The Great Gatsby Shower

The bride admiring her Candy Floss display!

Beautiful plumes of sweet candy floss for guests to partake

I have never planned a bridal shower in my entire life so I was a bit nervous about throwing something other than a small intimate get together or an informal BBQ. After planning this soiree for 40 people I have some tips that might help you plan your next bridal shower.

Have a Planning Meeting

We first started with a meeting with the bridal party and the bride's mom to decide on the location, food and decor. The bride's mom had a beautiful backyard with a pool that was perfect. The bride wanted something in the evening with a ' Great Gatsby Theme.' We poured over the details and made sketches of our ideas. We planned a budget that was reasonable and doable. Remember- don't work beyond your means as it only ends in tears and dashed dreams.

Originally, when the bride said Great Gatsby my heart sank while my head swelled with visions of chandeliers, large persian rugs and absolute opulence. But then, I remembered that things like peacock feathers and lots of candles would prove affordable.

Favors R' Us

I can't say how many times I have been to weddings and showers both wedding and baby with tacky favors. Chochkes that collect dust, yucky cookies and even worse things baby themed. ( Remember I hate to throw things away!) I love when folks do donations but I wanted to do something a little different.

We had decided on a candy buffet. Simple, elegant and tasty but the cost associated with each little silver colored almond made us feel sickly green. The bride doesn't have much of a sweet tooth for desserts so we opted for an amazing cotton candy display. The night before the shower we busted out a rented cotton candy machine and had at it. It was a really fun process with awesome results. There were 'oooos' and 'awwws' when folks walked in!

Creativity is the Way to Be

Repurpose! Reuse! Recycle! Think about what you can use that might be creatively jazzed up, like baby food jars. I have about a million in my basement and they made perfect tealight holders. Savings- at least 30$.

We wanted an elegant display on the main food table that incorporated our table centerpieces so we opted for tying in twigs ( from the backyard), crystals from the guest book tree and also peacock feathers. The bride's mom had a beautiful antique mirror that completed the look- for- less.

The Devil is in the Details...

When planning, think about what you remember from parties and events you have been to. What did you like? What do you think the host/hostess missed? I am a special- soaps- in- the- bathroom kind of gal. I remember a shower where there were many non-veggie friendly foods that weren't labeled so- from then on I swore up and down that I would label everything. Some people find it very helpful. We labeled the Sangria and Herbal Water so folks would know what they were drinking.

Look for themes you can repeat, repeat, repeat

Let the record skip a little. Use the same fonts and feel as the invitations so people know what to expect. We utilized black, silver and tea rose throughout. We used a pair of funky scissors to cut the corners of the favor tags and also the signs.

Have A Ball
I had a blast planning this shower with the bridal party. When things get stressful or things don't turn out perfect remember WHY you are throwing this party. To honor a special person in your life who will love it no matter what because they love you! I know that sounds terribly corny but- you know its true....