Magical Christmas-Themed Bridal Shower Ideas
A bride and her mother get ready to celebrate her shower. Photo Credit: Collectively Carolina
From the snow to the gifts to the overall holiday cheer, there’s no holiday quite like Christmas! It’s a time for loved ones to gather and make memories surrounded by beautiful decor and unbeatable eats.
There’s so much magic in the air during Christmas time. So if you are planning a shower for a winter bride, channel that energy into a joy-filled Christmas-themed bridal shower!
Not only will it be easy to gather everything you need, but this theme is so versatile, all the pieces will fall right into place! Here’s everything you need to know about planning a Christmas-themed bridal shower.
Choosing a Christmas Theme
Selecting a winter bridal shower theme is the best way to streamline your planning efforts and elevate your party. And because Christmas has so many different looks, you’ll have a lot of options when it comes to theming your party.
You can go with a classic Christmas theme with a red and green color palette and gold accents. Use traditional decor items like Christmas trees, wreaths, pinecones, and, of course, mistletoe!
Channel a snowy day with a Winter Wonderland theme. Select icy white and silver tones. Hang sparkly snowflakes and icicle decor from the ceiling and around the space. Fill glass vases with twinkle lights for an instant cozy glow.
A rustic Christmas theme will transform any space into a cabin in the snow covered woods. Use lots of burlap accents and pinecones for an earthy scent.
Wood accents on your tables, like log slices and wooden bowls will make everyone feel like they are relaxing in the woods. Finally, add a cozy fireplace setting to really bring in the warmth.
Invitations and Stationery
Signage with your shower slogan will make your bridal shower pop! Photo Credit: Zazzle
Invitations are the first look guests have at your event, so they should reflect your unique theme. And since Christmas is the most popular season to receive cards, you’ll need to make sure your invite doesn’t get lost in the shuffle!
Design holiday-themed cards with color palettes that match how you will decorate the shower space.
You can add imagery like trees, wrapped gifts, and bells, but make sure you incorporate some bridal motifs, like dresses, mistletoe, and other romantic elements. This will help your invitation stand out.
Your wording should connect to the theme and put a smile on your guests’ faces. Here are some bridal shower invitation sayings you can use.
Groovy & Bright
Let’s Deck the Halls: She’s Getting Married!
‘Tis the Season to be Married
Mistletoe & Mimosas
A Merry Little Bridal Shower
Stock the Tree for the Bride To Be
Miss-tletoe to Mrs!
Snow in Love
Venue Selection
While a Christmas themed- bridal shower is perfect for winter, you can also host a “Christmas-In-July” shower in warmer weather! This means outdoor venues like patios and wineries would work well. You can pull out holiday decor for a fun juxtaposition.
If you’re hosting in the wintertime, indoor spaces that evoke the holiday vibe work best. Think a cozy cabin, an indoor winter garden, or even a living room that’s decked out for Christmas!
This is a great way to save money on the shower venue location and decor. That way, you can increase your food and activity budget.
If your bride’s heart is set on an outdoor venue, see if there is a Christmas tree farm in your area. You can rent outdoor warmers and host amongst the rows of stunning evergreen trees.
The sights and scents will be the perfect backdrop to your event.
Christmas-Themed Shower Decor
A rustic Christmas tablescape is subtle but elegant. Photo Credit: @eucalyptus on Instagram.
The holidays are all about decorations, so gather your favorite ones to display! Christmas trees and pine garlands will instantly evoke the season. Hanging snowflakes and forest animal decor will also work with any color palette.
For lighting, stick with fairy lights and, of course, LED Christmas lights! The icicle variety will make for stunning lighting and fairy lights can give a comforting glow to the base of your centerpieces.
Go for holiday-inspired centerpieces filled with holly, pine branches, and winter greenery. You can pile garlands along the center of the table atop a fun, festive table runner.
Place cards for guest seating and for your food table should be festive too! Use high-quality paper stamped with fun holiday motifs.
If you’re on a budget, this is actually a very cost-effective theme because you can easily borrow high-quality Christmas decor from family and friends.
Many people have an excess of decor, so ask around for donations. You’ll be surprised how much you may get for free to ease up your budget.
Food and Drink Ideas
A stunning Christmas bridal shower cookie table by Elementary by SJ
With a Christmas-themed shower, you have so many options for delicious menus! You can go classic and stick to a holiday-themed spread with Christmas favorites like roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and all the fixings!
Serve these dishes family style and allow the guests to build their own feast. Stock your dessert table with Christmas cookies, bridal themed holiday cakes, and gingerbread houses.
Add red and green sprinkles to the bride’s favorite dessert to make it instantly on a theme. Don’t forget the candy canes! They come in more flavors than just mint.
So purchase a variety of fruity, minty, and sophisticated flavors for guests to choose from. They can even use them to stir their drinks.
Don’t forget a signature cocktail named after the guest of honor. Think mulled wine, spiced apple cider, or creamy eggnog cocktails. These holiday classics are affordable and easily transformed into mocktails for guests who cannot have alcohol.
You can also set up a hot cocoa bar. All you’ll need is some hot water, a variety of hot cocoa packets, and fun toppings like marshmallows, crushed candy canes, and whipped cream.
Fun and Festive Activities
Shower games and activities keep the party going and help guests bond. Start with some holiday themed games, like Christmas trivia. Organize bridal bingo with a fun holiday twist. Include tidbits on the bride’s favorite holiday desserts and movies.
You can also host a Secret Santa gift exchange. Have each guest bring a small ornament or piece of holiday decor from their home. Place all items in a Santa sack and have guests pick at random!
You can also set up stations for interactive crafts, like ornament decorating or gingerbread house building. Once everyone is finished, have the bride judge her favorite and hand out a prize.
Simply lay out the supplies and invite guests in small groups to create their masterpieces. Then, when judging is over, they can take them home as a fun favor.
Finally, the best memento for any bridal shower is photos! Set up a selfie book with Christmas-themed props, like Santa hats, reindeer antlers, and fun glasses.
Add a festive backdrop, like a red and green tinsel curtain. The photos will be out of this world.
Favors and Gifts
Bridal shower favors are a way to thank your guests for spending their day honoring the bride-to-be. They should be on theme and functional. Here are some ideas you can use for holiday-themed favors that are sure to be a hit.
Set of mini ornaments
Personalized stockings filled with candy
Hot cocoa kits or bombs
Christmas-colored cake pops
Small bottles of apple cider
Pinetree-scented air freshener
A handmade wine cork ornament
Personalized mugs
Candy cane spoons
Outfit Ideas for the Bride
A stunning bride poses in an icy dress at her Christmas bridal shower. Photo credit: Burgh Brides
The bride-to-be is the star of the show, so she needs to stand out from the crowd! Ask the guests to wear red or green, so the bride can stand out in a white dress.
She can choose a frock in traditional Christmas fabrics like velvet or one lined with faux fur.
Accessories are another great way to help her shine. A white, bedazzled Santa hat will turn any outfit into an instant holiday hit. You can also offer themed snowflake earrings or a jeweled headband with holiday motifs.
Incorporating Holiday Traditions
The holidays are all about family and tradition. So this is the perfect opportunity to incorporate some of those iconic Christmas rituals into the bridal shower fun.
For instance, hang mistletoe in every doorway. Ask the bride to wear red lipstick, so she can kiss her guests on the cheek if they get caught with her! You can also organize an ornament or cookie exchange as a fun activity.
Some more subtle traditions will make for breathtaking moments during your event. If the groom is present, have him light a unity candle with his future bride.
Ask special guests to give holiday-themed speeches with their favorite Christmas and winter memories of the bride. Finally, have everyone raise a toast to the bride in hopes that every Christmas with her new spouse will be as magical as the first.
These holiday-themed traditions may be commonplace, but they will make for memorable moments for the guest of honor.
"Wrapping" Up the Celebration
Whether you’re hosting a winter shower or the bride counts the days till Christmas starting on December 26th, a holiday-themed shower is a fun and affordable way to host a bridal shower your favorite bride will never forget.
Start making a list and checking it twice. You want to show the future bride-to-be she’s nice! With a little creativity, your Christmas-themed bridal shower will be one she will never forget.