If you’re stuck for ideas for a bridal shower, About Weddings can help.

AW spoke to three wedding coordinators and here’s what they suggest.

Chinkie Uy- Agregado of Metro Eventscape Planners

Who says the beach is only for weddings? Have a beach themed bridal shower!

Location: As a collective gift, have the wedding party stay together at a beach house. If it’s not possible, any location will do (e.g., a friend’s house, the rooftop of a condo or high-rise building, a private room, or even a garage.

For a venue other than the beach, you may choose to create an underwater atmosphere, using draped tulle with white lights and a sea-life centerpiece. To make the centerpiece, use a shallow glass bowl and some colorful sprays of dried plants.

Invitation: printed card pasted on an anahaw fan, card inserted in a shell or a hollow piece of bamboo (Invites by Printsonalities Tel. No 899-9710)

Menu: barbecue (meat and fish); finger foods; chips and nuts; fruit punch and shakes; beer, wine, and liqueurs.

Entertainment: Chill-out music, or reggae music

Games

1. Tipsy me, tipsy you!

Prepare a set of questions about the bride and her fiancé. In a clear bowl or basket, let each friend pick a number corresponding to a question. If the friend fails to answer the question, s/he will take a shot of any hard drink (vodka, tequila, kamikaze, margarita, etc.), but if she answers correctly, the bride-to-be has to take the shot instead. (Just be sure to designate drivers beforehand!)

2. Treasure hunt – Make lists of treasure, then divide guests into three groups. The group that brings in the most number of items wins the game!

Favors: Beach towels; flip-flops; canvas beach chairs; beach umbrellas; a handmade bar of soap in a sea shell soap dish with some gauzy ribbon; or chocolate seashells in a small banig box.

Accents: Torches (but don’t light them indoors!); bamboo tables; floral tablecloths; beach chairs; mats or banig; floral pillows; banana leaves as placemats.

You can reach Chinky Uy-Agregado at (0917) 328.1893 and (02) 563.4814

Bangs Zaldivar of 1 Zaldivar Event

Have a chocolate shower! If your engaged friend is a chocoholic, the possibilities open up.

GUESTS: There’s beauty in diversity—whether the guests include the bride’s friends from school, past and present officemates or business partners, family and relatives, or her Wednesday badminton group, include them all. Just be sure that you are all united in your aim to give your friend the most fabulous shower of love and affection!

VENUE: Any room with its own mini-kitchen and toilet and bath. Best if held at a city home, vacation house, or country club (like Clearwaters Country Club). A hotel suite (like Discovery Suites) is also great.

TIME: Early afternoon to whenever…

INVITATION:

It’s a CHOCOLATE BRIDAL SHOWER

for NATHALIE

on

D a y D a t e T i m e

P l a c e

Come in comfy attire in shades of chocolate!

Let’s shower our friend

with our love and great wishes!

SIGNED

PROGRAM: Contract a home spa service provider. Designate a massage room where the first 12 people to arrive will receive the following treats: a foot massage for the first four to arrive; an upper back massage for the next four; and a hand and arm massage for the rest. This gives you time to attend to whatever the guests bring and incorporate them into your setup.

Make each one busy with a "crafty" activity while waiting for the guest list to be complete. Be sure to remind them that it’s the bride-to-be who should arrive last, not them!

Set up a dedication table and provide small containers to serve as molding trays: ice trays, mini ice cream cups, or bowls, all of different shapes. Invite guests to choose a container and scoop chocolate from a chocolate fountain into their chosen containers. They can put in designs and flavor the mixture with nuts, mini-mallows, colorful sprinklers, or dried fruits. Place the containers in the refrigerator or freezer to set. Forget about them while the party is going on.

When all guests are in and the introductions have been made, seat the celebrant on a brown bean bag or sofa (in keeping with the theme) and "shower" her with presents. Just don’t drop heavy presents on her!

GIFT SUGGESTIONS: A pair of mugs to share a hot chocolate drink with her husband-to-be (Gourdo’s); a recipe book featuring chocolate (Powerbooks); a stainless steel mini chocolate fondue burner and matching skewers (houseware or kitchenware section of Rustan’s); dessert plates packed with brown cloth napkins for the couple’s future chocolate parties (Landmark); assembled candle-making kit for chocolate scented candles with instructions (Gody in Divisoria); Heavenly Bodies body cream or Sonic Death Monkey shower gel for a yummy, chocolatey feel (Lush); a gift certificate from shops devoted to serving chocolates; chocolate-scented aromatherapy oil and oil burner, etc.

Now, remember the output of the dedication table? After giving the bride-to-be her presents, collect the chocolates in the refrigerator (which should have set by now). You can wrap them in cellophane or place them in small boxes and accent these with ribbons and yarn. You can even design an arrangement for the chocolates! Make two packs: one for the celebrant with your dedications on it, and one for you to bring home. They serve as the host’s "thank you" giveaways.

Be sure to designate a photographer and a videographer from among the guests to document the party!

MUSIC: Whatever suits your tastes.

FOOD and BEVERAGES: Just about anything goes with the scent of continuously flowing Belgian chocolate filling the room. But I suggest that you have a cheese platter ready with cocktail picks or mini-skewers for dipping, and chilled champagne or wine. As the party progresses, bring out mini-donuts, bread sticks, cheese sticks, churros, wafers, crackers, and even pound cake. Then make everything sweeter with bowls or plates of fruits cut into bite-size pieces: strawberries, honeydew, banana, kiwi, pineapple, grapes, apples, etc. Drizzle them with chocolate from the chocolate fountain.

TIPS: Send a list of the items above and invite guests to bring any of them, or wine. They can also chip in for the rental of the chocolate fountain so that you can have it professionally set up. Try Wedding Works Chocolate Fountain (6463487).

WARNING: Throwing this kind of party is addicting!

(You can reach Bangs Zaldivar at (02) 646. 3387 and (0922) 3003174

Jody Liwanag

Traditionally, the bridal shower is hosted by the maid of honor, although anyone else who wishes to honor the bride with a shower party is free to do so.

Nowadays, many spas, hair salons, and even nail care salon offer packages and private function areas for holding bridal shower which allow friends to bond during a pampering session.

In planning a bridal shower, take note of the following important items:

Identify a theme – The host can ask the bride what she prefers. A sure way to host a hit party is to give it a theme.

Set the date and time – The host should definitely consider the availability of the bride as well as the invited guests.

Identify and book the venue – The host should find a suitable location to hold the party which takes the theme and the convenience of the bride and the guests into consideration.

Send out invitations – The host can opt for a formal invitation, but a simple card or an invitation printed on stationery will do. Nowadays, phone calls or even text messages are acceptable. Guests should be informed about the theme to make sure that the bride receives gifts that she really needs. This also ensures that duplicates are avoided.

Plan for the menu and arrange for decor – Food can be catered, cooked by the host, or you can organize a pot-luck among the guests. Simple decor coordinated with the theme can also liven up the venue.

Prepare for the games/activities – For added fun and entertainment, plan for bridal shower games or activities, from practical games to the outrageous variety. Prizes can also be prepared for the winners.

A Sample Bridal Shower

Theme: Cooking for Two

Invitations: Written recipe-style while indicating details of the party

Venue: Either the bride’s or host’s own place; definitely in the kitchen!

Food: Each guest must bring a specialty dish with a copy of its recipe adjusted for cooking for two people.

Games:

Shopping Bag: Put 15-20 kitchen items in a colorful sealed shopping bag placed in the middle of a table, allowing all guests to feel what’s inside. Give guests up to a minute to write down all the items they think are inside the bag. Afterwards, opened the bag; whoever got the most number of items right wins. All items inside the shopping bag can be given to the bride afterwards.

Scavenger’s Hunt: Buy inexpensive gift items that are needed in the kitchen. Hide the items all over the house, each with a clue attached, telling the finder where to search for the next gift. Guests can be divided into teams, and the first team to find the most number of items wins. The bride then gets to keep all the gifts found.

Note: The items for the games can be the things that bride will need to cook her first dish. (See the Activity below for ideas)

Activity: Practical cooking lesson for the bride. Choose a specific specialty dish that she can cook for her husband.

Options for Prizes/Souvenirs: small cookbooks, salt and pepper shakers, coasters, bowl with candies/goodies, bottles of wine.