The Kitchen Bridal Shower
I've often heard it said that a kitchen bridal shower is a gift theme shower. And yes, this theme certainly dictates the sort of gifts your guests will bring. But who says it has to end there? A kitchen theme bridal shower bursts with possiblity. Crafts, games, favors - every element of the bridal shower can be uniquely spun to fit the theme. And what a fun theme it is! The word "kitchen" alone evokes a wide array of emotions and images. Nostalgia. Warmth. Creativity. What do you see? Or, more importantly, what does the bride see? Whether you're drawing inspiration from traditional Americana; sleek, contemporary styles; or the bride's personal vision for her home, a kitchen bridal shower can (and should) be heaps of fun!
1. The Location
It's only fitting to hold a kitchen bridal shower before a warm, inviting backdrop, such as a room in someone's home.
2. Kitchen Bridal Shower Invitations
Bursting with potential, kitchen shower invitations require their very own page!
Check out the ideas for creating striking invitations, complete with sayings, poems, and designs inspired by the theme. Or get some insight on purchasing kitchen bridal shower invitations you’ll love. Just one tip: whether you buy or make your invitations, be sure to include the bride's registry information on them. Save her the frustration of receiving five sets of wooden spoons.
3. Nametags
If several of your guests will be meeting for the first time, nametags help to make things a bit more comfortable. Browse through a clip art or royalty-free image program for pictures of kitchen gadgets, or for a different vibe, kitschy 1950s housewives baking or cooking. Transfer
the downloaded images to your word processor, and arrange them according to the size you want the nametags to be. Print them onto sticker paper, available at office supply stores or general superstores. Cut them out and you have great kitchen bridal shower nametags.
4. Decorating
Set up round tables if you have access to them, and spread a tablecloth over each. You might want to search for tablecloths adorned with fun, kitchen-inspired patterns, like small silhouettes of appliances. Lay a placemat and folded napkin at each setting for a truly homey feel. (Please see placemat ideas under "Crafts"). If you have a printer, you can create wall art perfect for a kitchen theme bridal shower. The subject? Famous Kitchens! Compose a list of about six or seven kitchens. You can include ones that you know from television, movies, and famous architects. Include a couple that you have never seen, such as the White House kitchen. Search for the pictures online - or in books, scanning them into your computer - and enlarge them in a graphics program. If the kitchen scenes do not inlcude their notable occupants, let them do double duty in a "guess-the-kitchen" game! Ask guests to write down their answers. Whoever knows her kitchens best, wins!
5. Centerpieces
The kitchen is such a fascinating room because it's filled with incredible variety. Miscellany is key in these unique bridal shower centerpieces. Comb through flea markets and antique stores for vintage food tins or canisters, one for each table. Bunch the bride's favorite flower inside them. They're as interesting as they are chic.
6. Kitchen Bridal Shower Games
Surely your guests know their way around the kitchen, but this game takes a different approach: Do You Know HER Way Around the Kitchen? Consider it the food edition of how-well-do-you-know-the-bride trivia. This game focuses on her cooking and eating preferences, but feel free to take it to creative new heights. Sample questions include:
1. Which hot drink can't she live without? Coffee, Tea, Cocoa, None.
2. Hot dogs or Hamburgers?
3. If (bride) was a spice, what would she be? Alternatively, you can find a ton of bridal games online and change them up slightly to make them kitchen-theme based. Here are some of our favorites:
7. Game Prizes
- Rustic basket filled with spices, oils, cooking wine.
- Love-themed refrigerator magnets.
- A chocolate-only cookbook.
8. The Menu
Offer foods that make you think of home. For an appetizer, try mini potato pancakes. Dollop a bit of sour cream on top and sprinkle with chives. Yum! As a main course, bake an easy casserole or lasagna, dishes that knock out your protein and starch in one fell swoop. Cook green beans or broccoli, and serve buttery biscuits on the side. Prepare a refreshing fruit salad with seasonal varieties.
9. Cake, and Then Some...
Ask your baker to draw an image of a toaster with two hot slices of toast protruding out. Accompany the picture with the words, "He Popped the Question!"
Cake may be a staple at showers, but a kitchen theme bridal shower is a great excuse to offer a delicous assortment of desserts, either in replacement of or in addition to the cake. Homemade pies, brownies, and whoopie pies evoke fond kitchen memories.
And don't forget about cookies. Whip up a batch of the bride's favorite, or get creative with cookie cutters. A little icing and imagination can turn squares into stovetops, rectangles into refrigerators, and circles into plates, complete with helpings of food!
10. Crafts
Dress up a plain tablecloth by setting out kitchen-themed placemats you've made yourself. Easily create plastic placemats with 9" x 12" laminating sheets and scrapbook paper. Search for paper printed with images of kitchen gadgets and appliances; I discovered a great, predominantly red design by Karen Foster brand. Hens and tiled patterns also make great alternatives without screaming "kitchen." Or sew up your own placemats with cute kitchen motif fabrics.
11. Favor Ideas
What better favors for a kitchen bridal shower than ones as practical as they are sweet.
- Retro-inspired recipe cards or shopping lists.
- An egg/pancake mold in the shape of a heart.
12. Unique Gifts
A bride only needs so many measuring cups. A kitchen bridal shower is your chance to feel creative in gift-giving, not confined.
Salad spinner.
Embroidered tea towels.
Coasters.
Matching placemats and napkins.
Spoon rest.
Digital meat thermometer.
Water purifier.
Ice cream scoop.
Lazy susan.
Anti-microbial dish cloths.
Tea kettle.
Waffle iron.
Ice cube trays.
Recipe cards and box.
Bag clips.
Tablecloth.
Paper towel holder.
Bread machine. "Complete" gifts:
Iced tea maker, a large box of tea bags, and a glass pitcher.
Cookie sheet, wire cooling rack, chocolate chips, and non-stick cooking spray.
Coffee maker, filters, and specialty coffee. Gifts you can fairly bet that no one else will bring:
An apron, in keeping with the bride's taste.
Mortar and pestle.
Compost crock.
Menu chalkboard.
Neat plastic bag holder.
Cookbook of the bride's favorite type of food.
13. Alternative Wishing Well Ideas
Because the bride will already have received lots of small gadgets, you may not need to have a traditional wishing well at a kitchen bridal shower.
Instead, ask each guest (in the invitation) to write out a favorite recipe. As you wait for the bride to arrive at the shower, collect all the cards and organize them in a recipe box. She'll appreciate having a wide catalog of delicous recipes right at her fingertips. Or try this: forego the recipes and instead have everyone write down a bit of kitchen wisdom she has gained over the years. These might include advice on everything from perfectly seasoned meat to a perfectly pleased husband.
Here are some kitchen-themed bridal shower supplies.
Enjoy!
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