“Scoop” Up the Fun With an Ice Cream-Themed Bridal Shower
A stunning ice cream themed dessert table overlooking a tranquil pond. Photo credit: A Southern Wedding.
The goal of any bridal shower is to make the bride-to-be melt. It’s a day that allows all the special people in her life to shower her with love and gifts.
If you’re looking to throw a cool event, you need to choose a bridal shower theme to tie everything together. It should be something the bride likes or is easily translated into food and decor. Something like… ice cream!
From cones to sundaes to cute sayings, ice cream is universally loved and makes for an adorable bridal shower. Here’s everything you need to know to plan a perfectly sweet ice cream-themed bridal shower!
Venue Selection for an Ice Cream-Themed Bridal Shower
The first step in planning a bridal shower is choosing where you’ll host it. A venue can make or break your event, so choose carefully.
Naturally, an ice cream theme is the perfect fit for a summer bridal shower. Everyone will be looking to beat the heat with a cool treat. However, this adorable theme works well for any season, especially if the bride has a sweet tooth!
If your town has a tea room or ice cream parlor that rents party space, these venues would be perfect for the theme.
The good news is that an ice cream-themed bridal shower works well for any venue, especially if you focus on the right decor and food offerings.
Invitations: Sweet Beginnings
An invitation lets guests know about the event, so plan it carefully. It is their first glimpse at your awesome party, so you want to make a good first impression.
Look for designs with ice cream motifs. You can make your own on Canva or find a premade version that matches the color palette you’re going for.
Digital invitations are often customizable, so you can add your own details and change colors once you purchase the template. Once you finish designing the invite, you can email them to guests. Have them RSVP on a Google Form for an easy guest list.
Printed options are great too, like utilizing ice cream-themed invitations! You will have to fill them out yourself and pay for postage, but there’s just something about getting an invitation in the mail that feels so special!
If you want get a little creative, choose an ice cream invitation with some flowers!
As you choose the right invitation, you’ll want to keep them on theme with fun ice cream shower invitation wording or phrases. Here are some ideas you can use!
She’s been scooped up!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for the bride!
Here’s the scoop: [bride’s name] is getting married!
Bridal Shower Forecast: Sunny with a side of sprinkles.
All you need is love and ice cream.
Decorations: Creating an Ice Cream Wonderland
You have so many options when picking an ice cream color scheme! You can opt for pale pastels, like baby pink, soft yellow, and mint green.
You can also go bright with magenta, mango, or lime green to mimic sherbert or sorbet! Finally, you choose to go for a vintage vibe by adding ice cream shop imagery like sundaes in glass bowls.
Once you have your theme, it’s time to gather decor! You can easily DIY ice cream cone garlands using felt or paper and some twine.
If you own a Cricut, you can cut out letters for your party’s catchphrase and string those on the garland too. Enlist the help of a crafty friend or family member to add an extra special touch.
Looking to buy decor? Look for ice cream shapes and fun balloon arrangements in your color palette. Pick fun ice cream-shaped centerpieces and sprinkle some themed table confetti to add instant sparkle.
You can add a balloon arch to the entryway to make the bride feel extra special and add a fun photo opportunity.
Creating a Food and Drink Menu Beyond Ice Cream
A charcuterie board arranged into the shape of an ice cream cone! Photo credit: Vintage Home Designs.
Sure, you’re probably going to serve ice cream at your shower. But you’ll need some savory foods to satiate your guests. Make some savory ice cream cones!
Bake cornbread into standard ice cream cones, then pipe a veggie cream cheese mixture on top. The end product will look like an ice cream cone but offer a delicious mixture of savory, creamy flavor!
Arrange your charcuterie board into an ice cream-inspired image by putting crackers at the top in an ice cream shape and adding your meats and cheeses in a cone shape!
You can also simply serve your bride’s favorite apps and snacks in ice cream-themed snack cups. This will help manage portions and keep everything cohesive!
Manage alcohol costs by offering a signature cocktail that can also be offered as a mocktail. Mudslides are the perfect choice! You can simply leave out the Kahlua and have a beverage for guests who cannot have alcohol.
Another great idea is a soda float bar! Offer a variety of sodas that guests can add scoops of ice cream for a cool treat.
Fill your dessert table with fun ice cream treats, like pie a la mode and ice cream cone cupcakes. Add rainbow sprinkles to add color and instantly channel your theme through the treats.
Setting Up An Ice Cream Bar: The Main Attraction
Your ice cream-themed bridal shower won’t be complete without an ice cream bar! This station is where your guests will build their own ice cream treats.
First, set up some fun ice cream bar decor, complete with a sign designating the ice cream table. Keep a cooler nearby stocked with a variety of ice cream flavors.
Offer a mix of basic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Keep the ice cream flavors simple and go nuts on the toppings! Put out bowls filled with both wet and dry toppings like:
Rainbow sprinkles
Chocolate sprinkles
Chopped nuts
Gummy bears
Maraschino cherries
Simple syrup walnuts
Chocolate syrup
Strawberry syrup
Fresh berries
Mint leaves
Arrange your ice cream bar in a creative, inviting way. Display cones and cups using a peg board or on fun platters.
You can decorate the cooler to look like an ice cream truck and place the toppings in fun, colored glass bowls. Your guests will have a blast building their personalized cold treat!
Fun and Games: Ice Cream-Themed Activities
Inventive DIY ice cream-themed center pieces using sprinkles, cones, and flowers. Photo credit: Life at Bella Terra.
Games and activities set the tone for your event. They create opportunities for guests to connect and build memories.
Choose 2-3 activities, plus one backup, just in case one game falls flat. Here are some ideas you can use to plan the perfect ice-cream-themed activities.
DIY Ice Cream Sundae Competition: Invite guests to create a delectable, unique ice cream sundae with equally interesting names. Give examples of fun flavor profiles and let them go crazy! Ask the bride to taste test and judge her favorite.
Ice Cream-Themed Craft Stations: Set up stations where guests can create their own faux ice cream cone decor. For example, they could make clay beads in an ice cream shape, felt some ice cream cone earrings, or use themed beads to make fun friendship bracelets for themselves and the bride.
Homemade Ice Cream Tutorial: Lead your guests through the ice cream making process! There are lots of different ways to go about this, including ice cream in a bag that requires less than 8 ingredients! It’s a great activity if you have children present at the shower.
Custom Ice Cream Cone Wrappers: This low-cost, DIY activity requires a little bit of prep, but will be a whole lot of fun! Craft plain ice cream cone wrappers out of paper or cardstock. Allow guests to decorate and then assemble their own unique pieces. Guests can use this wrapper to grab their ice cream cone when they go to your ice cream bar!
Handmade Waffle Cone/Bowl Lessons: Waffle cones and bowls are delicious and easy to make! All you need is some batter and a waffle iron. Do a demo on how to craft your own and then have guests take turns making their own fresh ice cream vessels.
Guess How Many Sprinkles: Fill a vessel with sprinkles and place it near the gift table. Have guests guess how many sprinkles are in the jar! Pro tip: use the weight to guesstimate the answer and award a prize to the person who is closest!
Photo Opportunities
A beautiful bride poses in front of a balloon arch with her ice cream cake. Photo credit: Authentically Alexa.
Selfie stations and photo booths give guests fun spots to take photos for social media. Arrange one or two spots that are insta-worthy.
Layer a “she’s been scooped up” sign over a bright gradient backdrop to create an instant themed photo backdrop. You can also add some faux greenery for color and texture.
You can also create a fun background using ice cream cones and scoops of ice cream. You can trace and cut the shapes out of colored paper and build a collage that will make it look like it’s raining ice cream!
Finally, pull out all the stops and build an ice cream truck prop out of cardboard! Cut out a couple windows, decorate it to match the color palette, and be prepared for some of the most adorable pics!
Dress Code: Cool and Casual
Encourage your guests to dress the theme. Suggest ice cream colors, patterns, or to coordinate their outfit so they look like an ice cream cone!
Think brown bottoms, a pastel top, and a “cherry” in their hair. This is a great way to enhance your theme and include all your guests in the fun.
You can also provide accessories to your guests to get them in the spirit. Ice cream cone headbands are fun, or you can hand out sprinkle headbands for a more subtle look.
Of course, the bride will need a special outfit to help her stand out! If she’s already wearing a white dress, some ice cream platform shoes are an adorable addition that won’t clash!
Accessories are another great way to ensure any outfit is on theme. Look for cute earrings if your bride likes camp. If she’s more understated, a dainty gold ice cream bracelet will go with any outfit.
Party Favors: Sweet Takeaways
Fun ice cream flavor boxes with cosmetics, stickers, and temporary tattoos. Photo credit: Project Whim.
At the end of your event, party favors are a great way to thank guests for attending and give them a little something to remember the party by. The best favors are functional and match your theme. Check out some of these ideas.
Personalized ice cream scoops
DIY ice cream mix jars
Custom sprinkle mixes
Personalized spoons
Candy in ice cream-themed favor boxes
Ice cream-scented candles
Themed vinyl water bottle stickers
Ice cream themed tumbler accessories, like straw toppers and boots
Towels wrapped as ice cream cones
Planning Tips for a Smooth Event
Bridal showers are incredibly fun, but they can also be stressful to plan. That’s where bridal shower checklists and planning ahead becomes crucial.
As soon as you know the wedding date, start setting up the shower. Plan for it to happen about 3-5 weeks before the big day.
Set a budget and stick to it! Talk to everyone involved to see who is pitching in and how much you’ll be working with. This will allow you to make smart choices and prevent you from overextending yourself.
Once you know how much you have to spend, choose a venue and begin gathering supplies.
Don’t be afraid to DIY certain aspects of the shower to cut costs. Ask for help from the brides’ friends and family. They will want to make the day as special as possible.
They also may have talents you can leverage to ensure the event has unforgettable touches.
Finally, try not to stress! While planning a bridal shower requires a lot of work, at the end of the day the bride will be so appreciative of whatever you put together.
“Scooping Up” Your Shower
Ice cream isn’t just a fun summer treat. It’s also an excellent theme for any bridal shower! From the beautiful colors to the food inspo, you can’t go wrong!
Remember to always err on the side of the bride. It’s her day, after all. So every choice you make should be inspired by her taste and her unique love story. Now it’s time to start planning your one-of-a-kind ice cream bridal shower! Good luck!