If you’re wondering WHERE to start when it comes to pulling together all the details for an upcoming bridal shower, then start with SimplyWeddingStuff.com’s Bridal Shower Checklist. The gurus at SimplyWeddingStuff.com have pulled out all the stops and will have you feeling at ease with your upcoming event in no time flat!

SimplyWeddingStuff.com’s Bridal Shower Checklist includes a plethora of information including answers to all the top bridal shower planning questions and a step-by-step timeline to keep all the details together. Perfect!!!

With my cousin’s bridal shower approaching, I’ve been diligent in referring back to SimplyWeddingStuff.com’s Bridal Shower Checklist whenever I have a question as to what needs to be done and when. Needless to say, it’s been extremely helpful!

My favorite part of the Bridal Shower Checklist is step-by-step timeline! And I’m happy to report that I am right on schedule! The bridal shower is less than two weeks away and I’m now in the midst of planning the bridal shower games!

How about you over there on the other side of the computer screen? What’s your favorite part of SimplyWeddingStuff.com’s Bridal Shower Checklist? Do tell!

Posted by Sara, a Dot-arilla Blogger

Who says you are too old for a slumber party? Many East Coast brides are laughing it up at all night bridal showers. These wedding showers consist of eating pizza, manicures and swapping secrets, much like we did when we were teenagers. A bridal shower like this can be extra special if the guests and the wedding party attended slumber parties together when they were younger. A slumber party wedding shower is easy to plan; order a few large pizzas, ask the guests to bring a sleeping bag and purchase some brightly colored streamers. The rest of the evening will take care of itself. The bride and her friends can reminisce about years gone by and their hopes and dreams for the future. A bride of any age will enjoy a slumber party wedding shower.

Posted by Amy, a Dot-arilla Blogger

Maybe it is time that us girls let the boys in on the fun. We have been laughing it up at bridal showers for years, and all the grooms have ever gotten to do is carry the large presents home. The men of the East Coast have decided they want to crash these parties and see what actually goes on at a bridal shower. Inviting men to a bridal shower may seem a bit strange at first, but then when you think about it the gifts are for the grooms too. Many men help with some of the household chores, so why don’t we give them the opportunity to open a few gifts and be part of the bridal shower. Hosting a co-ed shower is no more complex than hosting a party for women. When you plan the co-ed shower just try to keep the boys in mind. You will need to make or purchase more food and try to stay away from too many girly things. A nice invitation for a co-ed shower is the black and white champagne glasses invitation. It is classy without being too feminine. Make the boys feel at home at the shower and try not to plan it when a big game is on TV!

Posted by Amy, a Dot-arilla Blogger

Want to make memories with the ladies? Then consider throwing an adventure bridal shower! While this might not be an entirely practical approach for large bridal showers, an adventure bridal shower can work remarkably well for smaller groups.

Here are some fun adventure bridal shower ideas to get you going:

• Skydiving. Nothing like finding out who will jump out of a plane with you! Just make sure the skydiving outfit is certified and has an amazing reputation.
• A day at the spa. Each guest selects two to three services and the host coordinates a light lunch at the spa.
• Cooking class. Learn something new together! Consider coordinating ahead of time with the chef so that you and the girls can expertly prepare the food, dessert and drinks for the bridal shower.
• Hiking. Pack a picnic and all the bridal shower games! Then, head up the nearest trail to see and be inspired by the world.
• Road trip. Pick a place you know the bride-to-be has always wanted to go (or to a place she loves) and start driving.

 Posted by Sara, a Dot-arilla Blogger

Now days many women are waiting until they are a bit older to get married. Due to this, weddings and wedding plans are becoming more sophisticated. This sophisticated air can be seen in everything including the bridal shower. An intimate garden is a lovely location to host a bridal shower. The bridal shower does not need to be a massive gathering of every woman the bride has ever met. Many brides would enjoy just sipping tea while chatting with dear friends in a backyard gazebo or patio. In the spring and summer the East Coast is full of colorful gardens that make the perfect backdrop for such parties. Use a few cut flowers from the garden to fill a signature vase for the bride. Have each guest write a special message on the vase with the black porcelain marker that is included. The bride will cherish this vase as a special memento of her outdoor garden shower with her closest and dearest friends.\

Posted by Amy, a Dot-arilla Blogger

1. Decide how many bridal showers you will be having. One on each side of the family? A co-worker shower? A friends-only bridal shower? A co-ed bridal shower?
2. Determine who will be hosting your each of your bridal showers. Typically the host(s) will be your Maid of Honor and/or Bridesmaids, but if you are having multiple bridal showers held in your honor your family may consider hosting as well.
3. Be up front with the hosts. Obviously they already know you well, but you may want to set some ground rules or at least share your ideas with each host on your ideal bridal shower.
4. Start the bridal shower with some nice and easy icebreakers, like SimplyWeddingStuff.com’s Fabulous 5.
5. Prior to opening gifts, make sure your Maid of Honor or one of your bridesmaids is put in charge of writing down gifts as you open them. Make sure they know to note not only the gift, but who it is from. That way when you’re ready to send out thank you notes, it’ll be a breeze.

Posted by Sara, a Dot-arilla Blogger

I got married soon after college graduation, which means I went from dining on spaghetti, baked chicken breasts, and other simple, single-person dishes to slowly but surely learning how to cook heartier meals like chili, roasts, and stews for my husband and I to enjoy together. Considering I was never an expert chef to begin with, learning how to make more intricate recipes has been a bit of an adventure – and unfortunately, many of the family-oriented, multi-course cookbooks I received as wedding presents were simply too complicated to help (although my relatives meant well, I know).

In the year that we’ve been married, my cooking skills have improved. Looking back, however, it would have been so nice to have started this new chapter of my life with a collection of basic, time-tested, easy-to-prepare dishes that my husband and I could throw together without much hassle after a day at work… which is why I found the following idea so absolutely fantastic!

At your next girlfriend’s bridal shower – or your own! – help the bride-to-be begin her own great recipe collection by encouraging each guest to bring their favorite recipe as a gift! You can add a note right onto your invitation to “Bring Your Favorite Recipe to Share!” or spread the word yourself. The shower hostess or maid of honor could even gather the recipe cards ahead of time and arrange them in a pretty photo album or scrapbook for safekeeping. Either way, the bride-to-be is sure to walk away with a collection of fantastic meal ideas for her and her new husband to enjoy together.

Posted by Emily, an Expert Expert

EEK! Are you responsible for throwing a dream bridal shower for the bride to be? Don’t fear, throwing a bridal shower is a fun and rewarding experience. You are getting the chance to plan a celebration that the bride will remember her entire life. There is nothing wrong with wanting everything to go perfectly, but keep things simple, easy and relaxed. One idea that will cut down on a lot of unnecessary shopping is to purchase all of the party accessories at one time. Buying a bridal shower party pack will give you everything you need for your bridal shower. Something as simple as this can save hours upon hours of agonizing over matching plates. Don’t forget to talk to the guest of honor about her wishes too. Your bride to be may have something special she wishes to do or have at the party. When everyone works together it is easy to plan the perfect bridal shower. Just keep it simple and enjoy this special moment in time.

Posted by Amy, a Dot-arilla Blogger

The bridal shower season has officially kicked-off, within the past couple of weeks I have received a couple of bridal shower invites and my maid of honor has started planning my bridal shower. The first thing we did to start planning my bridal shower was to figure out a date that works for everyone in the wedding party, and close family and friends. After that we picked out a location for the bridal shower and since my bridal shower is still a couple months away we have been researching ideas for the shower. Items we have been deciding on are my bridal shower theme, games and decorations for the party. We have found the following to be “most haves” for the 2010 Bridal Shower Season!

1. Bridal Silhouette Invitations: SimplyWeddingStuff.com has gorgeous bridal shower invitations with many styles available that have a bridal silhouettes. My personal favorite is the Bridal Silhouette Purple.

2. Fabulous 5 Bridal Shower Game: No more playing boring games at bridal showers. The Fabulous 5 Game is a modern twist on bridal shower games that all of your guests will love. The game is available in 3 colors (black & white, brown, and pink) and comes with the option to personalize the front of the bridal shower game with the bride-to-be’s name.

3. Bridal Shower Decorations: We loved the bridal shower tableware and personalized placemats available at SimplyWeddingStuff.com. The bridal shower theme we decided on using was the Bridal Silhouette Purple and the coordinating placemats are perfect for decorating our tables there is also a great selection of ideas for centerpieces.

4.Personalized Bridal Shower Favors: There are so many get options for personalized bridal shower favors at SimplyWeddingStuff.com, especially if you want to create your own favors using their do it yourself tags and empty favor jars. Other favors at SimplyWeddingStuff.com that I adore that do not have personalization are the cosmetic mirror, manicure sets, and notepads.

Enjoy planning your bridal shower! SimplyWeddingStuff.com is truly a one-stop shop for planning bridal showers. Looking for more information on planning a bridal shower go the Bridal Shower Checklist, it is full of a great tips on planning a shower.