What’s more fun than brunch? Brunch with a bubbly bar and a bride to celebrate, of course! There are few occasions that we love more than a bridal shower, and we’re absolute experts when it comes to brunch parties. I was recently fortunate enough to be the recipient of one of these such parties and had a blast planning – and enjoying – the details, from menu to decor. Here are our tips for planning the perfect DIY brunch and bubbly bridal shower!

The Decor

The details – big and small – set the tone for your guests from the moment they walk in the door. So create a fun and festive vibe that fits your personality and wedding style! The focal point I had my eye on from the beginning? Giant gold foil insta-worthy balloons, of course! Mine said “bride,” but you can also purchase brunch-themed balloons with phrases like “let’s brunch,” “bridal brunch,” or “cheers.” Know in advance where you can go to blow them up – or buy a helium tank of your own. It’s best to fill the balloons the morning of the shower, as they can deflate quickly!

Keeping with the gold theme, we framed important wedding details, accents, and cute sayings in opulent gold frames around the venue (my childhood home in this case!). One of the frames showcased my wedding date written out in calligraphy, while another read “Miss to Mrs.” If you’re not much of a DIYer, Etsy can help with custom signs that you can download and print for under ten dollars, or you can pay a premium for personalized acrylic or wood signs that ship within two weeks.

At the guest tables, ornate ivory tablecloths and bouquets of flowers with hydrangeas, lilies and roses in shades of creamy white and pink create a distinct bridal atmosphere, while diamond ring costume jewelry and confetti are fun and festive accents you can find on Amazon!

For a more personal element, consider reserving a table for personal photos of you and your fiancé growing up. I also had home videos playing in the background that featured many of the guests at the shower, which was a fun trip down memory lane.

The Bubbly Bar

In our opinion, the bubbly bar is the best and most important part of a bridal shower! For some in-depth tips, check out our advice on how to set up the perfect mimosa bar. It’s really all about presentation – and options! All you need is your bubbly of choice, an ice bucket, Champagne flutes, and glass decanters with an assortment of different juice options. Finish with fruit garnish and eco-friendly, colorful paper straws that allow people to personalize their cocktails to their tastes and preferences.

From the moment guests arrive, greet them with a silver serving tray full of Champagne and keep passing the bubbles throughout the party.

The Brunch Menu

The invitations helped set the theme for our bridal shower brunch; Zazzle offers all kinds of cute invitation options with phrases ranging from “brunch with the bride,” to “I Do brunch.” This way, guests knew what to expect and could arrive ready to indulge!

As any brunch connoisseur and hostess knows, you need to plan a menu with a range of options that all of your guests will enjoy. For a brunch, this means a balance of sweet and savory breakfast and lunch items. You’re also going to need a friend or bridesmaid who excelled at cursive in the third grade to label each dish. If you’re looking for low-stress food prep, consider getting it partially or fully catered. We used ezCater to find a local catering company that could help with a few platters, and we were able to seamlessly schedule a delivery online for the morning of the shower.

I recommend a bite-sized assortment of pastries so guests can nibble and sample while mingling. We featured cherry and cheese Danishes, scones, cinnamon buns, and lemon blueberry cheesecake squares. Poppable doughnut holes or mini muffins are also great options!

Quiche is ideal for entertaining; it’s sophisticated, filling, delicious, and most important – easy! We recommend multiple varieties for meat lovers and vegetarians alike. We served classic quiche Lorraine, ham, broccoli and cheddar, veggie, and sausage and pepper quiches, but the combinations are endless.

Finger sandwiches are always a dainty and elegant lunch option, easy to eat at or away from a table! Platters full of selections like chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad, ham and turkey are offered by most catering companies. Round out the selection with a fresh green salad, fruit salad and pasta salad to give guests lighter options and sides.

For dessert anything is fair game, but at a bridal shower a cake is particularly festive! We served my favorite – carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, and also passed around colorful French macarons that were easy to snag while mixing and mingling.

Games

I automatically cringe at the thought of bridal shower games, and clearly I’m not the only one. When you type “bridal shower games” into Google it automatically populates “that aren’t lame.” So I found a couple options that I felt were an upgrade from gift bingo!

Wedding vow mad libs kept me and my guests dying laughing (and blushing) throughout the otherwise dreaded opening of gifts. Let me just say, some of your guests will surprise you (I’m looking at you Aunt Carol)! Another I considered was bridal shower emoji Pictionary. Regardless – after some bubbly, either of these games are sure to be a hit. As an added bonus, you can find free templates online.

Photos courtesy of Jaimie Macari Photography

Now make sure you make a playlist that spans the generations, and you’ve got yourself a brunch and bubbly bridal shower that will leave your guests energized and excited for the upcoming wedding day!