5 Games to Play At A Bridal Shower That Your Guests Will Love

Coming up with great bridal shower games can be a real challenge but it doesn't have to be. With a little creativity and these great free printables not only can you throw the best bridal shower ever but you can do it within a reasonable budget too!  Planning ahead and getting creative is all you need to do to pull off a fun and memorable shower!

A wedding shower should be a fun event that the bride along with all the guests should enjoy. At most wedding showers the diversity in ages of those in attendance can really make it hard for the person planning the shower to come up with games and activities that all of the guests will enjoy and be able to participate in. The games your guests play together at a shower can be a lasting memory for them as well as the bride so choose wisely based on those who will be attending - you don't want great aunt Edna to break a hip while participating in a more active type of game!

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Need some help coming up with games and activities for guests to play at a bridal shower? Zola.com, the wedding company that will do anything for love (aka - experts), has provided me with several fun shower game ideas and 57 free printables for you to download and use at the next bridal shower you host.

There is no need to break the bank in order to throw a fabulous bridal shower - these fun and memorable games will help you stay in budget and provide lots of fun.

SUPER FUN GAMES TO PLAY AT A BRIDAL SHOWER 

BRIDAL TRIVIA

This is a great game for a family bridal shower. For the soon-to-be-new in-laws this game is a great way for them to really get to know some unique facts about their future daughter in law. Also, this game can be played by all of your guests no matter their age or physical abilities. For the free printable from Zola.com click HERE.

RING HUNT

Looking for a bridal shower game that will require guests to get up and move around a bit (hopefully promoting some mingling!) to look for hidden rings. Before the shower starts the host needs to hide plastic engagement rings all over the room. The person who finds the most wins a prize. Get the free printable for this game HERE. These plastic engagement rings are the perfect size to use for this game and you can use any extras as cupcake toppers!

BRIDAL SHOWER CHARADES

These wedding themed charades are sure to get your party guests laughing! This classic game is guaranteed to create some funny and memorable moments. Print your set on card stock, put them in a bowl and let guests take turns drawing them out and then acting out the word(s). Print your free bridal shower charades cards HERE.

WINE TASTING

Treat your guests to a wine tasting experience as a unique bridal shower activity. These beautiful wine tasting score cards can be printed on card stock and distributed to guests so they can tally their experience sampling a variety of wines. Also, mixing inexpensive wines with a little pricier ones will help you keep the cost reasonable. You might find that your guests prefer the Winking Owl Pinot Grigio (thank you Aldi!) more than a higher priced bottle. Use small plastic cups instead of large wine glasses to help keep the cost reasonable too.

You don't have to be an expert sommelier to have fun with this activity - just encourage your guests to share their opinions of each wine with those at their table and let the conversation roll! Find the free printable wine tasting cards HERE

FLOWER CROWN BAR

A Flower crown bar is another great activity to do when your guests range in age and physical abilities. Vases or pails of fresh cut flowers and some bobby pins is all you need in order to do this one. Check your local farmer's market for in season flowers to use or pick wild flowers to use that won't cost you a thing. Encourage guests to accessorize their hairstyles with the fresh cut flowers securing them with the bobby pins. Make sure to capture these moments as guests pose together for pictures. You could even vote for the most creative crown with the winner receiving a prize. To download the printable for this activity click HERE.

If these awesome bridal shower games and activities aren't enough check out these additional 49 free bridal shower printables to use the next time you host a bridal shower.

...More Bridal Shower Ideas

WEDDING ADVICE CARDS

Everyone loves to pass along sound advice to those just starting out on a new adventure especially if the advice giver has many years of marriage experience. Give your guests an opportunity to impart some words of wisdom to the bride and groom as they begin their marriage. These advice cards can be used at a bridal shower and at the wedding reception too! Collect the cards and put them in an album or use a small binder to keep them together for the bride and groom to read later. 

Download and print the free advice cards HERE.


RECIPE CARDS

Does your family have a special recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation? Keep the tradition going by giving the bride and groom a collection of treasured family recipes. Send guests a blank recipe card with their invitation (or use the recipe card as the invitation) and ask that they bring the completed recipe cards with them to the shower. 

During the shower collect the cards from guests and let the bride to be read a few out loud to guests so everyone gets a chance to hear some of the delicious recipes that were shared. After the shower collect the cards and put them in a recipe card box or recipe binder for the bride to take home with her.

More Budget Friendly Bridal Shower Ideas

If you are throwing a bridal shower but have a limited budget these free printables (above) will certainly help you keep the cost of the party reasonable. Check out more budget friendly bridal shower ideas in this post: 10 Ways To Throw a Bridal Shower That Won't Break The Bank.

click to read more....

29 Engagement Photo Props + Engagement Money Saving Tips

Congratulations on your engagement! Announcing this momentous occasion to everyone is a big job so why not make it fun? Engagement photos are a great way to share your big news with everyone .

This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase through the link I may receive a small commission at no additional cost you you. For more information please see my Disclaimer pager. Thanks!

Your relationship is special so why not make your photo shoot extra special and incorporate some fun custom props to make the pictures of you and your fiance unique? 

These 29 FREE Printable Engagement Photo Props and Ideas from Shutterfly will certainly make your engagement photos special! They include everything from symbols and funny props, props to incorporate children and pets as well as themes like vintage, rustic and pop art styles.

What a fun way to get creative and let your personalities shine through in your engagement photos! Here is the entire collection FREE for you to use! 

29 Free Printable Engagement Photo Props

Simple Symbols Photo Props

click HERE to download PDF

Vintage Photo Props

click HERE to download PDF

Rustic Photo Props

click HERE to download PDF

Personalizable Photo Props

click HERE to download PDF

Comic Book Exclamation Photo Props

click HERE to download PDF

Funny Engagement Photo Props

click HERE to download PDF

Props Including Pets & Kids

click HERE to download PDF

Short & Sweet Photo Props

click HERE to download PDF

A Fairytale Proposal Photo Props

click HERE to download PDF

New Titles Photo Props

click HERE to download PDF

Which theme best describes your relationship and which ones will you be using in your photo shoot? Share your ideas and photos with me in the comments! Also, don't forget to PIN this post for later.

$$ Save Money -Wedding Budget Tips

Keeping the cost of your wedding within budget, including engagement photos is important. In addition to the Free printable engagement photo props here are some other money saving tips that will help you save money and stay within your wedding budget.

Money Saving Tip #1: Use Free Printables
This is a great way to customize your photo shoot without breaking the bank. I recommend printing them out on thick card stock paper for durability. For a few extra dollars you can always have the printing done at Office Depot for a very reasonable cost. I've used Office Depot in the past for wedding shower and baby shower invites and they did a fabulous job for a super reasonable price.



Money Saving Tip #2: Hire A Friend
Finding a photographer to shoot your engagement photos does not need to break the bank. Consider asking a friend who has a good eye for taking photos - it might cost you a coffee at Starbucks but this is cheap compared to a professional! If you don't have any friends who are talented amateur photographers why not contact a local trade school or college to see if there is a photography student in need of building their professional portfolio.


Money Saving Tip #3: Use A Low Cost Printing Service
After the photo shoot consider having your photos printed through a service like Shutterfly or locally at Office Depot. This is a very reasonable option and most of these retailers have pre-made templates like collages for special occasions like yours. Also, keep your eye open for any discounts or coupons offered by these services.


Money Saving Tip #4: Wedding Website
Instead of printing out tons of engagement photos to mail to all of your friends and family why not create a personal website or wedding blog that includes all the photos from your photo shoot! Emailing the link to your wedding blog or website doesn't cost you anything and allows your friends and family instant access to view the pictures, make comments and share with even more friends.

Getting engaged and planning for your upcoming wedding should be fun! Finding opportunities to showcase your unique relationship to share with others is an important way to make your wedding and personal and special. You can do all this without breaking the bank!

More Bridal Shower & Wedding Tips

For more wedding and bridal shower tips and money saving advice check out these posts:

click HERE to read more

click HERE to read more

Don't forget to PIN these for later! And please share these posts that include great ideas, tips and advice with your friends and family. 

Hey, did you know that Amazon has a Wedding Registry? Could life get any easier? When I was engaged I remember trying to set aside time for my fiance and I to go to the stores we wanted to register at and then scan each item into our registry. It was time consuming and stressful! 

I love that you can now make your own registry online without having to walk around a store aimlessly scanning crockpots, dishes, cups and placemats. Plus you can always update, delete and add items whenever you need to all from the comfort of your own home. Boy do I wish that was around when I got married!  

Your guests will love the Amazon wedding registry too! I have used it many (many!) times to buy wedding shower and wedding gifts. I've had the gifts shipped to the bride or groom directly or right to me so I can bring it to the wedding. 

So do you have an Amazon Wedding Registry? Start yours today by clicking here to sign up and start adding your items to it. 

Make Your Wedding Day Unique With DIY Newlywed Tip Jars

DIY Trendy Newlywed Tip Jars

Weddings are a special time to come together and celebrate your love with family and friends. You have planned out this day for a long time, and want to have a special memento from each guest to look back on later. That's why Personal Creations has put together a FREE PRINTABLE titled Newlywed Tips that guests can fill out before or after the ceremony.

If you haven't heard of this tending DIY idea, a newlywed tip jar is a unique way to allow guests the opportunity to offer advice to the newlyweds Simply print out the tip ideas, decorate a mason jar for guests to place the completed printables and set on a table at your wedding. Add a few pens for guests to use, and let their creativity begin! From managing finances to navigating the first year of marriage, getting insight from loved ones who have gone through it themselves can be extremely helpful.

Not only is this alternative guest book budget-friendly, the tips are unique and useful for years to come. Once they have written their insights on the printables, just place them in the jar folded. Then when the two of you are looking for some real-life advice down the road, you'll have a plethora of wisdom from loved ones!

Here is what the free Newlywed Tip Jar Printables look like! Pretty amazing, right? From words of wisdom to date night tips, these printables are the perfect way to leave your favorite couple with a keepsake they can enjoy long after their big day- customize them yourself and add to the wedding tip jar!

Words of Wisdom:

printable HERE

Date Night Tips:

printable HERE

Tips for the Mr. & Mrs

printable HERE

If you haven't heard of Personal Creations you need to check out their website NOW! They have the most amazing gifts for all occasions that can be personalized. Here is my favorite personalized wedding gift:

find it HERE

This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please read my Disclaimer page.

Budget Friendly Bridal Shower Ideas

We all know that weddings are expensive but the cost of throwing a bridal shower can drain your bank account quickly too! Don't worry I have put together some great ideas to help you save money without sacrificing quality when throwing a bridal shower. For more awesome budget friendly wedding and wedding shower ideas read 10 Ways To Throw a Bridal Shower That Won't Break The Bank.

Click HERE

10 Tips & Tricks for an Awesome Bridal Shower Party That Won't Break The Bank

Planning, hosting and paying for a bridal shower can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to! Of course you want to throw your BFF the best bridal shower ever so with a little creativity and hard work you can pull of the party of the year and still have some cash left in the bank.

My sister in law is getting married in a few months and I volunteered to help host a bridal shower for her. She comes from a fairly large family so I knew this would be a well attended and semi-large gathering - the "kicker" is that the budget for the shower is tight but I still want it to be a classy party.

Tasked with the challenge of throwing an epic bridal shower within budget I sat down and let the creative juices start to flow (with the help of Pinterest of course!).

It costs more than you think to be part of a wedding even if you aren't an actual bridesmaid. As a close friend or family member you have to consider the costs of a shower(s), wedding gifts, attire, lodging....you get the point!

Here are some great ways to throw a bridal shower on a small budget that is still memorable, fun and classy.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my disclaimer page. Thanks!

10 Ways to Throw a Bridal Shower That Won't Break The Bank

Party Venue

Be creative when considering a venue for the shower. If the budget doesn't allow for something like a restaurant or hall think about other options like a state or local park with a pavilion. Also consider asking one of the guests to "borrow" their home as the shower venue. All you need is a big living room or if the season is right, a big porch to throw a great shower.

Invitations

Sending out custom paper invitations can be quite costly. The options to send out free invitations online are endless so why not try doing this to save a few bucks. For those guests who aren't very tech savvy and aren't able to receive an "e-vite", grab a package of pre-printed invites to send to them.

Here are a few free electronic invitation sites you should check out:

EVITE - easy to use, customizable invites for any type of gathering you need to send invitations.

PAPERLESS - not only do they provide online invitations but they can track RSVP's and link directly to a gift registry.

If you love the old fashion paper invites here is a great deal I found on Amazon:

via: Amazon

Party Planner

Skip hiring a party planner to do the work of setting up a party - you can do this with the help of a few friends or family members all by yourself. Assign each person a task like setting up the shower space, decorating, plating food and organizing games.

Here is an excellent party planning checklist from Fantabulosity I'm sure you will find useful.

Decorations

Party decorations do not have to be brand new or extravagant. Use what you have around the house like a small mason jar with jute twine wrapped around the center as a vase - add a few sprigs of baby's breath and prest-o-chang-o, you have a simple and elegant floral arrangement.

Also, spray painting mismatched vases the same color will give your decorations a sense of unity and style. Gold or silver are great wedding themed colors to stick with.

Pull out those twinkling white Christmas lights from storage you already have and string a few strands around to decorate.

Balloons and even streamers in the wedding party colors can be great party decor.

  Food

Food is a big budget item for any party especially if it is wedding related. If catering is out of the question consider asking a few guests to help prepare food ahead of time.

Depending on the time of day that the shower is being held you could serve finger foods versus a full meal. A brunch or late afternoon shower where you only serve appetizer style foods could really help keep cost down.

If the shower is in the winter serving soup can really help you stretch your budget without sacrificing quality.

Here are some simple finger food ideas you might like to try at your next shower:

Festive Fiesta Bites via: Kraft Recipes

Pinwheel Sandwich

Mojo Pork Kabobs - via: marthastewart.com

Beverages

Keeping the drinks simple can help keep the cost of a bridal shower down. Boxed wine or pre-mixed pitchers of cocktails in a punch bowl are much cheaper than hiring a bartender. Coffee, tea, water and soda are also acceptable drinks to serve if you want to stay away from the more expensive alcoholic beverages.

Need a simple punch recipe? Here you go:

Fancy Party Punch

• 2 quarts of cranberry juice
• 2 quarts of ginger ale
• 46 ounces of pineapple juice
• 1 cup of lemon juice
• 1 container orange sherbet

Mix together in a punch bowl, add ice and it is ready to serve.

Dessert

Everyone looks forward to dessert at a bridal shower but you don't have to break the bank with a custom bakery cake. Whipping together homemade alternatives like fruit pizza cookies, brownie/marshmallow/strawberry kabobs or chocolate dipped pretzels rods can keep you within budget while still offering guests a sweet treat. Still want cake - how about dressing up a grocery store cake with your own decorations and frosting accents.

Here are two ideas we used at the shower for my sister in law

Strawberry, Marshmallow & Brownie Kabobs via: clipzine

Fruit Pizza Sugar Cookies via: cookingclassy

Shower Games

Shower games don't have to cost a lot (if anything) and can still be quite a hoot! Here are a few that have a high fun factor but low to no cost:

• What's In Your Purse - have a list of items with point values and ask guests to tally up how many points they have based on what is in their purse from items on the list.
• Mad libs Wedding Themed- there are lots of examples on Pinterest that you can use for the mad lib game. Ask the bride to select her favorite of the completed mad lib vows to select a winner. Click here for a bunch of free mad lib ideas.
• Toilet Paper Wedding Dress - divide guests up into groups and give them a few rolls of toilet paper. One guest per group is the "bride" and the rest have to create a wedding dress with the toilet paper to display on the "bridge". The real bride votes for the best toilet paper gown.

Prizes & Party Favors

The Dollar Store is your best friend when it comes to gifts for prizes. You can really find some great items for cheap! Think candles, bath soaps, oven mitts, spa items - the Dollar Store has it all!

If you aren't into giving store bought prizes how about whipping up a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies and packaging them in a cute gift bag to give as prizes. (Need a good chocolate chip cookie recipe? Click HERE for my Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe)

Individual party favors for your guests can really add up so why not turn it into a make-n-take activity for the guests and bride to do together. 

Small terracotta pots and colorful sharpie markers passed around for all to sign make a great memorable party favor that won't break the bank. Throw in a pack of flower seeds and you are all done!

* * *

No matter what your budget - using your creativity and enlisting a few friends to help is always a good idea when it comes to throwing a party or a shower. Have fun with it!