Summer Bridal Shower

Plan a bright, cheery and memorable summer bridal shower for the bride-to-be to kick off the wedding festivities with a bang. Keep the preferences of the future "Mrs." in mind and honor specific requests as much as possible (some surprises are always fun!). Check out some terrific ideas for summer bridal shower themes, venues, decorations, cakes and favors.

Summer bridal shower ideas include:

• Venues: Select a summer bridal shower venue to compliment the summer season and the desires of the bride. Appropriate outdoor summer venues include restaurant roof decks, patios and outdoor gardens. Ask the restaurant to provide fans or cooling units for outdoor events if the weather may be overwhelming (especially for the older guests). Consider an indoor function room with large windows to allow the sunlight to brighten up the room. Fill the room with decorative topiary trees and flowers so it feels like an arboretum.  

• Decorations: Decorate the summer wedding shower with bright and vibrant colors that reflect the color scheme of the upcoming wedding. Fill the shower with bold summer flowers like Gerber daisies, sunflowers, tulips and hydrangeas. Place the flowers in flower pots for a casual shower or purchase decorative vases from your local craft store to make flower arrangements for a formal setting.

• Dessert: Serve summertime cupcakes to guests, instead of a cake. Purchase cupcakes from your local bakery or make them yourself and include a berry filling in the center of the cupcakes. Combine chocolate cupcakes with raspberry filling and chocolate frosting. Another idea is vanilla cupcakes with strawberry or peanut butter filling and whipped cream topping. Decorate the cupcakes with symbols of the summer, such as fondant butterflies, dragonflies and flowers.

• Favors: Keep the summer theme consistent and hand out butterfly and dragonfly chocolate lollipops to guests for bridal shower favors. Use pink, orange, yellow and turquoise colored chocolate for the lollipops. Purchase the colored chocolate in your local arts and crafts store, or make if yourself with white chocolate and food coloring. Place the lollipops in clear cellophane bags. Tie colorful ribbon at the top of the bag and hand out for a tasty treat.

Maintain the summer theme throughout the details of the event. Stick with the same colors for the decorations, cake and favors. Make the summer symbols (butterflies, dragonflies and flowers) stand out, and repeat the use in multiple items (favors, cupcakes and decorations).