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It’s the season for bridal showers, baby showers, Easter brunch and all sorts of spring get-togethers. I thought it the perfect time to share what I learned when I hosted a bridal shower for the first time for around 20 women. As you can image, it was a bit stressful, but also a lot of fun and a great excuse to indulge in champagne, cheese and cake. If you’ve never hosted a shower or large gathering, I have a few pieces of wisdom to bestow, plus I’ll share a bridal shower brunch menu that could also work for Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day brunch or any other spring party.

This is not an extensive look into how to host the perfect bridal shower, because I’m far from an expert host and entertainer, as you’ll soon find out. Rather, it’s a reflection on the day and the surprises that arose to help you be better prepared for hosting your first shower or brunch.

Let me set the scene. Guapo and I had been living in our new, bigger house for about two months, after just a year of being married, and I was excited to start inviting people over. So, when my best friend mentioned she needed a space to host her bridal shower, of course, I immediately offered. And when she said the guest list would be around 30, I said, “No problem!” Later, my husband would tell me, “Never do that again.”

The shower was also scheduled to be right between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but I knew, despite never having hosted a large party before, that I could do it. That’s how strong my holiday spirit was. I was determined to pull off a post-Christmas miracle.

Guapo and I were already putting added pressure on ourselves. We had just moved in and had no furniture, but decided, hey, let’s host Christmas dinner for my family! Instead of taking our time to shop for furniture we loved and could get a great deal on, we rushed to order a mid-century dining room table from West Elm and enough chairs from Target instead. It worked out in a way, because that meant I would have a table for the bridal shower instead of a sad, empty space.

The morning of the shower was joyously hectic. The bride’s family and I were busy in the kitchen bringing out food, making floral arrangements, putting finishing touches on desserts and making ourselves presentable. That being said, do as much as you can beforehand! Prep some breakfast casseroles the night before so you can bake them in the morning, set out all the serving dishes and utensils you’ll need, and have the photo booth and table for gifts ready.

Once people started arriving—and after I had a few mimosas—it was smooth sailing. Guests were kind enough to offer their help to replenish the mimosa bar, set out food and for anything else I needed (take note: if you want to always be invited to parties, offer to help the host). I got to meet fun people and spend a special afternoon with my friend before the big day.

There were a few surprises, but I would absolutely do it again if asked. I really enjoy entertaining and learned some valuable lessons while planning this shower. I think it helped me prepare for my first 1920s dinner party.

Here are five entertaining tips I learned from hosting my first bridal shower:

1. People Will Not RSVP.

People will not RSVP. I have discovered that this is a fact of life. I’m not sure why. You cannot control this. Once you accept that, you will be free.

The bride might have a good idea about who will actually show, so you should prepare to feed at least that many people, plus more. If there’s leftover food, you have lunch for the rest of the week.

2. You don’t need a seat for every person.

Remember that empty space from the dining room I mentioned? It would have really come in handy for the bridal shower. Here’s the thing: you do not need a chair for every person. Of course, this depends on the size of your event. For smaller showers, a seat for every person makes sense. And regardless of how many people show, you should have a few chairs out for grandmothers, pregnant guests and other people who appreciate chairs for their own reasons.

In my case, there were between 20 and 25 people (I never actually counted). The bride thoughtfully brought a folding chair for each person and her mother and grandmother spent the night before the shower ironing a white seat cover for each one of those chairs, which we then set around the dining room table and along the dining room and kitchen walls. It was a tight fit, but it looked absolutely darling. Surely people would want to sit down to eat and chat? No.

Where do you suppose people congregated? Most crowded on and around the bench in my entrance hallway until I lured them away with booze and cheese. Lesson learned: leave empty space for people to move around, mingle, dance, nap, etc. Have a few chairs along the kitchen walls (or whatever room the food is in) and a few extra ones in the living room with the other seating.

3. Don’t go overboard on desserts.

Being a dessert lover, I thought people would snack on sweets throughout the party. A cookie here, a brownie there, who’s counting? We set out mini muffins and green matcha shortbread cookies on a tiered dessert stand and I filled a crystal jar with white chocolate pretzels and a candy dish with Andes Chocolate Mints. To my astonishment, people did not ravage the dessert table as I expected.

However, the dessert table did provide an excellent backdrop for photos. The bride had ordered a small white cake that had a pretty gold cake topper. She had a sign to hang behind it and I made a balloon garland, so it was quite adorable. And people did eat the cake when it was cut, and the homemade alfajores the bride’s family brought (I could have eaten 10 of those).

My advice is if you’re going to spend money, use it on more bottles of champagne, not store-bought cookies and candy. Although, I still say you can’t go wrong with pink chocolate covered strawberries.

4. Don’t spend a lot on decor.

I was tempted to buy every banner and cute cocktail napkin I saw on Etsy and at the craft stores, but even I, the worst mathematician, knew that it would add up to be a lot. If you’re on a budget, buy some pretty helium balloons, pull out your white tablecloths and call it a day! Amazon is also your friend for things like glitter champagne toasting flutes, bridal shower favors and bridal shower games.

The one thing I think every party needs is a photo backdrop, but you don’t need to spend a lot on that, either. I made a simple bridal shower photo backdrop by draping a white sheet over a clothing rack and layering bunches of pink tulle over it. Then I tied a rose gold “Yay” balloon to the top. I set out my Fujifilm Instax Wide Instant Camera, extra film and bridal shower photo props on a side table.

5. Consider getting an assistant.

As mentioned, the photo booth was a hit. But people quickly realized I had amateur photography skills and I was then asked to take no less than one million pictures. That is an exaggeration, and I truly did not mind because I enjoy taking photos, but you may want to consider asking a family member to be in charge of taking photos so you can be in them, too! This person can also help with things like taking out the trash when it’s full and replenishing food trays.

So, now that I’ve shared this vital information, here are a few more tips on how to set up and what to serve.

Drinks to Serve at a Bridal Shower

Mimosa Bar

The most important part of a bridal shower! Booze and juice. But really, just the booze. For the mimosa bar, I painted a white plastic photo frame with gold spray paint to hold the sign. The glitter champagne flutes were set on a gold tray near cocktail napkins and gold alphabet stickers so guests could label their glasses with their initials.

I lined two galvanized party tubs with trash bags (to prevent leaks) and filled them with ice to set the champagne bottles in. I filled three juice carafes (you can find affordable ones at Kroger or Target) with orange, peach and grapefruit juice. I made the labels by cutting out card stock in the shape of tags, punching a hole in the top and tying one on each carafe with kitchen twine. There were also gold glitter cups for those who didn’t want champagne.

Water

With all the talking, laughing, crying and mimosa drinking, make sure your guests stay hydrated! I set out one cooler filled with ice and one with ice and cold bottled water, wrote “Water” and “Ice” on two pieces of paper and taped each sign to a cooler lid so people knew where to find it. I also set out a tray of room temperature water bottles.

I didn’t make cucumber water for the shower, but it’s really easy and people will think you’re so fancy if you do. To make cucumber water, scrub and slice a cucumber and add to a pitcher of water two to four hours before the party. Right before start time, set the pitcher with the other drinks with glasses or cups.

Coffee + Tea

Coffee or tea is always appreciated with cake. I set out a jar of sugar with a spoon and had milk and a dairy-free creamer for guests to choose from. I also filled a shallow crystal bowl with different tea bags. Consider purchasing coffee cups from a restaurant supply store if you’re light on mugs or dread the thought of all those dishes.

Bridal Shower Brunch Menu

Unless you’re feeding a group of vegans, you can’t go wrong with a cheese board. Even then, you could make vegan cheese if you have that kind of time and motivation—good for you, if you do. Either way, cheese boards can get expensive, but I’ve discovered that ALDI has a great selection of budget-friendly cheese. Their honey goat cheese is always a hit at my parties, and they have a delicious Applewood smoked cheddar. I purchased the majority of groceries for the shower at ALDI and saved a ton of money. Here’s what was on the menu:

Bridal Shower Brunch Menu

Mimosa Bar
Prosecco, Orange Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Peach Juice

Cheese Board
Honey Goat Cheese, Applewood Smoked Cheddar, Dried Apricots, Grapes, Sliced Green Apple, Salami, Crackers, Cashews

Sweet Paul’s Famous Feta & Lemon Dip

Pear, Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad from Chocolate with Grace

Blueberry Coconut French Toast Bake from Well Plated

Upside-Down Mexican Breakfast Casserole from Little Spice Jar

Croissant Sandwiches with Ham, Roast Beef or Chicken Salad

Dessert
Cake with Coffee and Tea
White Chocolate Pretzels
Matcha Shortbread Cookies
Andes Chocolate Mints
Mini Muffins
Alfajores

What did you learn after hosting your first shower or brunch? Let me know by leaving a comment or sending a message!

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