Bridal Shower
A pretty, relaxed celebration before the big day
Plan a bridal shower with a brunch or garden-party menu, a spritz station, and games people genuinely enjoy. Get a timeline that fits around the wedding calendar, quantities for a mixed crowd, and advice on gifts, co-hosts and keeping it true to the couple.
Countdown
The bridal shower timeline
Tick things off as you go — it’s a checklist.
8 weeks before
4 weeks before
2 weeks before
1 week before
Day before
Day of
Day after
Menu ideas
What to serve
- Potato rosti nests with whipped ricotta and pea relishBake the nests a day ahead. Recrisp empty, then fill. Filled they stand about 30 minutes.
- Slab frittataBrunch anchor; eats warm or at room temperature.
- Caprese skewers, one biteNo cooking at all, skewers ahead and sits at ambient briefly.
- Smoked fish plate, rye & picklesBought in, assembled cold, reads far more expensive than it is.
- Little gem salad with dates, avocado and champagne vinaigretteVinaigrette holds a week; lettuce can wait eight hours. Dress at the table so the leaves stay awake.
- Bought sourdough, cultured butterDeliberately outsourced. Buys back forty minutes of the day.
- Set cream tartFinished the day before. Occupies fridge, not oven.
- Macerated berries, thick creamFifteen minutes total. Summer does the work.
- Spritz station, build-your-ownGuests build their own from three bottles, no bartender required.
- Soft Alibi: white peach, jasmine tea and pink pepperPepper on the fruit, not in the liquid. Bottle the base and shake before every pour — puree settles in forty minutes.
Décor ideas
- · Loose garden flowers in bud vases along the tables.
- · A balloon arch or garland in the wedding colours.
- · A welcome sign with the couple's names.
- · Linen tablecloths and cloth napkins.
- · A photo display of the couple.
- · A spritz station with a hand-lettered menu.
Things to do
- · How well do you know the couple? A quiz with answers collected ahead.
- · Advice and date-night idea cards for the couple.
- · Build-a-bouquet station with loose stems.
- · Recipe cards for the couple's first kitchen.
- · Gift opening with a friend keeping the list.
Drinks
- · A spritz station with prosecco, bitters and soda.
- · A zero-proof white peach and jasmine tea spritz.
- · Mimosas with fresh orange and grapefruit juice.
- · Sparkling water with berries and mint.
- · Coffee and tea.
Music · Bright and romantic, low in the background.
- · Sunny acoustic pop.
- · Classic love songs from the couple's favourite era.
- · French café and bossa nova during brunch.
Questions hosts ask
How much food for a bridal shower brunch?
Plan about 230 g (8 oz) of a main like frittata or quiche and 125 g (4.4 oz) of each side per guest, plus about one roll's worth of bread. Add a board at about 85 g (3 oz) per guest per type if there is a long drinks hour.
When should a bridal shower be held?
Usually one to three months before the wedding. That leaves time for the couple to use gifts and avoids the busiest final weeks.
Who should be invited to a bridal shower?
Only people who are invited to the wedding. Get the list from the couple rather than building it yourself.
How much prosecco for a spritz station?
A 750 ml bottle makes about eight spritzes when mixed with soda and bitters. With two drinks per guest in the first hour and one an hour after, and a good zero-proof option, one bottle for every three or four guests is a sensible start for a brunch.