However, if you find yourself planning an upcoming bridal shower on a budget, have no fear: It’s entirely possible to plan a tasteful, fun and sentimental gathering without breaking the bank. Here are five time-saving and cost-cutting ways to throw a beautiful bridal shower:

Invitations
It can be tempting to blow your entire budget for the party on the invitations, but consider saving money (and time) by sending them electronically. Web sites like Pingg.com make sending invitations and tracking responses electronically a breeze. And with an enormous online image database, it’s almost guaranteed that even the pickiest planner will find the perfect invitation design.

Food
Skip hours of baking and frosting and provide your guests with a creative and low-fat ice cream cake. Ice cream sandwiches from The Skinny Cow look sweet when stacked in a pyramid and topped with creative garnishes. Your guests will be thankful for a low-fat snack option, and you will have time to actually enjoy the party. Sandwiches come in strawberry shortcake, chocolate, vanilla, vanilla/chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, mint and cookies n’ cream flavors. Use one flavor for a consistent look or mix and match flavors for extra guest options.

Drink
Sangria is an unexpected and delicious drink to serve at your shower. Added bonus: the ingredients are inexpensive and easy to find. You can even substitute grape juice and seltzer water for wine for a tasty non-alcoholic version. The only other ingredients required are slices of fresh fruits such as oranges, pears and peaches, and about 1/4 cup of sugar. For variations on the classic recipe, check out Cooks.com or AllRecipes.com

Games
Rework an old classic by playing a game of Bridal Shower Bingo. First, create copies of a blank grid resembling a bingo card. As the guests arrive, have them fill out the grid with gifts that they think the bride will receive. (The free space is in the middle and players can write their own gift in this space.) As the bride opens a gift, players cross it off their bingo card. Award a prize to the first person to fill five spaces in a row, across or diagonally.

Favors
Pamper your guests with homemade body scrubs in simple, elegant glass mason jars. You can even customize the recipe below to include your favorite scents and colors.

Homemade Body Scrub

You will need:
3 cups Epsom salt (or coarse sea salt)
1 cup oil (almond, canola or olive oil usually works best)
Essential oils for fragrance
Mason jars

Instructions:
First, measure out your salt and pour into a large container. Measure out the oil and slowly pour into the salt while stirring. Finally, add the essential oil to the desired strength. Attach any desired ribbons, hang tags or other decorations to the outside of the jar.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Most of the time, a brunch is a meal that is served between breakfast and lunch. Brunch can be served any time between about 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Brunch foods are versatile, too. A hostess may choose to serve egg dishes or casseroles, fruits, finger sandwiches and desserts. Drinks at a brunch can range from soda, to punch or juice, to alcoholic beverages such as champagne or mimosas.

Hosting a brunch can be easy to plan and prepare. In addition, you can plan a nice and elegant brunch on a budget, too. When you begin planning for the brunch, consider where the brunch will be held. It is acceptable to serve a brunch in a buffet style. You might only need a long table to hold all of the food. If your home is short on space, consider having the brunch at a restaurant that specializes in brunch meals. Some places even have large rooms for parties and showers and can offer special menu items. It is possible that many restaurants that do not normally serve breakfast, will offer a brunch buffet on Sunday mornings.

Planning a brunch bridal shower will be easier once you have a guest list and know how many people you are expecting. This will tell you how many tables and seating areas you will need. You will also know how much of each type of food will be necessary to serve. Work with the bride-to-be while planning a bridal brunch to find out what she likes. Serve a menu that will please her and the guests. In addition, brunch is a perfect way to host a co-ed shower where both men and women are invited.

You can keep the brunch shower elegant and simple. Some simple ideas for decorations include using pressed white table clothes and simple floral arrangements on the tables. If you are hosting a buffet, decorate the buffet table with roses in the color of the bride’s wedding. If you have silver or china that you do not use very often, a brunch is the perfect opportunity to dust it off and put it in use. Do not worry, though, if you do not have china. Visit a party supply store and purchase sturdy clear plastic tableware. This is inexpensive, yet it looks nice. Using disposable plates and forks makes clean up a breeze, too.

There are many food options when you are planning a bridal brunch. Many brunch foods can be made ahead of time and heated right before the shower. If you do not enjoy cooking, you can still host a brunch with minimal cooking. Check with your local warehouse store for bulk food items such as croissants, muffins, frozen quiche, and seasonal fruits. Find pretty platters and serving dishes and transfer the items before the shower begins. The food will be delicious, but the time you have spent is minimal. Also, you might consider a potluck bridal shower brunch. Have everyone bring his or her favorite dish to share. You could even ask the guests to bring the recipe to give to the bride for her collection. If you have a large guest list you might want to consider a certain food category by last name. For example, if the last names begin with A-C, bring a dessert. This will ensure that there are a variety of foods available.

If you do want to cook, here are some suggestions that are always welcome at a bridal shower brunch. Look for seasonal fruits and vegetables and make a platter with dip. Fruits are always good with chocolate dip or a flavored yogurt. Serve vegetables with a light dip. There are many good egg recipes that can be made in advance. Quiche with ham, bacon and broccoli is a good option for a brunch. Other casseroles might include an egg strata made with sausage or a layered potato and ham casserole. Muffins, breads, bagels, sausage links, finger sandwiches and desserts are other ideas for a brunch. Hosting a brunch is a great way to have a bridal shower. The foods can be kept simple, giving you time to spend visiting with the guests.

 

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Number of guests: When you get ready to host a bridal shower, the guest list will determine just about everything about the bridal shower. Work with the bride, or if you are planning on a co-ed shower, talk with the couple. Find out ahead of time, before you begin planning, how many guests they want to invite. The number of guests will tell you if where you can have the shower and how many you need to plan for. You might find it necessary to rent tables, chairs and serving platters or plates depending on the number of guests.

Time of day: Another tip for catering a bridal shower by your self is to determine what time of the day the shower will be held. This can be a huge help when you are planning for food. For example, a brunch will be easier to plan than a shower that is held late in the evening when a meal is expected. In addition, if you hold a shower in the late afternoon, you will not be expected to cater a large meal. You can plan for simple fare, such as fruit and finger sandwiches. Decide in advance what time of the day the shower will be and it will help keep you sane during the planning process.

Budget: Before sending out any invitations, know your budget. If you are on a limited budget, know what you can spend and stick to it. It will not be fun if you overspend and are left with a huge credit card bill after the shower. Let your bride know your budget and work together to plan a shower. It is possible to plan an elegant shower without spending a lot of money.

Plan ahead and ask the bride: Planning well in advance is the key in hosting a bridal shower. After you have talked with the bride and set a date, you can begin making preparations. If you plan on catering the event, never wait until the last minute. Delaying can cause a lot of stress. Instead, use an event planner or a notebook to record all the of the bridal shower details. Remember that a shower usually takes at least eight weeks to plan, so give your self plenty of time to make necessary preparations. When you cater the event, know beforehand how many guests you will serve and if there are food allergies or other preferences, such as the bride being a vegetarian. Make detailed shopping lists and know what you will need to buy before going to the grocery store.

Make ahead and get help: Catering a bridal shower can be easier if you know what you are serving in advance and prepare dishes ahead of time. If you are serving casserole dishes, look into making them a couple of weeks before the party and then freezing the items. You can also do this for certain desserts and appetizers. The night before the party is a great time to cut fruits and vegetables, decorate a cake and make finger foods. Making food ahead of time will help cut down on the amount of stress on the day of the bridal shower. Also, consider getting help from others when you plan to cater a shower. It is perfectly acceptable to host a potluck style buffet where everyone brings their favorite dish. You can also enlist help from close friends or family members to help you cook and prepare dishes.

Theme: If you have a theme for the shower, such as brunch, co-ed barbeque or girl’s day at the spa, you can prepare dishes to fit the theme. This will make planning easier and everyone will know what to expect. Having a theme can also help you choose decorations and tableware with ease.

Keep it simple and relax: These are two tips you should remember when planning a bridal shower. Most guests will not remember the lavish dishes it took you all day to prepare. Instead, they will remember the time they spent visiting with the bride. Keep the menu simple and everyone will enjoy the shower and you will not become stressed. Last of all, remember to relax. Take a deep breath and have fun. Do not ruin the shower by obsessing over every last detail. Have a good time and your guests will, too.

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At the top of the list is the Citrus Punch. Citrus punch is a favorite in the summertime and many women in citrus producing states love this easy to make recipe simply because it can be made from lemons and oranges that are growing in their own backyards.  The ingredients are so easy to come by that even those who do not live in the sun-kissed citrus producing states will be able to enjoy it.  Visit your local mega mart and purchase two cans of frozen lemonade and two cans of frozen orange juice.  Mix them together. Add eight cans of water, two cups of grenadine syrup, and three quarts of ginger ale.  Be sure that the ingredients are mixed together well!  If you have fresh lemons in your backyard, go ahead and add the juice of three fresh lemons.  After mixing the punch more time, go ahead and garnish it with fresh lemon or orange slices.  This is a favorite especially for the kids!

Of course, for those who live in the coldest climates or are looking forward to a wedding in the middle of winter, a Citrus Punch is perhaps not the best way to go.  Instead, how about a Hot and Spicy Punch?  The ingredients are surprisingly simple: you simply need two cups of cider and two cups of 7-Up.  Mix these ingredients together. Then combine this mixture with one cup of orange juice, the juice of one big lemon, half a cup of brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Next, prepare a large tea bag to hold one tablespoon of whole cloves, half a teaspoon of allspice, and three to four sticks of cinnamon. This kind of teabag may be fashioned from a couple of coffee filters, or from a discarded cheese cloth.  Put the cheese cloth into the mixture and boil it for about five minutes.  After the cooking time go ahead and remove the spices and enjoy the punch warm.

If you are pressed for time or money, then the Hawaiian Punch will be a great alternative, and you can be sure that even the younger guests will love it!  Simply visit your local mega mart and purchase two one-liter bottles of red punch commercially mixed.  This can be found in the soda isle. Next, add a forty-six ounce bottle of pineapple juice. Last but not least, go ahead and add a can of pineapple bits.  Voila!  You will have a punch that nobody will be able to resist.

Of course, there will be times that the party will be adults only, and at that time it is entirely appropriate to serve alcohol laced punches. For a Hawaiian Punch with a twist, simply combine one gallon of pineapple juice with one quart of vodka, 7-Up, and brandy. Add some lime juice to taste, and serve the concoction chilled.

 For a more traditional Champagne Punch, simply choose a gallon of white wine as your base; add four bottles of champagne, two bottles of ginger ale, and some ice cubes.  Of course, whenever serving alcoholic beverages, it is imperative that no children are present, that someone will ensure that no inebriated guests get behind the wheel of their cars, and that plenty of non-alcoholic choices are available for the teetotalers of the crowd.

 

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One great food idea is to hold a Sunday brunch type wedding shower. There are so many foods that you can serve to fit with this theme. Moreover, it will have an informal feel, yet the guests will be able to eat as if they are having a meal. Consider serving fresh bread products like bagels and muffins. You will also want to include a selection of fresh fruits and even a fruit salad. Quiche fit really well with a brunch menu. Increasingly, people have been serving tiny bite sized quiche, which works well at a wedding shower. For beverages, you will probably want to have the standard orange juice, coffee, and milk on hand. If you wish, though, you could also serve drinks like a Bloody Mary or champagne punch. Good deserts with this menu would be chocolate covered strawberries or lemon squares. Try to stick to something fruit based.

If you intend to serve an evening meal at a wedding shower, you will want to do something easy. As the food is cooking, you will probably want to be mingling with your guests. To aid you in this endeavor, consider something that you can make ahead of time and throw in the oven at the last minute. A casserole of some type works best for this. Lasagna is always a good choice. Your side dishes should be equally as uncomplicated. You might want to serve a salad. Again, this works well because you can simply make it before the guests arrive, throw it in the fridge, and get it back out again in time to eat.

If you don’t want to do a casserole, but you do want something that will still allow you to mingle with your guests, consider having a grilled or smoked meat dish. This is something that you can tend to on a more occasional basis, and it makes for a beautiful dish to serve to the guests as you bring it in to place on each plate.

If some of your guests are vegetarians, you will need to be sure to provide options for them on your menu. If you are going with a casserole and a salad, it might be a good idea to make a vegetarian casserole as well. There are a number of great vegetarian and vegan recipes on the internet that you might find very helpful for this purpose.

The traditional dessert to serve at a wedding shower is cake. However, this may not fit with your menu. If it does not, don’t worry about it. Wedding showers, like weddings, are becoming less traditional everyday. Consider serving a dessert buffet with many different desserts on it. You could also find out what the bride’s favorite dessert is and serve that instead of cake. If you think you must serve cake, serve it in addition to other choices like spiced fruit pies. You might even try a dessert based shower as a theme. Serve chocolate desserts with strawberries. You might even considering renting a chocolate fountain as a centerpiece for this food idea.

The classic wedding shower food idea is the appetizer buffet. With this idea, you want to fill your table with light bites for your guests to consume. Things like cheese and crackers, mini muffins, and dips work very well for this purpose. This also works great if you don’t have a table for everyone to sit down and eat at.

Choosing the perfect food for the bridal shower may be a difficult thing to do, but it can also set the perfect wedding shower mood for your guests.

 

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