Every bride deserves to be celebrated just like the new American princess, Meghan Markle. However, before the big day, there’s the bridal shower. This is the perfect opportunity for the bride-to-be to get together with all the women in her life that love and support her. If you have the lucky task of preparing for such an event, we’re here to help.

Selecting a Theme

The best way to start planning the perfect bridal shower is to think of a theme, and that theme should be focused on who the bride really is and what her wedding will be like. For example, does she love bling? Does her dress have rhinestones? Then, a sparkly shower makes perfect sense. We’ve got décor items like these honeycomb rings, and glitter letter banner that will look fabulous.

If the bride likes crafts, and her wedding is more of a DIY affair, then you want to reflect that in the shower’s theme. You could decorate with this burlap banner and flowers to create just the right feel.

Creating a Delicious Spread

What would a bridal shower be without some delectable treats? So, suppose your bride is getting married somewhere tropical. You could reflect that in the theme of your shower, and serve some fabulous cocktails in pineapples. Decorate them with cute umbrellas, garnishes, and these colourful straws.

On the other hand, if your bride is more of an afternoon tea kind of lady, the sky’s the limit for delicious eats. Scones, finger sandwiches, and more will make for an elegant celebration.

Playing a Few Games

Bridal shower games are excellent icebreakers, and help people to get to know one another. One fun and easy one to prepare is to give each guest a couple of rings. Make one or two words taboo like ‘bride’ or ‘wedding’. If one guest says a taboo word, the other guest who hears her can take her ring. The guest with the most rings at the end wins a prize.

Making Prizes and Favours

At the end of a wedding shower, it’s nice to give your guests something to take home. They don’t have to cost a lot, but will serve as lovely mementos of this special day. Showers that have a culinary or baking theme, for example, could include favours with spice mixes, scone mixes, or loose tea blends in these mason jars.

Are you getting married? To make life a little easier for you we’ve compiled a list of the 10 popular 2017/18 Wedding Décor themes, ideas, tips and tricks from industry experts and DIY trends.

Let’s start with your Wedding budget. No doubt every Bride would love a limitless one however, you need to know your numbers since this will rule every decision you and your Fiancé make as you proceed with the planning. If you have parents or family that is able to contribute to your wedding, have these conversations early on before setting a date so you have a clear picture of expenses. Consider a preliminary guest list as well so you have an idea of numbers and capacity when researching venues.

Pick the perfect venue. Since most venues book a minimum of a year in advance, this a definite first on your check list. Popular venue trends are still about bringing the outside in with combining natural wood and green elements. Or better yet, have an outdoor Wedding. If your dream is to get married outside, you may have to adjust your date according to availability, especially if it’s in Vancouver!

Choose your colour palette. Why is this so important? Well, before you send out your “Save the Date” and/or Wedding invitations you will want to use your colour scheme in the design and carry this through your wedding decor, dresses and theme. In 2017/18 Brides are choosing golds, silvers and metallic for dresses and decor. Neutrals like grey and blush tones to strong bold colors like fuchsia and the pantone color of 2017 green, are also on point.

Print details. Once you have your Venue picked now comes the daunting task of that endless guest list. “Save the Date” invitations should be sent out as far in advance as possible. Plexiglass, foil stamping and believe it or not…glow in the dark stationery and bold envelope colours are trending big time. DIY tip: consider sending your save the dates or invites out through email to save on postage, or applying your own finishing touches with craft supplies such as metallic stamps, invitation markers, or craft paper.

Set your menu. Do your research when choosing the best caterer for your budget. A good caterer will let you sample their food and give you references. If you are opting for an outdoor carefree “farm like” theme then Food Trucks are a big trend for 2017/18 along with fun finger food, sundae and candy bars. Or perhaps impress your guests with a self-serve Doughnut wall! Don’t forget those Vegan and Gluten free menu items.

Memories captured in a picture last a lifetime. An amazing photographer will be your best investment for years to come and good ones come with a wait list. Most photographers will bundle together Engagement and Wedding photos. Ask your friends and use your social media reach for referrals to check out their recent work.

The perfect Dress. Keep in mind it may take up to 9 months for your dress to arrive so the sooner you get on top of this the better. These days Brides are stepping outside the normal ivory/white colors and choosing sparkly, metallic, rose gold, silver and gold show stoppers! If it has a detachable skirt and embellishments then you will be right on trend. Bridesmaid’s dresses are either bold and bright or more neutral shades of grey and blush pink. Yes, blush pink is still going strong! Be sure to consider what colour suit or tuxedo your groomsmen are wearing also so you can compliment the two for photos.

Those petals. Flowers are more than just a pretty bouquet, they are memory makers. Romantic flowers like garden roses, peonies, dahlias, ranunculus and “soft petal” blooms are the still the most popular requested flowers for 2017/18. Tip: scatter loose rose petals like garland on top of tables or scatter them amongst floating candles. Single stem flowers placed in 3-5 assorted vintage vases also make for a beautiful centrepiece without breaking the bank.

Hey Mr. DJ. A DJ is still the most popular choice for wedding entertainment however, consider live quartets for the ceremony, cocktail and dinner hour/s and then bringing in a DJ to dance the night away.

Wedding Décor trends. Hanging flower baskets inside or out are on point. Tall glass trumpet vases with lush arrangements are perfect for vision and allows your guests to be able to have conversations easily. Table tops: small potted plants along with varying sizes of vases, pots and candles will give you a natural and organic feel. Larger potted greenery placed strategically throughout your space will give you that perfect backdrop for pictures along with a vintage couch, antique table, sparkly chandelier and perhaps a pretty fur rug with represent “vintage chic”. Just ensure you reserve your big décor items well in advance of your date. Source your decor from markets, garage sales, craigslist or consider renting vintage items from vendors like Past Pieces Wedding Shop (located in Surrey). Want to go all out? How about a self-serve mimosa bar, a signature his and her drink for your inside cocktail hour or some fun outside lawn games to break the ice with your guests?

Overall for 2017/18 Weddings, think vintage glam meets timeless chic with a pop of sparkle. For more great reading check out these awesome resources:

2017 Wedding trend predictions

The Knot: 2017 Wedding Trends

By Carly Moir – Guest Blogger

If you’ve ever planned a wedding, or been a part of a wedding party, or just watched any kind of TLC wedding show, you know one thing to be true: weddings are expensive.

If you’re a bride-to-be living in the Metro Vancouver area, it’s likely already taken careful planning and budgeting to get engaged in the first place. Between housing prices, the cost of education and starting a family, your wedding has become one of those big-ticket items on your life “to-do” list. If you’re like me, you perhaps had to wait 6 years before getting engaged because the first time you had enough money to get married, you decided moving out of your mother in law’s basement was a bigger priority. But now here you are, engaged, and planning your own wedding…on a budget.

Like many of you, I started compiling a secret wedding board on pinterest (guilty) with creative ideas for DIY decorations and inspiration. One thing I’ve been having trouble with is staying on budget while still being satisfied with the quality of décor items I’ve either rented or decided to make myself.

I’ve noticed dollar store items can be a hard source, especially the good ones. I’ve found myself visiting Michaels or craft stores for the things I wasn’t happy with at the big-box dollar stores, but the problem (as you can probably guess it), is that these craft stores were not within my budget…but I really liked their quality.

Luckily, I stumbled upon a store here in Coquitlam that gave me both value and quality: Dollars & Cents Store in Westwood Plateau. Here are a few of their items that helped me achieve my wedding décor vision.

Centrepieces – Hosting 140 guests for your wedding means that you have at least 15 tables, which means 15 of everything. 15 centerpieces, 15 candle holders, 15 vases and so on. I found a great variety of tall candle holders, tealight holders and vases in store. Using a charger plate or a simple crate like the one above is a great way to add a base for your centerpiece and create varying heights for your items.

Head Table – Marquee lettering has become a great way to add a bit of industrial sparkle to your head table. Use a simple ampersand, a short word, or pair together individual letters to create your own combination.

Chalkboard Signage – One thing I never thought about until organizing my wedding décor was the amount of signage or wayfinding items you need in place for guests. Chalkboards are an affordable option for this task – you can use them for welcome signs, drink menus, or to promote your wedding hashtag.

The smaller details – It’s important to make sure your table numbers are easy to see and have good contrast. I liked these tent cards, they fold up easy and are available well into the double digits if you have a lot of tables. If you don’t like the pricetag on wedding flowers, try using synthetic petals to spread down the aisle for your ceremony – they look just as real in photos! Need a guest book? Try something traditional and affordable like this white and silver foiled one I found in store.

Mason Jars – We’ve seen them everywhere, at markets, at weddings. But we still love them! Versatile as vases, accents, or candle holders, mason jars are a great volume item to help you stay on budget. I was excited to find the Ball brand in store at a good price. They are a durable glass and give that great vintage feel I was after (and look pretty when painted too).

Glitter please – It’s all about the sparkle at weddings this year. Golds, silvers, you name it. In the craft section I found not only a ton of glitter colour options for my DIY items, but also burlap, twine, and these adorable clothespins that I can use on my photo string display frame.

What I loved most is that if I didn’t find exactly what I was looking for in store, the Dollars & Cents team was willing to source out the items for me through their suppliers. Now that’s some great service. Everything I needed in one place and right in my own backyard.

Dollars & Cents has stores in Langley and Coquitlam. If you’d like more information please email dollarsandcentsstores@gmail.com

How to Design a Sublime Bridal Shower

Selecting a Theme

Creating a Delicious Spread

Playing a Few Games

Making Prizes and Favours

Dollars & Cents

How to Design a Sublime Bridal Shower

How to Design a Sublime Bridal Shower