, guests will often chat amongst themselves and then start leaving. If you’re having doorprizes or shower favors, distribute them now. The bride should be free so she is able to thank guests as they leave and say goodbyes.

Does a shower have to have games?
A bridal shower does not have to have games, but it is nice to include them if many of the guests are not familiar with each other. It gives everyone a chance to be included and participate in the event. If the bride is older or not into games, lunch at a nice restaurant may be an alternative.

What kind of food should I plan to serve at the shower?
This depends on what time you are hosting the shower. If it’s served in between mealtimes, you should plan on having light snacks and refreshments for guests. Fruit and vegetable trays, crackers or chips with dip, pretzels, nuts and something sweet for dessert would be acceptable. For refreshments, serve coffee, tea, punch and soda.

If your shower is planned for the time people usually eat brunch, lunch or dinner, you should plan on serving something more substantial. A buffet is a great idea, and you can also invite guests to bring a dish for a potluck. They can bring along recipe cards to share with the bride and the guests.

Do we have to provide a shower favor for guests?
This tradition varies based on where you live, and what the common custom is with your circle of friends. In some regions of the country, shower favors are not given, as guests feel they are there to show their love and support for the bride and do not need a favor in return.

In other areas of the country, it would be considered rude to not have a favor to present to departing guests. Some simple favor ideas are potpourri satchels, scented candles or candy. For a more personal favor, consider taking a picture of the bride with each guest, and giving that to the guest as a memento of the day. With today’s small portable printers, someone from the bridal party could easily take the photo as the guest arrives and have time to prepare the pictures before the shower has finished.

When should thank you notes be sent?
Plan on sending out the thank you notes as quickly after the event as possible. During the shower, have guests write their address on the back of the thank you card envelopes. As the bride opens gifts, someone from the bridal party should be writing down the gift and who it was from so the bride can easily write a personal thank you message to each guest.

Invitations

There are several ways you can send invitations, depending on the formality of the event and the budget. Custom printed invitations from a specialty store, like InvitationBox.com, are printed with designs that complement the “Stock The Bar” theme. You can see their full collection here, and some of our favorite designs below. You can order these invitations with the words custom printed, or blank for about ½ price of custom printed invitations, so you can print them yourself.

Another option is using an online invitation company, like Evite, to create a free or low cost online invitation. Not only is this option instant, with no need to address envelopes, use stamps or drop them off at the post office, but you can also easily manage the attendee list as RSVPs begin coming in. It’s easy to attach driving directions using MapQuest or Google Maps, and for this shower theme, even the couple’s favorite list of drinks or preferred liquor.

You can also make your own invitations, for a fraction of the cost of printed invitations. Some great invitation wordings for the Stock The Bar bridal shower:

A spirited chorus line
We will make
For our (soon to be married) dear friends
Susan and Jake
Bring your favorite brew, glasses or useful device
So their bar will be stocked really quite nice

The wedding date is not to far
So let’s “toast” the couple and stock the bar

Before they share the same last name
Let’s stock them up to entertain

Before Danielle and Jim
Tie the knot
Let’s make sure their bar is stocked

Soon Cherie & David
Will no longer be single
So let’s get together
To mix & mingle
Join us for a Stock the Bar Shower

You’ll want to ask the guests to bring their favorite bar accessories, alcoholic beverages, mixers and drink recipes to help the couple stock their bar. This includes stemware, decanters, ice buckets, cocktail napkins, martini shakers, stirrers, mixers and of course, the alcohol.

Setting The Mood

After you’ve decided on your invitations, think about how you will decorate and set the mood for the party. For the Stock The Bar shower, we suggest making a really great playlist, filled with fun, party music on your iPod and playing it during the event. Select music that’s not too overpowering but the music will be an essential element. You might want to consider this amazing playlist on iTunes in the iMix section, titled Stock The Bar Shower Mix.

Provide floor pillows and other comfortable seating options. Food and drinks should be placed in several locations around the house. Dim the lights, light some candles and create the perfect lounge in your house! Encourage guests to mingle and have fun.

If having a houseful of people and liquor isn’t your cup of tea, take the show on the road! Consider renting out a private room within a bar or, if you have many guests, the entire bar. There’s no need to decorate when hosting your party at a club or bar. And, you can still ask the bartender to play that awesome playlist!

Refreshments

Whether at home or at a bar, you’ll want to make sure guests have multiple food items to graze on during the course of the evening. Be sure to have both hot and cold selections, and try arranging areas with serving platters in several locations. This will help naturally move people around the event throughout the evening.

Consider serving one or two “signature” drinks, perhaps the couple’s favorite drinks if they have one, along with a selection of beer. Don’t feel like you have to have a fully stocked bar at the Stock The Bar shower! Often, a few well-executed and thought out drinks make a better impression than lots of random liquor bottles, mixers and fruit slices!

Here are a few cocktails that would make great signature drinks for this event, the French Martini and the Tequila Sunrise.

French Martini

What You Need
1 oz. citrus vodka
1 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. Chambord
Lime wedge, for garnish

How To Make It
* Shake vodka, pineapple juice, and Chambord well with ice in a shaker
* Strain into a chilled martini glass
* Garnish with lime wedge

Tequila Sunrise

What You Need
1 1/2 oz. tequila
1 oz. orange juice
Splash of grenadine
Cherry or lime, for garnish

How To Make It
* Add tequila and orange juice to ice
* Top with grenadine and garnish with cherry or lime
* Serve on the rocks

Party Favors

Finally, you’ll want to send your guests home with a unique, fun party favor. One idea guests will love, is a creative display featuring miniature bottles of alcohol, personalized with the couple’s favorite drink recipes and their wedding date. You can use the little mini bottles of liquor, like the kind used on airplanes, or tiny bottles of wine or champagne. All of these selections are commonly found in grocery markets or specialty liquor stores. Tie each bottle with a ribbon and an appropriate drink recipe, and let guests take a handful on their way out.

This party will help your friends get a great start on stocking their bar. Have fun with this shower theme, it’s sure to be one of the couple’s favorite showers!

The premise behind the shower is exactly what you think. Guests will gift the bride with kitchen and pantry staples, like flour, sugar, salt, pepper, rice, Bisquick… just about any dry, packaged or canned item is fair game! The key is you will be asking the guests to present these in a unique or creative fashion. Include a blank recipe card in each invitation, and instruct invitees to write their favorite recipe and the bride’s gift will be associated with the pantry ingredient they have given as a gift, with what is needed to make the recipe! Remind guests to wrap creatively. By the end of the shower, your bride should have loads of pantry staples and recipes for her new kitchen, without ever having to step foot in a grocery store!

I found the cutest shower invitation that’s perfect for this Stock The Pantry theme. It’s a darling design featuring an apron, and has a detachable recipe card. Too cute!

Will We Be Eating Pantry Staples For Our Meal?

NO! Let’s plan a classic ladies’ brunch menu and invite the guests to come around 11:00am. To start, offer guests mimosas when they arrive. A mimosa is simply chilled champagne and chilled orange juice served in a champagne flute. Equal parts of champagne and juice will do the trick! Have regular orange juice and hot coffee and/or tea available for guests as well.

For brunch, plan on having at least one meat entree, an egg dish, a bread dish and a variety of fresh fruit. For a wonderful and easy bacon recipe, try this:

Sweet Oven Cooked Bacon
One package thick-sliced bacon
½ C brown sugar
fresh ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, which will help make cleanup a cinch! In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and the pepper. Take each slice of bacon and “dip” it into the sugar mixture, coating both sides. Place each sugared bacon strip on the cookie sheet and twist it, like you’d twist a breadstick. Push down on both ends to secure it to the cookie sheet. Bake 25 minutes or until crisp.

Your kitchen will thank you! No greasy bacon splatters coming from a skillet. When you are finished, simply plate the bacon, roll up the parchment paper and toss it in the trash! Cleanup from bacon will never be easier than this.

There are many recipes for egg dishes out there, ranging from frittatas to quiches to omelettes. You might already have a family favorite that’s your “go-to” egg recipe. Pull it out! If you are hosting this shower during the summer months, try incorporating fresh, seasonal produce: tomatoes, bell peppers and onions are wonderful with eggs.

An easy way to offer a bread item is to prepare something the night before in a casserole dish, and pop it in the oven an hour before your guests arrive. Try this easy recipe for Baked French Toast, courtesy of the Food Network’s Paula Deen:

Baked French Toast
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces) ?8 large eggs ?2 cups half-and-half ?1 cup milk ?2 tablespoons granulated sugar ?1 teaspoon vanilla extract ?1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon ?1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg ?Dash salt ?Praline Topping, recipe follows ?Maple syrup

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Praline Topping
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter ?1 cup packed light brown sugar ?1 cup chopped pecans ?2 tablespoons light corn syrup ?1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon ?1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients and blend well.

Add a nice bowl of fresh fruit, garnish with mint sprigs, and you are set!

Don’t Forget the Favors!

The obvious choice is to go with small kitchen gadgets. But with a little creativity, you can come up with something clever! Here’s some food for thought - these cute little spice jars are only $2 each that can be filled with tasty nut mixture or candy assortment. Consider doing a “Recipe In Reverse”, where the bride provides her favorite recipe, and you print copies and attach them to cookie cutters or other small kitchen utensils.

Both make for wonderful favors and will be appreciated by the bride and her guests. Good luck with your shower—have fun!

Nobody Turns Down A Chocolate Party!

When considering invitations, you’ll want to convey that it’s a dessert shower featuring chocolate. As obvious as that may sound, you don’t want to give off the impression that you are providing lunch or dinner if that’s not in the cards. This shower would be ideal for an evening time slot, maybe 7:00 until 8:30pm, if not later.

Under the “dessert” category, Evite.com has a few really cute electronic invitation designs. I especially liked the Chocolate Sprinkles and Dessert Table designs. Although not bridal-shower specific, you can personalize the text to make them your own!

For a more understated, modern look, you could simply go with the chocolate brown color for the actual invitation. I loved the “mochatini” colored paper found at weddingpaperdivas.com. Another contemporary choice, brown with baby blue accents, can be found at tinyprints.com.


With invitations in the mail, it’s time to consider the showstopper, the CHOCOLATE BAR MENU!

Piece De Resistance

For this type of menu - long on selections - you’ll probably want to “outsource” some of the cooking. What I mean is this: head over to your local bakery or specialty cooking store, check out their selection and place an order to complement your favorite homemade items. Some items to think about purchasing: chocolate petit fours and truffles. If these aren’t readily available nearby…try Dean and Deluca or Harry and David online. Although on the pricey side, Dean and Deluca has some fabulous “centerpiece” desserts like the Chocolate Fudge Cake from Dean and Deluca or their amazing Red Wine Truffles, and you might want to consider purchasing just one for a decadent touch at your special occasion. Harry and David’s cheesecake petit fours are delicious!

As you think about your menu, think about how you will display and serve each item. A dessert bar looks best along a countertop or on the dining room table - all together. And a lesson in aesthetics from the catering experts - your table display will look better when presented at different heights. Look for some serving dishes of various heights. Flat plates, tall cake stands, three-tiered dessert servers all work great. If the pickings are slim on your selection of “tall” pieces, use this trick: build height with small boxes, and place a tablecloth over the “stage”. Then, place your serving pieces on top. I would suggest putting all of your serving pieces out, then place a piece of paper on each containing the name of the dessert that will occupy the spot later on. This step will really help you visualize how your buffet will look and plan what you want to serve.

Some suggestions: petit fours, chocolate truffles, bite-size chocolate and raspberry cookies, and even fresh fruit served alongside a fondue pot. You can also have other interesting items available to dip into the fondue, like small pieces of pound cake, marshmallows, angel food cake pieces. Try this recipe for an amazing, easy-to-make Chocolate Hazelnut Torte, courtesy of Heather Carlucci. Delicious!

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
1 cup hazelnuts
4 ounces semisweet chocolate (we recommend Cluizel Brand)
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
½ cup flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and parchment a 9-inch cake pan In the bowl of a food processor, grind chocolate and hazelnuts down to a fine paste. Add soft butter and sugar and pulse until thoroughly incorporated. Add eggs one at a time. Scrape down bowl carefully, then add the flour. Fill prepared cake pan with torte batter. Spread carefully to level and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.

Don’t Forget The Beverages!

Even a professed chocoholic like myself has to break down and say that serving hot cocoa is probably going overboard. For this evening, you’ll absolutely want to serve champagne and also some nice, fresh-ground coffee. Incorporate the “chocolate bar” concept into your coffee service, and offer up a rich variety of condiments for guests to add to their coffee. Consider cocoa powder, whipped cream, cinnamon powder, white and brown sugar, half and half, cinnamon sticks and orange zest. Flavored syrups, like the Torani or DaVinci syrups, are a perfect compliment to your coffee or cocktail bar for whipping up delicious chocolate flavored drinks. Some of our favorite chocolate cocktails and espresso drinks are the Cherry Kiss Mocha, Rocky Road Mocha and Mounds Bar Martini.

Cherry Kiss Mocha Recipe
3/4 oz of chocolate syrup
1/4 oz of cherry syrup
1 shot of expresso
Steamed milk

Combine all ingredients in a 12 oz. cup and mix well.

Rocky Road Mocha
1/3 oz toasted marshmallow syrup
1/3 oz macadamia nut syrup
1/3 oz chocolate syrup
1 shot of espresso
Steamed milk

Combine all ingredients in a 12 oz. cup and mix well.

Mounds Bar Martini
6 Tbsp vodka (80 proof)
1 packet Diet Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix
4 Tbsp Torani Sugar Free Coconut syrup
2 Tbsp whipped cream (in dispenser)
Crushed ice
Hot water

Fill a martini shaker halfway with crushed ice. Combine cocoa mix with 2 oz of hot water and mix well. Add 2 oz of cold water and pour the mixsture into the martini shaker. Add the vodka, syrup and whipped cream and cover the top of the shaker. Shake for about a minute or until the liquid is thoroughly chilled. Strain into 2 martini glasses and enjoy! This recipe was featured on the Torani website, which has many more flavored coffee and cocktail recipes for you to consider!

And For Party Favors!

You will enjoy planning your party favors almost as much as the menu itself! Many bridal sites advertise cute tins of mints or chocolates (or chocolate mints!) that can be personalized for your event. These can be a unique, affordable option. You could also look at buying regular old Hershey Bars and having the label custom-printed with the bride’s name…or wedding date…or the shower date. You could have a basket of these setting near the door to hand out as your guests leave for the night. These monogrammed gourmet chocolates make a wonderful favor, too—there are so many different ways you could go with this theme!