Here are some theme ideas for your wedding shower:

The Coed Shower
Themes for coed showers include fitness (gifts may be free weights, a gift certificate for a yoga class, croquet sets, snorkeling gear), travel (expect to get knapsacks, climbing gear, foreign phrase books, preaddressed postcards), music (each guest brings two CDs), and wine (everyone brings a vintage to help build the couple’s wine cellar).

Adventure Showers
Many brides escape with their bridesmaids for a great prenuptial weekend adventure. Adventure showers may include a weekend camping, a spa retreat, a sailing escape, a ski weekend, or even a day of hot-air ballooning!

The Pet Shower
A dog or cat-themed shower is an amusing and practical way to please all members of the soon-to-be family. Rawhide bones, catnip mice, decorative food bowls, and cedar-filled dog beds are always welcome. And the possibilities for decorations and refreshments are endless.

The Games Shower
“The Newlywed Game” has the groom-to-be interviewed on video tape beforehand, and his answers are compared to his fiancées at the shower. Bridal-shower-bingo involves bingo cards with pictures of possible gifts. The game progresses as the gifts are opened.

The Quilt Shower
Keep your guests entertained by having them bring an embroidered square, vintage handkerchiefs, or scraps of fabrics to the party. While the bride-to-be opens gifts, the guests sew the squares together to make a quilt or pillow the bride can keep for years to come.

 

• Petals from fresh opened roses.
• Birdseed.
• Pass out sparklers (for an evening wedding) tied with ribbon to printed match boxes.
• Hand out small bottles of bubbles with bubble wands.
• Hand out disposable, one-use cameras and have guests photograph the bride and groom from a variety of angles (can be taken on to reception for more photo-taking).

 

A properly preserved dress lasts longer. Here is what the experts recommend:

• Wear underarm shields, since perspiration causes damage.
• Dry-clean the dress after wearing it.
• Pack it in acid-free tissue (unbuffered if the dress is made of a natural fiber), and store it in an acid-free box. Make sure there is no paper material packed with the dress, like a dry-cleaning tag, because its acid content will damage the fabric.
• Store the dress in a dry place at a constant temperature, not in a basement.
• Take it out once a year and refold it so the creases don’t become permanent. When you do, wear clean gloves and keep the dress away from pet hair and dust.