a pink bridal shower setup outdoors. — Barbie-themed bridal shower setup Via Girls Share Tips

Why Choose a Barbie Theme for Your Bridal Shower?

Come on Barbie, let’s get married! So you’re getting married! How exciting! Now it’s time to plan the perfect bridal shower to celebrate with all of your friends! And what could be better than Barbie?

The best thing about this bridal shower is that it can be anything like the icon herself. Hosting a Barbie-themed bridal shower will be able to bring all of your guests together with a playful and nostalgic but ultra-stylish setting.

There are so many gorgeous Barbiecore themes, outfits, games, activities, and even adventures that will bring you memories to last a lifetime. No one is putting these Barbies back in their boxes. So come on, we have some choreography to plan for this blowout.

Planning the Perfect Barbie-Themed Bridal Shower

Choosing a Sub-Theme

Barbie and her aesthetic have been an ever-evolving style icon for decades. Bringing inspiration to girls worldwide and loving everyone’s personal style. These endless options can be a little overwhelming, so we suggest choosing a specific Barbie sub-theme instead of just declaring a general “Barbie” theme.

Choosing a sub-theme can help you decide on a location, games, dress code, and more. Reigning in your design choices will also help you decorate your space to make everything look cohesive. You can start by looking through her iconic Barbies throughout the years, movie titles, and even general subthemes.

When choosing a Barbie sub-theme, don’t be scared off by the fear of it turning out like a kids’ birthday party. The idea is to bring a touch of femininity, love, and inspiration, that is Barbie. She’s the inspiration for our mood board.

Here are some popular sub-themes to consider:

Malibu Barbie
Disco Barbie
Cowgirl Barbie
Mermaid Barbie
Elegant Elevated Barbie
Barbie the Movie
Hot Pink and Orange Barbie
Baby Pink Barbie

2. Barbie-Themed Bridal Shower Invitations

Choosing a subtheme will guide the rest of your design choices for your bridal shower. You want your invitations to display the theme clearly, letting your guests know the deets, and obviously be pink.

Invitations should be sent out at least four months out so everyone can get their outfits on point and be ready to celebrate the bride. If you are hosting a Malibu Barbie bridal shower, and actually want to travel to Malibu for the weekend, make sure that you give at least six months’ notice so everyone has the opportunity to get their finances in order as well.

The possibilities for these Instagram-worthy bridal showers are endless as long as you give enough notice to your girls.

3. Barbie Decor Ideas

Decor for a bridal shower should depend not only on your theme but what shower style you want. Bridal showers have recently elevated to elegant dinners and a party where you dance with your friends until the early hours of the morning.

This means that you can have an elegant table setting for a sit-down dinner and go all out for decorations, similar to a reception. We want to find the balance between Barbie pink and an elegant bridal shower because the great fear is that we will find something more like a kid’s birthday party.

The place where it can all go wrong is the decor. Incorporating adult luxuries like proper place settings, a bartender, and even candles will help keep you on the right track.

An elegant Barbie-themed bridal shower means soft pinks, beautifully decorated cocktails, and tall pillar candles of baby pink. Crystal glasses, chandeliers, and a romantic evening to celebrate love.

Let’s say you want a more simple approach, or you don’t want to spend all your money on the decor of your shower, and maybe you want to DIY as much of it as you can. Making things look full or visually interesting is the best way to make them look designer.

Using balloons to create visuals overhead and bring more color into the space. Varying heights of the centerpieces, or floral arrangements with unusual blooms, will make it more visually diverse. Including deserts, water jugs, or food plates will also bring more life to your tables.

A perfect and cost-effective way to design your tables is with flower petals and large pillar candles. Lay out flat greenery, sprinkle a generous amount of flower petals, and arrange large pillar candles across the center of your table. It’s romantic, elegant and affordable.

The best way to keep it classy and fun is to: think pink, but thank Barbie.

4. Dress Code for Your Barbie Bridal Shower

Setting a dress code may seem strange to some, but when you are hosting a major Barbie bridal shower, it will really finish the entire aesthetic of your event if everyone is dressed according to your theme’s vibe.

Bridal shower aesthetics on the beach wouldn’t be complete without oversized, floppy sun hats, and you could even provide these as a favor. Establish that everyone can wear pink and the bride can wear white, or even everyone else wear turquoise or an orange and the bride wear pink.

There are many options to allow the bride to stand out and everyone to look their best, as long as you give the proper direction into what your guests should wear and you give them ample time to achieve that look.

5. Themed Activities and Games

Bridal showers are all about making memories, and celebrating the bride-to-be! Most commonly the host has a plethora of games, mostly written ones, for prizes throughout the shower.

These games are great options to bring your guests together. As this is probably their first time meeting, you want them to mingle together so that they are acquainted throughout all of your bridal events.

You can have a fashion show to showcase everyone’s stellar Barbiecore outfits, design a photo booth with a giant Barbie box, or a photo wall backdrop for all of your Insta pictures. And of course, your traditional written games bring everyone together and laughing.

As bridal showers are evolving into these elegant parties, luxury activities that double as bridal shower favors, are becoming more and more popular. The most elegant ones that are quickly becoming more trendy are:

Custom perfume bar
Create your own body scrubs
Scent your own candles
DIY flower bouquets

6. Barbie Themed Menu

Food

Having food at your bridal shower depends on the type of shower you want to have. Do you need a full meal served at your shower, or are you okay with just serving small bites, drinks, and desserts?

If you are hosting a shower that lasts throughout the evening with dancing, serving dinner is appropriate. However, if you are hosting a small brunch or a garden party, smaller appetizers with light desserts and drinks are acceptable.

Small bites ideas:

Quiches and assorted pastries
Cheese and fruit boards
Bruschetta and canapes
Tea Sandwiches

But the most important must-have is desserts! Sweet treats for your guests that are beautifully decorated are the highlight of any bridal event, and some if beautifully packaged, can also be favors for your guests to take home to enjoy!

Drinks

ice cubes with pink flowers in them. — Edible flower ice cubes Via What the Fab

Having a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks is essential so that all of your guests are comfortable.

If you really want cocktails to be the highlight of your party, having a bartender really brings your signature drinks to life. One of the best ways to add extra decorative flair to your cocktails is ice with edible flowers frozen inside!

These drinks below would be perfect for a Barbie-themed bridal shower:

Pink Gin and Tonics - Pink gin and tonics are perfect for your bridal shower! They are deliciously light, delicately spiced, and just a little bit floral. And the pink gin can be mixed with any cocktail mixer, so you can use any mixer that you favor.
Cotton Candy Cocktails - Cotton candy cocktails are a fun and flirty way to add whimsy fun to your shower. Adding beautiful garnishes, pick sugar rims or even glitter in the cocktail make them custom to your event.
Malibu Barbie Shark Attack Punch - Hosting a Barbie beach event and heading off to Malibu? Barbie’s beach house wouldn’t be complete without this colorful and fun addition to your drink menu.

7. Barbie Bridal Shower Favors

Favors are a perfect way to give your guests a little something to celebrate your upcoming big day and spoiling you! A Barbie-themed bridal shower is all about fashion, pink items, glitter, and a show-stopping bride-to-be! If you want to follow your theme through into your favors, look at some like this:

Pink sunglasses
Barbie treat boxes
Nail polish
Makeup
Themed treats and desserts
Barbie keychains
Mini pink champagne bottles
Pink tumblers
Glitter headbands

Conclusion

The most important thing that you can do to have the best Barbie bridal shower is to design it with love. You are hosting a shower to celebrate two people spending the rest of their lives together. Just putting all of this amazing thought and care into having a beautiful shower is love.

Bridal shower ideas should reflect the personality of the bride! Simple, elaborate, elegant, fun, beachy, or weird Barbie can be anything, and so can your shower. *Sigh* I can already feel my heels lifting. Bye, Barbie!

Pretty In Pink: Planning a Barbie Themed Bridal Shower