A Very Austin Bridal Shower

Hello, lovely bride-to-be (or her sister or best friend—thank you for planning)! Looking for bridal shower inspiration? The purpose of these parties, is for the bride-to-be to gather her girls of all generations to shower her with food, gifts and love to help prepare her for her upcoming marriage. While an old-fashion idea, the celebration doesn’t have to be stuffy. You can find plenty of online resources outlining the typical flow of events and an overwhelming number of Pinterest-style ideas for decor and games. However, if you’re interested in making it the definition of an Austin bridal shower, we have some suggestions for you!

Places to Go

Rather than clearing out your living room to make space, consider holding the bridal shower in a cool private dining room or event venue. Because Austin has a wealth of unique restaurants, you won’t have to settle for a chain. Austin Venue Collective is a great resource for some of the city’s coolest restaurant and bar spaces that also function as venues and can be easily booked for a bridal shower. This way, the main items like food, tables, and seating are immediately taken care of. And this leaves more room for fun decor elements and activity planning! As a side note, it is now popular to do a joint/co-ed wedding shower vs. bridal shower. If doing it this way, renting a venue is particularly nice to maximize space and minimize cleanup.

 

Pieces to Rent

The backyard bridal shower brunch is classic for a reason—it’s typically cheaper and provides a more personal space to celebrate. The only caveat is that, depending on the size of your party, you’ll have to bring in furnishings. Our outdoor-ready French 75 Table and Chairs (Parisian park mainstays) look right at home in any backyard space and save on the cost of tablecloths. An added small side lounge infuses a little personality and provides a place to gather around to watch the bride opens gifts or play games. Chic, casual and soulful…a very Austin bridal shower.

 

austin bridal shower

private residence

 

If you choose a local restaurant or event space, the majority of the heavy lifting will be taken care of for you. That said, you’ll most likely want to customize the space to make it feel less like a typical dining experience, we suggest a few select pieces to spice it up. We recently worked with Mint Event Design on this styled shoot at One Eleven East that perfectly captures the Austin vibe. Nate the Great provided the fun cactus balloon and Dream Bakery made the treats to match! As a base for these fun displays, our French 75 Table and Chairs finish out perfect daytime party look (similar to above).

 

 

Another bridal shower idea is to forget the tables and chairs altogether and go all-lounge, baby! Your guests will appreciate the laid-back vibe and it will feel like you’ve transported your comfy living room to the outdoors or into your venue. Check out our Get-the-Look page for inspiration. And f you want to add some serious spice, look no further than The Color Condition, a company that creates streamers out of tablecloths, shower curtains, and painters drop cloths. These pieces are beautiful in action and will, without a doubt, bring Austin flair to any party.

 

austin bridal shower

Greenhouse at Driftwood ::  Creatix Photography

 

And no matter where your event is held, you should document it! Our Vinyl Record Wall is a unique rental piece that is perfect for those who love this city for its music scene that also happens to make for a great photo background.

austin bridal shower

Things to Do

Aside from the traditional bridal shower games, here are a couple activities you could incorporate that would be perfectly fitting for an Austin bridal shower.

  1. 1) If you’re renting out a sizable event space, consider creating a karaoke corner for those who want to be able to say they saw some live music in Austin.
  2. 2) For those embracing the succulent theme, Plant Party can bring terrarium building to you — which also happens to make for an adorable party favor!
  3. 3) Last, but not least… if the backyard bridal shower is more your vibe, set-up a bloody mary bar with all the toppings and award a prize to whoever can make the most impressive concoction without it toppling over!

At the end of the day, your bridal shower is an opportunity to spend time with close friends and family. That doesn’t mean there is a requirement to have the event at a relative’s home or an official event space. Take what tips & tricks you will and create your very own Austin bridal shower. The only requirement is that you’re surrounded by loved ones and having a good time!

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