Bridal showers used to be a very traditional and, if you don't mind me saying, stuffy gatherings. Someone outside the bride's immediate family would throw the party and invite all their friends to give the bride very traditional, and if you don't mind me saying, stuffy wedding gifts.

The bride received everything she would need to be a good wifey. From toasters to blenders to irons, she would now have her essential arsenal to create a warm and nurturing nest for her future lot of children.

Bah humbug! Today's bridal showers are about today's bride. She is a full-time professional with a college degree. Her hobbies range from mountain biking to jewelry making and the only thing she would ever need with a blender for is for making margaritas.

The best wedding shower gift ideas are the ones just for the bride. Gifts that mark a true passage into womanhood. Forget the standard items on her wedding registry - let's get creative.

She is guaranteed to receive at least one set of slutty undergarments. But again, we are looking for bridal shower gift ideas for the bride - not the groom! These are hard to find, but how about footie pajamas in a soft micro-fleece? She will think of you every time she wears them.

She is sure to receive lots of bubble bath, bath salts and shower gels. How about a bottle of really expensive perfume? Something she would never buy for herself. The card should suggest that she wear this new scent on her wedding day and then on special occasions afterwards. Some scents have a way of bringing us back to special moments in our lives. Give her the gift of an olfactory wedding memory!

For a really fun gift that will get the bride and groom in a creative mood, give her our Paint Your Own Wedding Cake Topper Kit. The bride and groom use the provided glazes and brushes and return to us for firing. The finished piece will be a treasured family heirloom.

OK, now we're getting sentimental. A gift certificate for a watercolor painting will delight the bride. She can redeem it at our store for a custom watercolor painting based on her favorite wedding photo. Is the bride your sister? Have a painting created of the two you. Re-create your favorite childhood photograph in watercolors. She is guaranteed to bawl when she sees this gift.

If you are looking for a modern twist on a favorite tradition, purchase a ceramic guestbook platter for the wedding. The kit comes with a platter, a special marker and instructions. After the event, wrap it up in its original packaging and return it to us for glazing. We will ship the platter directly to the bride and groom. They'll love the platter and think you are a genius. What an awesome gift!

i think that all of these are good ideas but the perfect gift would probably have to be a house warming present because everyone knows it takes time and money to get a lot of things that you need for your house but you usually get a lot of things that could still help you out but you just need a little bit more than that.

a "picnic backpack" for the active bride-to-be, found at any kitchen store. The bride can take her love on a romantic picnic getaway and still be able to hike the big mountains!

actually, you guys are not much help. For traditional or non-traditional how about a basket? Fill it with a theme. such as time of day and do things you would need for ,oh, say bathtime, dinnertime, time to bake, bedtime breakfast, laundry etc. or if you know the brides hobbies or what she likes to do to relax do a basket of painting supplies, a tool kit, sports equipment, scrapbooking supplies or a gift certificate tofor a new do a manicure, whatever.And the basket, whatever size will come in handy too.This is an idea page, not an opinion page. Got any ideas????

take a cutting board let everyone write a little message on the board at the shower the put a coating over it. nice to sit up in the new brides house

I agree with neva! The ideas you gave above are stuff the bride and groom do together and already have for the wedding! I was hoping for some unique, creative ideas for something to give my friend who is not an old fashioned bride.

What I did for my daugther and son in law. I made up a basket with two matching robes with their initals on them and put in a bottle of wine with two glasses and an envelope for the two of them to go to the spa before their wedding. It help them to releive some stress.

Neva, I like your idea about filling a basket with items appropriate for a time of day. In fact, I'll be attending a bridal shower with that theme, and my time of day is 8 pm. Anyone have ideas for me? An idea I have for others is a fondue set with a Chocolate Lovers book.

I think the ideas provided were not very helpful. Those things have most likely been purchased already. Anyone with some good ideas for an ocean/seashell kind of woman?

I am planning a shower for my future daughter-in law She is interested in outdoor games,gardening,grilling,and picnic equipment. Something that they both can enjoy together. They are heading into medical school,so they want to be somewhat practical. Any ideas?

Dani when you say outdoor games do you mean sports or yard games? If it's the latter go for a nice bocce ball set or horseshoes. As for the picnics,someone above recommended the picnic backpacks - I second that, they're great!

I am planning a shower for one of my good friends. WE are going to "Pamper Yourself Spa Party" at my house. The emphasis will be on my girlfriend--the Bride--herself. Afterwards, there will be products there to purchase for that AT HOME Spa Feeling when one feels the need to Pamper Herself. I will purchase a set of the Pampering products for her to have and use with her and her husband-to-be. I haven't figured out what else to get yet, but I think she will enjoy a little Diva Pampering Session with that gals and few margueritas...

For my wedding, my sister gave me a cute little bucket (the decorative kind with flowers on the front) and then filled it with pens wrapped in floral tape with a fake flowerhead at the top so it looked really cute, she put some notecards in it a philips screwdriver and a flathead screwdriver, and needle nose plyers she said those are the things she uses a lot and she needs some herself and she was so right!!! I use it all the time and it is cute and creative!!!

I have no idea what to get for a bridal shower in May. The Bride-to-be is the fiancée of my boyfriend's brother. She considers me family, but when I think of a Bridal Shower gift, I pose the timeless question: "What do you get for the person who has everything?" They have been very good about planning their wedding, so I don't know what she could possibly need or want. Please help!

I liked the robe idea with wine above --

I am going to a joint shower this weekend for a close friend of my husband & his fience (who i don't know all that well, but she likes nice exquisit things)

I'm still completly baffled what to get.. Any ideas?

I have a bridal shower coming up & it's a time of day theme, my time is 4:00pm. Does anyone have any unique idea's?

4:00? I'd bake cookies with my sweetheart. Or start a movie marathon with a whole bunch of DVDs. Or play a boardgame... Hope that helps! As for me, I'm still extremely stumped!

this site sucks. everyone has questions, but no one is willing to offer suggestions to help others!!

Just thought, I am throwing a shower for my best friend and with the invitations, I am sending a scrapbook page. Each of the guests are asked to fill the page with memories of the bride (and the groom if they wish) which they will bring to the shower and put into a scrapbook for the bride to have.

have to agree with everyone here-this site has suggestions for the already married couple-not really anything for the bride to be.I think everyone here has also made some really wonderful suggestions for bridal showers and should perhaps think about getting together and creating a website of their own! As for the bridal showe I'm going to- I'm puting together a nice basket filled with excelsoir (sp?) wine glasses,cheese,pastries and flowers.Pretty basic,but something that can be used for a short romantic road trip or picnic.As for the wedding gift itself,I'm a little stumped. Any creative gift ideas for a soccer player and car mechanic?

I just went to a shower for my college roommate today and I saw a lot of cute gift ideas. First, I gave Shelly a basket with different candles in it. I typed out little sayings to go with the candles and tied the sayings onto the candles with twine. I had 9 sets of candles and 2 candle holders. The sayings are: There are candles to burn on Christmas Eve before bed your first together, that's why they are RED. The WHITE ones burn first, to celebrate the first night in your new chosen place. The BURGANDY candles are taller and thinner; they are to burn with your first company for dinner. SILVER is for the big 25 that will keep you alive. The BLUE candles are for your first fight. Use them to burn when making up at night. When your first year is through, light the CREAM anniversary pair for the two of you. The PINK candles will pave the way for your first married Valentine's Day. Use the LIGHT BLUE candles for the fifth anniversary day. By this time, we hope that maybe you can burn the YELLOW ones for the birth of your new baby. This was a hit!!! If you don't want to use all the colors you don't have to. I couldn't find silver candles so I left that one out. Also, the future mother-in-law got her a home-made ice cream machine, toppings, ice cream dishes, all that fun stuff! She loved it!! I hope these two ideas help a little!

Some of the gifts we have done are to go together as a group and get a grill and then a basket full of supplies for it like the master grill set, spices, apron and certificate for meat. Another was a storage basket filled with pizza certificates, movies rental, micro popcorn, soda's, candy found at the theatre and had a movie night theme. One couple who married that both had kids we did a game night with games for both the children and parents with snack foods and sodas to go with it in a large basket.

I'm in the exact same situation as Katrina except the bride is my boyfriend's sister. She has lived with her fiance for about 2 years. She is pretty pampered as it is and has left me wondering what to get her. I also am trying to find an original gift for her and not your typical toaster. I think a wedding shower should be for the wife-to-be, leave the gifts for the husband and wife for the wedding itself.

I have a wedding shower to go to May and I have to buy a gift that starts with the letter jay. This is for my sister so I have to come uo with a really great present can anyone help me?

I completely agree with Chansi - leave those husband/wife gifts for the wedding! A BRIDAL shower is for the BRIDE! And for Paige - how about a beautiful "J"ewellery box? (for her to collect all the jewellery her new hubby will buy her!) Hope that helps

I have a bridal shower to go to on Sat 15th, 2004 and it is for one of my best girlfriends. I am giving her two gifts. The first one is a sentimental one. It is a glass frame with a picture of the two of us on one side and a message to her on the other side. The second gift is a gift certificate for a day at the spa so she can pamper herself before her wedding. I think that these are great gifts because the shower should really be about her. It's her special day

I think the idea with the candles and the sayings is wonderful, it is sweet, romantic and it is something that is still useful, thanks courtney!! I know that Victoria Secrets has a really cute set of underwear and bra type thing that says "I do" on the bra top and "something blue" on the underwear, it is soo cute I know I would love that for my bridal shower.

One idea that might take some time to do, would be to get a set of really cute, nice thank you cards. Find out the people who will be attending the bridal shower, and their addresses. Then stamp and pre-address all the cards, so that the task of writing thank you notes for the bride-to-be is much easier. This was a big hit at a baby shower.

I attended a shower recently where the coolest gift was a large decorator pot filled with a variety of herbs. Personal AND useful!

This is a great cute little inexpensive gift for bridal showers. Buy a medium size stainless steal collander w/holes. Buy some kitchen utensils, like spoon, spatula, pasta holder (anything with holes at the end) buy as many as you like tie them w/ribbon (color of your choice) onto the collander. Place in a wrapped gift box, when the bride opens it up she will be holding a collander with hanging utensils. It's really a cute idea and different, always a hit at every shower.

I recently went to a bridal shower for my friend and I knew she was going to Hawaii for her honeymoon. So I got her a basketful of Hawaiian stuff that I got locally on the mainland - Hawaiian scented candles, 2 hula girl glasses, a Tiki Bar handbook for drinks & appetizers, etc., Kona coffee, and a travel size case with skincare products (Hawaiian products, of course)- scrub, moisturizer, sunscreen, etc. I know she'll especially adore these items when she comes back from their honeymoon. Little reminders of Hawaii they can keep around their house. Then I went to Fredrick's and got her some blue undies (for "something blue"), a Wedding Emergency Kit, and a Honeymoom Kit. I put all of these in a nice basket and covered it up with a sarong, which she can also wear on her trip.

I thought a gift FOR THE BRIDE would be especially nice. I've been to showers where both the bride AND groom are together. That would be an appropriate time (in my opinion) to get them both something, maybe from their registry.

im getting a laundry basket and filling it with cleaning supplies ,tin foil , paper towels ,ziploc bags, toilet paper , ect... ect....

I like Mya's idea of arranging a gift basket around the Honeymoon destination. My friend is going to Mexico...any extraordinary ideas for the basket?

I am co-hosting a shower in June...(the wedding is not till October, but the bride wants the shower earlier so her in-laws can attend.) This will be 2nd marriages for both parties. She wants a honey-do shower, and I have no idea what to get for them since they seem to alreay seem to have everything.....Please help!!

I am co-hosting a shower in June...(the wedding is not till October, but the bride wants the shower earlier so her in-laws can attend.) This will be 2nd marriages for both parties. She wants a honey-do shower, and I have no idea what to get for them since they seem to alreay seem to have everything.....Please help!!

I am co-hosting a shower in June...(the wedding is not till October, but the bride wants the shower earlier so her in-laws can attend.) This will be 2nd marriages for both parties. She wants a honey-do shower, and I have no idea what to get for them since they seem to alreay seem to have everything.....Please help!!

So sorry for the triplicate post

I think your best bet is a basket. You can fill it with whatever fits the bride's personality. For my friend, I will be getting her a book about an artist she likes and a box of biscotti and special coffee and I'll throw in gift certificate for a manicure. That should go over well.

Some of these ideas are good. I had one idea of a day at the spa for the bride to be. A 30 min. massage, mini facial, and pedicure/manicure. It's a great way to relax AFTER the wedding & honeymoon when the stress is over!

Also, I am doing a combo gift of some of the ideas for a shower: A monogram silk type robe with "Bride" or her initial on it, a sexy nighty combo camisole top with "I DO" in Red and on the bottoms "SOMETHING BLUE", champagne with champagen glasses, gourmet chocolates, & the candles but do 12 occasions to represent one full year together(red 1st CHristmas; white honeymoon night; burgandy 1st company dinner; light blue first fight; cream 1st anniversary; pink 1st valentines day; orange 1st thanksgiving; yellow 1st "new year"'s together; green 1st st. patty's for luck of the irish to know the wife is the "wiseish"; purple for 1st easter; blue for 1st veterans day to celebrate your new life as army wife (military spouse wedding); red/white/blue 1st july 4th to keep the fireworks of romance alive.) I'm putting it in a pretty basket so she can resuse the basket again. It's a mixture of honeymoon items as well as candles & basket which will keep on giving.

Any bridal shower gift ideas? The bride to be is my father's fiance. Since i am the daughter, i kind of wanted to stay away from any lingerie, etc. I really like her and want to get her something very special but i don't have any idea of what would be appropriate. Please help! Thanks.

I received the best shower gift. It was a letter that used cleaning products to describe being married to your husband. The letter used products like Fantastic, Shout, All etc. I can not find the letter (my husband removed eberything from the spare room to prepare for the twins. To this day, I still can not find things) Anyway - does anyone have a copy of this type of letter? Much appreciated (scwcrc@aol.com)

Finally found it - Okay here is something cute to give the Bride:

The following can be printed or typed on a color paper or in a card....

Instructions: Bride's Name (Stephanie), this basket is filled with numbered packagess. Read this letter out loud and when you reach the () with a number, open the corresponding numbered package and fill in the blank with the name of the gift. Ready?

Dear Birde's name (Stephanie),

You and (Groom's name) have made a serious and beautiful decision to be married. You will be giving each other your (1) PLEDGE of love and faithfulness. I am happy for you both and share with you all of your excitiment and (2) JOY for many years.

(Note - Pledge would be a blank space with a line. The bride would open gift 1 and find Pledge polish. (2) would be Joy dish degerent. Any way on ward.

However, Birde's name (Stephanie) there are a few things that you should know. Right now, you may be feeling as though your life together is completely fulfilled and everything is (3) FANTASTIK but there will be times when you just want to (4) SHOUT because (groom's name) is not exactly (5) MR CLEAN!

These are the times when he'll need (6) ALL of you attention, your understanding and loving (7) CARESS. You will be surprised at just how fast your husband will (8) BOUNCE back to normal.

Just remember, Bride's name, behind every (9) PUFF of clouds is a glorious rainbow. Here' hoping that your (10) FUTURE with (Groom's name) is always filled with beautiful rainbows.

With Love, Your name

PS If you ever need to send a (12)S.O.S, just (12) DIAL and we will be there!!

When my best friend got married two years ago, all of us bridesmaides were stumped as for what to get her for a wedding gift. Each of us had such a special relationship with her and wanted to do something that reflected her importance to us, but because we had already purchased so many shower gifts, we were having a hard time choosing what to buy (in a decent price range) for her wedding gifts from us. I suggested that each of us pitch in a certain amount of money, and we asked the groomsmen if they wanted to participate too! We all went together to buy her a hope chest that we had hand made by a friend of the family. It was beautifully carved and was ceder lined. The bride and groom were so shocked and greatful to have been given such a special gift from their ENTIRE bridal party! Each of us put in the chest a photo of us with the bride or groom and wrote a special memory on a notecard. The bride now stores her wedding dress and wedding keepsakes in it at the foot of their bed, and it has become a very precious peice of furniture for thier home! Just and idea!!!

STEPHANIE..... I am going to use your letter idea, I love it, but i have a few questions. What type of product is PUFF and FUTURE? I am going shopping and can't picture what they are. Can you help please? Thank you.

i luv that letter stephanie! that is soo cute! thanks for sharing.

Hey JS - nice comment on how this site sucks - looks like you offered a whole lot yourself - yeah right - I actually was completely lost on what to get my future sister-in-law for her bridal shower, but thanks to all these creative ideas from these wonderful people, I know exactly what I'll be doing - so why don't you take your negativity elsewhere!

Awesome ideas! For my bridal shower I got a basket full of the things we often run out of or can't find when we need them. For example, Light bulbs, twist ties, pens, notepads, gum or mints, toothpicks or dental floss. I can't remember all the items, but each was personalized with a cute note ties to each with a message of why she thought they'd be something I'd need or her experience of misplacing or running out. You can get creative and come up with whatever you find that you can never find in your own home. Some could be the "junk drawer" items. This one really stuck out and I thought it was so thoughtful...and come to find out that all the items I did need for the same reasons. I also think it's neat to get a basket of spices. Theme almost any room in the house and think of what items would be needed there. eg. bathroom medicine cabinet (first aid items,toothpaste,floss) starter pantry cupboard kit (flour, sugar, b.powder, b.soda, peanut butter, soup,...etc.) Also, I loved the hope chest).

I just thought that if you didn't have the money to spend on a hope chest, you could take a nice box with a lid and cover it with padding and white/candlelight satin and put roses or ribbons on it for the bride's keepsakes. Just a thought :o)

I just thought that if you didn't have the money to spend on a hope chest, you could take a nice box with a lid and cover it with padding and white/candlelight satin and put roses or ribbons on it for the bride's keepsakes. Just a thought :o)

Hi Ladies, I am invited to an "Around The Clock" shower. My time is 3:00p.m. I am a stay at home mom, my husband works nights so I am completly out of the norm...any suggestions?

Courtney's idea posted on April 24th is perfect!! I went to a shower where that idea was given and it was the most thoughtful gift. I have been searching high and low for it to make for my girlfriends shower. Thanks Courtney! Check it out for a cool idea....

i have to go to a recipe shower where i give the bride a recipe and the ingrediants to make it. i dont want to do anything that will spoil. also something easy to do. any ideas out there?

KRISTA---I recently went to a bridal shower in which the theme was recipe. A neat idea is the jar where you pack all the ingredients in the jar, put cute fabric on the top and attach the recipe card. Here is an example for Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix.

3 Cups uncooked old-fashioned or quick-oats (oatmeal) 1 cup raisins 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Layer the ingredients attractively in any order into a 1 1/2 QT. food storage jar with tight-fitting lid. Pack ingredients down slightly before adding another layer. Put the lid on and cover top of jar with fabric, and attach the recipe with cute ribbon or raffia.

Hope this helps.

I'm going to a bridal shower on sunday. I need help with figuring out what i should give my cousin age 19 i really don't know her that well can i please have some help. Thank you

Stephanie, I also love the letter idea, I'm just curious what does FUTURE stand for?????

I have been invited to a bridal shower that is being given for a co-worker. Not familiar with her likes or dislikes. It will likely be attended by only other co-workers. We work in an office atmosphere. I really like the the personalized note candle idea. That seems like a useful idea. Any other ideas out there? Thanks for any help!

Same question.. what is Puff and Future. if anyone out there knows please let me know..I have a shower in 2 weeks and I love the cleaning products letter idea! thanks

RE: FUTURE - It is a floor wax...not sure what Puff is.

I am also in a bind about a bride gift for a BRIDAL shower...go figure! Glad I'm not alone. I'm looking for kitsch-y bride gifts (nothing raunchy for this family affair) - I've gone to e-bay for great bargains on a bride charm bracelet, hat, and I'll go to V.S. for the panties. I may personally decorate some white flip-flops as well. Some nice white satin pajamas - 2 piece set (pants/shorts and button up shirt) would be nice...even monogrammed with the first initial of the recipient. Wrap it all in a white satin bridal keepsake box and tied off with ribbons in the wedding colors...if I get any other ideas I'll write back.

PS - another good idea - Cranes (or any other paper goods stores for other options) sells initial note cards - with the first initial of the recipients first name for little notes before - and after the wedding - or with the recipient's new last initial for after the wedding (if applicable). I also picked up some blank note cards with a pretty bride drawing - cutesy but it's perfect for this bride and I found these very useful before my wedding.

PS - another good idea - Cranes (or any other paper goods stores for other options) sells initial note cards - with the first initial of the recipients first name for little notes before - and after the wedding - or with the recipient's new last initial for after the wedding (if applicable). I also picked up some blank note cards with a pretty bride drawing - cutesy but it's perfect for this bride and I found these very useful before my wedding.

RE: Puff is a brand of kleenex tissue

Another time of day -1:00 p.m. for my future daughter in law. I thought of a joke gift with a basketful of "staying at home, watching soaps and eating bon-bons while giving yourself a pedicure and facial. It would include a copy of "Soap Opera Digest' and perhaps some risque items - teddy, mags... Too much for a DIL? Any other ideas?

RE: Future is a clear floor cleaner. Usually on the very bottom shelf at most stores. I had to ask a lady who worked at the store what it was. Hope this helps.

Puff could be the Puffs Facial Tissue.

Future is a clear wax floor cleaner and Puffs is the small box of Facial Tissue. Got them all and I love the idea. I have a bridal shower to go too in September and told friends about it and they love the idea. What a great idea.

Enjoyed the idea of the candles with the sayings tied on them. Told my sister about it and she will be using that great gift idea and I'll be using the cleaner letter. Great gift ideas from you all.

Wow! i just wanted to say how great it is that everyone here is so helpful. i came to this sight desperate for an idea on what to do for a bridal shower for my cousin thank you all for the help!Now i have an idea for me and ideas to give to other bridesmaids. sorry that i dont have any suggestions to offer. good luck everyone!:)

I'm going to a bridal shower and I thought this was a good idea. A basket with matching his and her robes with their names, and their favorite wine bottle with 2 wine glasses with their initials engraved. You could also include the candle idea that Courtney mentioned. What do you think?

Thank you all for all the wonderful ideas!! I am off to a bridal shower on the 24th and could not come up w/one thing until now....I think I will be using the "letter w/cleaning products"(Thanks Stephanie!!) along w/a small picnic basket which includes plates/cups/flatware and candles.

Bridal shower tomorrow!!!!! Thanks for the picnic backpack idea. I know a kitchen store in Healdsburg, CA. There were two different sizes with plastic wine glasses. I think it was around $30.00. I'm not sure about the etiquitte, But I think I need to get a separate wedding gift.

An idea I did for someone I didn't know very well at church was: I put together an Italian basket, I got her dish towels, spagetti sauce, spagetti noodles, pasta scooper, strainer, Italian seasoning, etc... all in an "Italian Basket" it was a big hit... I also threw a shower for a really good friend, and one of the games we did (recipe party) was I assigned groups of people to a theme (appetizers, main course, dessert) and they had to make something (using my ingredients, I overstocked) and the didn't get a recipe. Everyone mingled, and it was great for people who might not have known the other person they were assigned too... Does this make sense? I hope so! I also loved the cleaning, supply letter!

The bridal shower I've been invited to is a "Room in the House" theme. On our invitation, everyone is assigned a room in the house that the gift should be bought for. I've been assigned the living room. The future bride and groom have been living together for 3 years, though! Any ideas for me? After the shower, I'll post the gifts that were given here so you all can have some extra ideas...Thanks!!!

Living room ideas - well, you could do a basket of romance.....romantic movies/popcorn/cuddle blanket/wine. There's always a nice throw for the couch (or even better if you make quilts!). You could always get something for the wall. I got a nice hanging plate that's in my living room that has my name and my husbands name as well as the date. If you have a picture of both of them you could get a caricature done of them with her in a wedding dress and him in a tux. That's always a lot of fun and a good laugh. Hope that helps!

42 years ago, my Dad gave me a set of hand tool just before I was married. I still have the hammer and pliers. YOU KNOW WHO walked off with the rest of MY tools. It is the best gift. I now make sure a new bride has her own tools. Fleet Farm has a good array to choose from and they also have kits - all neatly packaged in a plastic holder. You can select the tools that fit your budget. It's an unusual gift and darn handy to have. I wish the tools came with pink handles so the guy doesn't walk off with them.

42 years ago, my Dad gave me a set of hand tool just before I was married. I still have the hammer and pliers. YOU KNOW WHO walked off with the rest of MY tools. It is the best gift. I now make sure a new bride has her own tools. Fleet Farm has a good array to choose from and they also have kits - all neatly packaged in a plastic holder. You can select the tools that fit your budget. It's an unusual gift and darn handy to have. I wish the tools came with pink handles so the guy doesn't walk off with them.

I love the candle idea -- this can also be used with wine bottles. You can buy a really nice wine rack and fill it with different bottles of wine and label each one (EX. for your first fight, when your expecting- this would be a bottle of sparkling cider,for your 1st anniversary, first night in your new home, and so on..) I would love some creative suggestions on how to label the wine bottles -- I'd love to give something like this to my soon to be sister in law.

just had my neices bridal shower and she checks out my x-mas village every year to see what's new. so for her shower I gave her a wedding chapel & a car with the bride and groom standing by it to start her own xmas village. Of course I had to pick these items up a little bit a head of time and pack them away. But she loved it and I know she'll think of how special she is to me each year when she puts these out.

I found this site quite helpful. Love the cleaner/letter idea. For my sisters bridal shower many years ago I had white (not a good color choice unless they are for the guest bathroom, and especially when you eventually have a houseful of kids) towels monogrammed and the folded them lengthwise in thirds. I then used the towels to create a wedding cake. The larger towels worked great for the bottom layers, adn the smaller ones for the top layers. I decorated the "cake" with flowers in the color scheme of the wedding. I topped the cake with a precious moments figurine. Not really exciting if you are looking for a gift specifically for the bride, but it was a hit at the shower and she still has the towels!!!

After I read all of your ideas I got a good one. My Mom is famous for giving a bed tray to couples..you know, for breakfast in bed. Anyways, I want to use the candle idea and the wine idea, and i thought it would be neat to give the couple (on saturday) a bedtray, candles, bottle of wine, and the wine glasses off their registry...nice and romantic for the both of them...and it might be a relief to get something that doesn't include working/cooking/ just relaxing with her soon to be husband.

I am getting married in less than a month and my fiance has 2 older sisters and I have no clue what to get them. I want to give them just a little something sweet, but am at a complete loss of ideas......Help me please anyone.

I gave my soon-to-be sis-in-law a magazine subscription to a photo magazine because thats her hobby...maybe a good idea?

Just a few gift ideas..some of these can be used for the shower others might be better for the wedding, but you can choose. Breakfast in bed - mugs, tray, pancake mix&forms, coffee, hot choc, etc. Wooden salad bowls with salad servers - fancy dressings, croutons, bacon bits. Personalized welcome mat or sign or door knocker. First Christmas ornament. For those that like the outdoors a hammock and citronella candles. or a basket of items used for grilling with his and her aprons. Personalized pub glasses. and a memory box. Hope these ideas help

I loved Stephanie's clean letter idea. I'll be using it in 2 weeks for my friends bridal shower in one week. Thank you for a great new idea!!

MY SISTER IN LAW TO BE HAD EVERYTHING SHE NEEDED FOR HER HOUSE ETC. SO INSTEAD OF A TRADITIONAL SHOWER WITH A HOUSE THEME, I THREW HER A CAMPING THEMED SHOWER. EVERYONE WAS TO BRING A CAMPING RELATED GIFT(CHAIRS, HOTDOG STICKS,AIR MATRESS, SLEEPIMG BAGS, LANTERNS,ETC) AS FOR ME I WAS HOSTING THE SHOWER AND I BOUGHT HER A TENT AND SET IT UP AND USED THAT AS PART OF MY DECORATIONS. THIS WAS A GREAT IDEA COSIDERING OUR FAMILY DOES A LOT OF CAMPING TOGETHER.

I'm attending a "honey do" shower, where the gifts are for the groom. I like the breakfast in bed idea, but maybe that's wishful thinking...

Any other ideas?

I'm attending a "honey do" shower, where the gifts are for the groom. I like the breakfast in bed idea, but maybe that's wishful thinking...

Any other ideas?

I really like the candles idea for the first year of marriage but I am trying to think of a more original idea for the various colors. I was hoping to relate a candle to each month, not so holiday related. Maybe a cute poem? Can anyone help, the shower is this weekend!

Jill...I was just at a shower for my niece where my sister gave her six bottles of wine in a basket each wrapped in an appropriate color of netting and with a cute poem attached. Wedding night, white, 1st fight, black, 1st Dinner Party, purple(any color), 1st Christmas, red and green, 1st Anniversary, Wedding color, News of Baby, pink and blue. I'll post the poems as soon as I can get them from my sister!

Hey Barb, have you asked your sister for the poems in regards to the wine bottles. I really like that Idea. My nephew will be getting married soon and he is into wines, so i thought that would be a good idea. Please post it soon. I'll be waiting.

I need help on how i should wrap the bridal shower gift. the gift's a vase. any ideas. this is the first time i'm attending a bridal shower, and i need help. thanks.

I have some great gift ideas. A towel cake made of bath towels or a candy cake. Look in the internet under towel cakes and candy cakes. You'll see some beautiful cakes made and very simple to make. Towel cake gives you directions. Give it a try. It's a hit at every bridal shower. The cake can be made out of hersey miniature silver candies. Just thought I give an insight to some great ideas. Search the internet for bridal shower gift ideas, besides this great sight.

It's harder than I thought to find ideas for an original yet reasonably priced gift for a Bridal shower. My neice is getting married for the second time in less than a week, she and her kids from the first marriage have been living with her fiance' for some time now and is currently pregnant with their first child together. They don't need any household items so I thought the candle idea was kind of cute but still not sure. Any ideas ???

I need help I found this shower gift idea on another site but I need more items. If anyone can think of anything else that would be great. Here is what I have so far. Items of necessity that you will need for the first time as a couple: A partial roll of toilet paper (for the first time you run out and need a few sheets), a baggie with a partial bar of soap in it (for the first time you forget to buy soap and just need enough to get a bath), a few Q-tips (for when you run out the first time), a can of soup or other easy to make item (for the first time you burn supper),and a list of the local restaurants and phone numbers (in case you burn the can of soup)

Michele I saw this gift on another site maybe you might use it. Here it is: This is one you would only send to a friend that has a sense of humor: Pumice stone, toe separator, toenail polish, nail file, foot lotion/cream, toe ring, and a funny note that "If he's going to make you barefoot & pregnant, at least make him paint your toenails so your feet will look nice"

I'm getting my friend a gift certificate for a mani/pedi

I just want to thank everyone who has posted a suggestion to this site. It has been extremely helpful!! I wanted to share what I do on the actual wedding day...I take pictures of the bride and groom. In the time between the wedding and the reception, I get them developed (or in the case of digital, I downlaod). I place the best pic in front of their seat as a pleasant surprise when they arrive at the reception. It's always a big hit.

Here's a joke gift that was a huge hit at a recent shower for a couple on their 2nd marriages. The gift was a decorated toilet plunger complete with a bride and groom cake topper on the top of the handle. Down the side of the handle was inscribed, "We're so glad you're taking the plunge!" and on the plunger was written, "Don't let this one go down the toilet." The laughter didn't stop for several minutes.

I took the idea of stephanie's letter for a bridal shower I went to on Sept.11 and it was a hit. They loved it. Everybody wanted a copy. I also made a cake towel and they really enjoyed loved it and thought that was a great idea. Thought I would share this with you guys. The bride received a lot of Victoria Secret items they enjoyed mine because it was unique. Good job guys on your advice.

This is for a naughtier gift, can be for a bachelorette party, etc. get a big basket and buy lotf of gifts for them to use on thier wedding night. Wrap and number each gift and write on a 3x5 card what each gift is for. It turns out so cute! EX: #1 could be Champagne and glasses - to start off the evening celebrating their new life together. The gifts can go on to candles and romantic music to set the mood, bubble bath, bath oils for a bubble bath together, massage oils, etc for after the bath, I have seen some with lingerie and naughtier stuff in them like condoms and such - just be careful who they open this in front of! Can get very creative with the gifts and the cards!

great idea ladies any more creative ideas.for the bride since the bride and groom will be getting the household stuff as wedding gifts.most couples are already together in there future home together.

I am the maid of honor in my mom's wedding and planned her shower for this weekend and everyone that is coming has all the great ideas to gifts that i would have thought of like gift certs for nails, pedicure, facials or massages also the lingerie and all that fun stuff too. I want to give her something unique and personal from me. Any ideas?? its approaching so fast!!!

I am going to a bridal shower next week and would like to know of a creative way of wrapping a gift... One of their games is, the best wraped gift will get a prize!!

I was wondering if anyone has come across the poem that goes along with the wine bottles. I could really use it by next week.

I recently married in July, my Bridesmaids all clubbed together and packed a massive bag full of girly goodies... Dirty Dancing CD, Mrs T-Shirt, mouse mat, perfume, body lotion, make up, and everything I could possibly need on the morning of our wedding day. The effort that was made was incredible, I ama very lucky girl!

There are a lot of great ideas on this site...thanks to everyone for sharing! I am also thinking of using Stephanie's letter idea and the wine idea. I have a bridal shower this weekend and was hoping someone could fulfill the wine poem request soon :-) Also, do you think Stephanie's letter idea is "enough" of a present?? I know it's definitely about the creativity and thought...but wanted to make sure it was "enough". Thanks!

This is too late to help Michele, but maybe somebody else will like the idea. I am doing this myself since the bride and groom already have everything they need: If the bride and groom each have children from a previous relationship, or one has child(ren) and the bride is pregnant: A sterling silver birthstone braclet with stones representing ALL of the kids. You can even include the bride and groom. The bracelet will represent the whole family, and what could be more meaningful than that?

Thanks for all the great ideas. I used Stephanie's idea tonight and it worked out great. I gave my gift first and nobody else wanted to go after because they felt their gift wasn't as good.

Thanks ladies for the excellent ideas! Next weekend will be my first bridal shower and this site was very helpful!

There are a lot of really fantastic ideas here! I received a number of thoughtful gifts for my shower, and I wanted to share one of the best things that I now treat myself and my bride-to-be friends to regularly- Victoria's Secret has some amazing laundry detergent and dryer sheets that are ideal for taking care of the lingerie they inevitably get. It also smells wonderful for bedsheets and towels, but I try to limit it so I use it only for really special things.

At a shower this weekend, I was told that Wicks N Sticks (a candle store in most malls) sells the candle basket already packaged. It has all the candles, 2 votive holders and the poem, all wrapped up in a basket. It sure saves you the worry of having to find all the items.

Can anyone out there tell me the proper etiquitte for wedding showers and then wedding gifts. My daughters friend is invited to a Couples wedding shower (his brother is getting married & he is in the wedding) They have stated on the invitation that the couple will need plenty of expensive items to decorate their new home. He had asked her if he took a shower gift would he need to take a wedding gift to the wedding? Seems to me one gift is approiate for this circumstances. How many presents do you want from the people invited? Your comments would be appreciated. Along with any one who knows what the etiquitte books say about this.

sorry I misspelled appropriate.

I buy a vase or pitcher at a reasonable price, then take it to a florist the day before the shower. I have them fill it with whites and/or the wedding colors and tie a bow around it. It makes a beautiful presentation. Who doesn't like fresh flowers especially in a new house.

Along the same idea, I have bought a cake plate or platter then baked a cake and delivered everything together-- now the couple has a house warming treat and a new cake platter.

Puff(s) is facial tissue

When I hosted my best friends bridal shower, I put together a sort of hope chest, it wasn't the really nice wood carved one, but one that kids take off to college. I filled the chest with the following: A Flannel gown- and ironed on the phrase "Not Tonight" Sexy Lingerie Chapstick - keep the lips soft Lotions - keep the skin soft Book - 203 ways to drive your man wild in bed & 1001 ways to be romantic it was a big hit...

Stephanie, Thank you so much for the cleaning basket idea. I took it along to a wedding shower and it was a fantastic hit with everybody. I used a wicker laundry basket filled with all the items nicely wrapped and covered it with tulle with the pretty cards corresponding cards all hanging down the sides. The bride later used the trailing cards and the center bow on her bouquet at the church rehearsal. Since then I have had many emails from friends asking for the letter. Thank you so........much for your great idea.Could you tell me which other sites are around that are like this one for ideas. I am also going to a baby shower next month and thought it would be fantastic to do something similar to the wedding shower basket. bI am not very creative, not having had babies in many many years.I dont know whats around out there for them to use, Would you or anybody else here have any ideas or of babyshower sites. Thank you for you time Liz

The invite to a personal bridal shower next week left me wondering what I could do that would be different. I liked the flannel/fleece pajama idea since this is supposed to be 'for the bride'. This bride to be has two young children, so that seemed more appropriate than filmy nighties. The massage - pedicure - manicure ideas are great, too! Something to pamper HER. Maybe not so 'different', but definitely good ideas. Thanks!

I think I might try the cleaning gift idea, I wonder if it is really "enough" or if my friend will be offend that I have given her cleaning supplies?

I got no help from this site

How can anyone say they got no help from this site? There are hundreds of really great ideas, from original to traditional. There are ideas to use for people you don't know well and for close friends or relatives. I just don't understand how anybody could find this site useless.

Personally, I'm invited to a shower for a lady I don't know well, and the shower is tomorrow! Thanks to this site, I've gotten lots of great original ideas. The hard part is deciding which one to use! I want to thank everybody who contritubed to this site!

Thank you everyone - you've been very helpful indeed! I am going to my niece's bridal shower tomorrow and I plan to us both Stephanie's (letter/cleaning items) and Courtney's (candle) ideas.

Good gift for a hands-on girl:

Fill a tool belt with lubrication, cherries, can of whipped cream, chocolate and paintbrush, a thong, handcuffs, and a deck of "sex cards" or the travel game of "Twister". This appeals to any woman who is crafty, fun, and exciting. And the tool belt comes in handy later too!

I used Trish's his and her bath robe idea. I bought white and blue bathrobes, took them out of the package and wrapped them in ribbon. I bought a breakfast in bed tray, wine and two wine glasses. I arranged all of the gifts on the service tray and wrapped it in silver cellophane and added a large white bow. Everyone at the social was commenting on how great my gift was!

I want to thank everyone for their suggestions they are all very helpful and I will definately recommend this cite.

I'm not sure if this idea will help, but one gift that I received when I got married five years ago, I still use are picture frames.I love taking pictures, but there was never a frame around. I thought it was the best gift we received. Now, I give nice picture frames as wedding gifts. Very practical!!!!

I think this sight is great. I was wondering if anyone had a poem for the candle idea where white is honeymoon night, blue is for first fight, etc. I love the idea and want to do this for a friend of mine who is getting married next year. Thanks.

KS, The candle idea is posted on April 24, 2004. Let me know if you still can't find it. I just read it myself and I will be trying it this year.

AHH... what do you get for a reserved indian bride to be!!! any suggestions

I just wanted to say to everyone thank you for all the fabulous gift ideas. I am in a wedding and the shower is Sunday. All of the girls chipped in for a day at the spa but i wanted to give her something from me, and all of these ideas helped. Thanks!!!

A bridal gift that starts with the letter "K". Thanks

LOVE the cleaning product letter, I am attending a shower where each guest got assigned a magazine, mine is Good Housekeeping and since the bride & groom already own a house and have been living together for a while, I was at a loss. This is exactly the kind of creative idea I was looking for. I plan on framing an old picture of her fiance and giving it to her as well, since I have known his since high school and when he had hair, that should go over well!!

Thanks for the help!

And to give back to you all, here is an idea I did for my best friend's shower. I did a honeymoon themed basket, but went so fas as to get them a gift certificate for a sunset boat cruise at their hoenymoon destination. She absolutely was floored that I took the time to research the destination and get the gift certificate for there (this is super easy with the internet). This is also a good wedding gift, but you need to be sure they'll be opening gifts before departing!!

Good luck!

I was wondering if anyone found the poem that goes with the wine and wine rack. Also what other sites do you all recomend for other gift ideas, these are great. For the shower gift that starts with the letter K, you could get anything for the kitchen, a nice set of knifes and a cutting board. I don't remember if it was this site or not but somewhere I seen where they had all of the guest sign a cutting board and then sealed it with a lycra. I hope that helps.

I have 2 female "partners" moving into a new home & obviously there will be no bridal shower so how do i incorporate a bridal shower type (gift registry) theme into the housewarming invitations? HELP?

Once you find out a friend is getting married- start a holiday basket a year before. After each holiday buy a decoration(now on sale!!) Put them in a big basket and watch her eyes light up when she opens it! Everyone will love it!

I just went to a wedding shower January 23, 2005, I did the cleaning poem, and the candle letter, and they were both a big hit! Thanks so much for all of the suggestions. i have been to a lot of showers, and have never seen either of these ideas. Thanks a gain, great site!

Being the Maid of Honor in two weddings I found this site VERY useful!! THanks to everyone!! Longaberger baskets are always nice gifts to fill with all these goodies as well... Thanks Again!

I was at a bridal shower where the bride was given a complete red place setting with a note saying this place setting is to be used on red letter days throughout your married life. Has anyone seen this and if so can you supply the contents of the note. There was mention of different occasions to use the place setting such as for special guests, your spouse's promotion, a good report card for a child, etc. Thanks for your help.

need help!!! Trying to find a poem that i can use at my daughters shower I have baskets made up for all the holidays I don't want to present them to her and this is from and so is this one, if it is done in a poem like the cleaning products it will be much nicer

One gift i recieved at my own bridal shower...(years ago) was a laundry basket. It contained a couple of towels, washrags, bath toys, candles...all for a night for two in the tub!! romantic yet somthin for a lil laughter. i still have the rubber ducky:)

I received a gift at my bridal shower that I absolutly loved. We were going to Hawaii for our honeymoon, so this gift was perfect. It was a big beach bag, 2 embroidered towels, mine said Mrs. (last name) and his said Mr.(last name), a disposable underwater camera, a honeymoon photoalbum, "just married" flip-flops, a honeymoon pictureframe, and a pregnancy test. It was great!!!

Hi- I am trying to plan my sister's bridal shower and I once saw a wishing well that someone made with all household item. The base of the well was a large garbage can and the lid was held up with a broom and a mop. But I have no idea what else was in it or how to put it together. If anyone knows I would really appreciate some help. Also for the laudry basket poem what is "FUTURE"? And if there are any orignal idea that anyone has I would love to hear them. The shower is in May. Thanks

I need help. We are going to a bridal shower and we are combining the robe, candle, slippers, etc idea. We are trying to think of something besides a basket to put all this stuff in. Does anyone have a creative idea?

I need help. We are going to a bridal shower and we are combining the robe, candle, slippers, etc idea. We are trying to think of something besides a basket to put all this stuff in. Does anyone have a creative idea?

I am having a personal shower for my niece and I want to use photos of her at different ages in my decorations. Does anyone have some ideas? She is a huge Disney fan so I was thinking of using a "princess" theme. Thanks!

BARB Do you have the poems for this yet? (six bottles of wine in a basket each wrapped in an appropriate color of netting and with a cute poem attached. (1)Wedding night, white, (2)1st fight, black, (3) 1st Dinner Party, purple(any color),(4) 1st Christmas, red and green, (5) 1st Anniversary, Wedding color, (6) News of Baby, pink and blue). I have looked EVERYWHERE and can't find anything! Thanks

Natasha- What about a really pretty hat box? You know one of those large round ones that have a rope (to put it roughly) to hold it with. My mother uses them for gifts and if you arrange it creatively and use something elegant as a filling on the bottom they come out really beautiful. And if all else fails I would go to your nearest craft store and just browse around. Sometimes the staff even has ideas. Good Luck!

Kara- My first piece of advice for you is to make sure your niece really would want a bunch of pictures of herself (from all ages) on the tables. I know this because I suggested something like that (just a small thing with picture of her and her fiance) and she found out and said she would have died (or killed me) if I had done that! As for the princess thing- I would go with that! What about a shower with a fairy tale theme? You can base it around Cindarella (the princess has finally found her prince). There are a bunch of websites that have ideas for this theme: decorations, food, games and I saw great Cindarella invitations.I might actually use theme for my sister's shower in May. I don't know your budget or if it is at home or out. But do a search on the internet for "fairy tale bridal showers" (or some variation of that) and you will find something. Also, any bookstore has books on how to plan a shower, that is where I first heard of the fairy tale theme. And look for books or websites that list Disney stories. If you are creative I think you can do alot with it and I think it is pretty original. Good luck

Natasha, You could get a nice serving platter or one of the wooden breakfast-in-bed trays with the handles and legs that fold out. Both of which will probably be re-used many times!

My 2 yr old daughter will be a flower girl in my cousin's wedding in June. I would like to buy something sentimental for the bride from my daughter.Any suggestions?

I always pick up a few kitchen towels after each holiday on clearance. When ever I have a shower I always can easily put together a years worth of kitchen towels. One for each month of the year. If you missed a few months just get solid colors for those months. Orange for October, Red for Crhistmas or Valentines day, Green for St Pats day Bright yellow for a summer month. It is always a big hit. I have also given this to my sister in law as a Birthday gift.

I was invited to a bridal shower and am supposed to bring a gift that starts with the letter "y". Do any of you creative thinkers have any ideas for me?

I am making up baskets for each month of the year for a bridal shower. I'm trying to put things into them that corresponds to each month (birthdays, holidays, etc.) I need a poem to read with the baskets. Anyone have a poem that could be used with this theme? Has anyone seen this idea at a shower before? Thanks

Yankee Candles- someone wrote earlier how they did different baskets w/ candles

karen, i am doing a thing with candles similar to the basket thing. i wrote a poem for it but i don't want to put it on here just yet b/c i don't know if my friend looks at this website and the shower is coming up. email me at gavrilo2@msu.edu and i'll email it to you. it's kind of personalized but you could do something similar.

rb-does she exercise at all? you could do a yoga theme.

I went to a movie theme'd bridal shower that was a hit, each guest was supposed to bring a gift related to their favorite movie. My favorite was "Ever After" and I got her a nightie that said princess on it. Some of the other guests brought: a fan (Gone with the Wind) a italian gift basket (The Godfather), the funniest one I thought was someone brought a pottery vase for (Ghost-remember the sexy pottery scene) This party was fun decorated with stars, served popcorn and jujy fruit.

These are all extremely helpful! Now I need to find a gift for an "around the clock" bridal shower. I have 8 pm. I talked to my friend who has 7 p.m. and before I could blurt out my time, she blurted out the idea that I had as hers..so if anyone can give me any suggestions....

p.s. Did I also mention that the "bride to be" has EVERYTHING..so a creative/original idea is going to be best!

I bought two nice new feather pillows with beautiful lace edged pillow cases for a "little luxuries" themed shower. I plan to package them with a super soft throw blanket, a silk nightie, some fuzzy socks, and a book of love poems for my perinially cold, brainy best friend. I guess it's a romantic cuddling on the couch basket.

I have a variation of Stephanie's letter to offer up which I have used it many times and it is always a hit! I came to this site looking for a variation so that I might change it up a bit (for those of my friends who have heard it before) ...so thanks Stephanie for the ideas.

Dear (bride's name), We have all gathered here today to wish you much love and luck as you and (groom's name) enter a new (1)ERA together. We know that your (2)FUTURE will be (3)BRITE and full of nothing but (4)JOY.

On your wedding day we will all join you and (groom's name) as you (5)PLEDGE your love to each other. Remember that (groom's name) is your (6)EQUAL and although he may bestow on you many (7)HUGS & KISSES, keep in mind that this (8)BRAWNY guy may not always be (9)MrCLEAN. We think that he will give it his (10)ALL. But if things aren't going smoothly, and you feel like you want to (11)SHOUT or (12)VANISH, just send out an (13)SOS. We are confident that (groom's name) will come around, that you will (14)RESOLVE everything, and that you two will (15)BOUNCE back with a mere (16)SNUGGLE.

Here is hoping the (17)SUNLIGHT shines on your wedding day. We'll be there to (18)CHEER you on.

We wish you the best of luck for a (19)FANTASTIC marriage. You both deserve it.

PS. It's not too late...Are you (20)SURE you don't want to (21)STAY FREE ?

I see that everyone really likes the basket of candles idea. My friend and I gave one to our friend at her engagement party. In the basket we put all the candles and tied each pair together with ribbon. We also got a set of candle holders and put them in the basket. You can get candles very inexpensively at dollar stores and craft stores. Because it didn't cost a lot, we stuck a Home Depot gift card in there, too (mostly for the groom to be). I typed the poem up and we attached it to the basket. I stamp, so I decorated the whole thing with cute stamps. Here is a copy of the poem I used: A Basket of Candles For (bride and groom's names) A basket of candles that come in a pair in all different colors for you two to share.

The white ones burn first as you begin your new life at home together as husband and wife.

Burn the green pair next and hope no one is thinner after serving the first guests you have over for dinner.

The dark blue candles are for after your first fight Use them to burn while making up all night.

Red candles set the mood and pave the way for your first married Valentine's Day.

Now, when your first year of marriage is through, the cream anniversary pair will light for you two.

And in time we hope, maybe, just maybe you can light the purple ones on the birth of your baby.

Congratulations (bride and groom's names) on the start of your forever. May the two of you always be happy together.

And burn these candles just the way it is said, but please don't forget.blow them out before bed!

How about a wedding day "emergency kit"---crazy glue, clear nail polish, safety pins, hair spray, hair pins, small sewing kit...etc. something that will spare the bride's precious time during the frenzied last few days before the wedding and possibly avoid a greater incovenience at the wedding...

I A LOOKING FOR A IDEA FOR A HONEY DO SHOWER AND I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME, I NEED INVITATION, I HAVE SEEN THEM WITH THIS CUTE VERSE BUT CANNOT FIND IT ANY WERE HELP

I am going to my nieces Bridal Shower soon and i have found some great gift ideas, Very nice ladies!!My Mother is the grandmother of the Bride to be. This is her first grandchild to get married,so this will be a special wedding for her,she is 72.The gift ideas are vey creative,and I'm sure my niece will love them.Thanks again. I don't know why these other people are saying this site was no help to them.THIS WAS THE ONLY SITE I FOUND WITH SUCH GREAT IDEAS!!!(THAT ARE AFFORDABLE AND CLEVER)

I just want to thank all of you for such great ideas. I, too feel that a bridal shower is what it implies-Bridal..I wanted to give something creative & unique. I am going to 2 bridal showers for the same bride, so I think I will use the candles gift set (she loves candles) and a variation of a honeymoon basket. Thanks again. I will post gift ideas after the shower.

When I got married a LONG time ago, a dear friend put together a huge laundry basket and affixed a sign that read "EVERYTHING YOU WILL NEED FROM A TO Z". She then listed every letter with the gift behind the letter. For example A is for Aluminum Foil, B is for Bath soaps, X is for X-Rated (she gave me a nightie) and on and on. I have also used this idea for a baby shower. It is really cute, I would pick something up every week at the store, but be careful, it can really add up!

I recently gave my sister a shower and one of my gifts to her was an LL Bean tote with her new initials on it. I then filled it with notepads, cards and address labels with her soon to be new name on it. (I also put in some towels she registered for to help fill it) She loved it and so did everyone at the shower. You need some extra time to order personalized things, so plan ahead 4-6 weeks if possible.

Farah-what about a bottle of wine and two wine glasses OR a nice afghan or blanket to snuggle on the couch OR a popcorn machine with all kinds of goodies for popcorn.

I love this website and thank everyone for the great ideas. I can't decide whether to use Stephanie's laundry letter OR the basket of useful "tools". My nephew is not very handy so I think it will be fun to give them an assortment of household tools in a basket with "instructions". I'll let you know how it turns out.

For one of my girl firends I did a basket and called it "eat, drink and be merry" - I put a cheese board in for "eat" some of their wine glasses in for "drink" and for be merry i put in candles and bath gels, etc.. - you can really fill it with almost anything - but she loved it!

Wow, i read everyones comments on bridal showers and i surely agree with them all.

One idea that came to mind for a couple that has or will have a home with a yard is a tree. I received one when my daughter was born and thought it was a great idea. You could include a note with it saying... as this tree grows, so may your love for each other...or something to that effect. If money allows, you could even include gardening tools, etc. Not very romantic, but thoughtful and practical. Hope this helps.

Just love this site! You all have helped me out tremendously with ideas for an upcoming wedding in May.

I need a gift for a shower where the theme is "Firsts." I need to get "First anything to do with music night." Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

How about a two-sided pillow....one side says "Tonight" the other side says "Not tonight."

Kim...do you know what the song the bride is going to use for their first dance at the wedding? You could get that CD.

I am giving my sister-in-law a recipe shower next month. I am looking forward to it. I just wanted to say that all the ideas on this site are great. Thank you

For a personal shower I purchased a cute purse for the bride's wedding day along with a hankie stitched with her initial in blue and a garter. I'd like to add one or two more items. Nothing too expensive, since I already spent a fortune on her big shower. Any ideas? You are all so creative.

To rz... how about a small bottle of her favorite perfume, lip gloss, purse mirror, small picture of her groom? Just love this site. My daughter w/b getting married next year and this site has been very helpful.

TRACY- I need help finding the pillow you mentioned. Any suggestions??

I loved the idea about the wine bottles (1st night, 1st fight, 1st dinner party, etc.) Has anyone found the accompanying poems yet?

I just went to a shower and they did the wine poem? has anyone found it yet? It was great!

Does anyone have a poem to go along with a basket that is filled with toasting glasses, garter, cake cutter, wine, ect? This would be so helpful. Tahnks!

JENN...check Target. It's about $15. Or do a search for Not Tonight Pillow.

:)

I'm invited to and around the clock bridal shower. My time is 1 PM. Any ideas for gift

A variation on the his/hers bathrobes theme: I bought two aprons personalized with the bride's and groom's names(available at Williams-Sonoma) and a recipe organizer (from a stationery store) with some of my favorite recipes already inside.

I am helping to throw the shower for a really good friend of mine. The wedding party is pretty big. There is nine girls. Her sister is the maid of honor and she has lots of cousins. Although we are getting her a nice and expensive gift as a group I would like to give her something from just me. I want something sentimental and sweet, so that she'll remember it is from me. Any ideas???

I'm invited to an Around the Clock shower and my time is 11 am. Does anyone have a gift idea?

emily- how about a brunch theme. omellette pan or griddle w/ utencils you can put in a pancake mix

GREAT SITE, GREAT IDEAS, GREAT PEOPLE!

I went to a shower where a guest gave the bride a number of tupperware containers filled with holiday decorations. Each container was labeled (ie "4th of July") and had a number of decorations (ie a wooden Uncle Sam, flag, door hanging, sparklers, etc). Could get costly and takes a lot of planning - but it was a really neat gift!!

this site is awesome! I was at a loss, but I have soooo many ideas now! Thanks!!

I'm not one for message boards, but found this site looking for the candles poem. I'm leaving the site with 5 new ideas. I think I'm going to use the A-Z idea for a housewarming gift I need soon. Thanks for the great ideas!

I got invited to a "purse shower luncheon". Any clue as to what this is???

How about a special decorative bag filled with the things that a bride may need the day of;small bottle of tylenol, some special mints in a fancy tin, an emery board, evian face spritzer, small chinese decorative fan for summer weddings,energy bar, lip gloss/balm, inspirational message or advice,such as"remember every minute of today",small tube of hand cream for greeting all those guests,visine,and any other items that may not be thought of by the bride

Found a great website: www.showerideas.com. It has shower games, poems, decoration ideas, and gift ideas.

can anyone think of a poem or saying that can go along with a bistro set. I purchased it for my future sister in law's shower, but it is too heavy to bring to the shower.thanks!

can anyone think of a poem to the bride from a flower girl?

Trying to find a peom like the one above for a bridal shower. But it uses Gift Certificates to stores instead of household products. Can anyone help!

I need some great ideas for some gift bags for a bridal shower.

Using some of the suggestions from other posters, I came up with my own candle poems including some that are a little racy. I will be using them both for a game, (pass around the candles for everyone to smell, whoever correctly identifies the most smells gets a prize) and as a gift for the bride.

Here's a basket of candles for you two to burn. Read the labels and light them, each one in its turn. The white ones burn first as you begin your new life, at home together as husband and wife. Burn the green pair and hope no one is thinner after serving the first guests you have over for dinner. Light the blue candles when you have your first fight. Use them to burn while you make up all night. Pink candles glow softly and could and pave the way for a very romantic first Valentine's Day. Red candles are hot for setting the mood, light these to add spice while you do something lewd When days get dreary and you're starting to mope, let the glow of orange candles renew your hopes. In time we hope, maybe, just maybe, you'll light yellow candles on the birth of your baby. When your first year of marriage is ending, light the cream pair of candles and remember your wedding. On a night that is hot light the candles of peach, then have fun getting sweaty, touching all you can reach. Black candles are magic, you might loose your head, if you light them together and then go to bed. Light the lavender candles when you can't get to sleep and all of your worries away they will sweep. Light these brown candles on a night you stay in, they will make you feel cozy and warm deep within. Silver candles are special and so you must wait and light these for the 25th Anniversary of your wedding date. Congratulations (bride and groom's names) on the start of your forever. May the two of you always be happy together.

And burn these candles just the way it is said, but please don't forget.blow them out before bed!

I just wanted to say thanks to eveyone for all the great ideas!! I am helping give a shower for brother-in-laws fiance and I'm using the towel cake idea for a centerpiece/gift. I'm also invited to the shower for her side of the family and it is an around-the-clock shower. My time is 12(am or pm) and I have no idea what to get. I know the shower is supposed to be for the bride, but I'd really like to get them something that my brother-in-law would like also. Any ideas would be helpful---Thanks.

At my bridal shower I was given a couple of board games. I thought it was a great idea because we didn't have a lot of money for entertainment and we were able to have a great time with each other. This would be a good idea for some of those around- the-clock odd times.

GREAT idea for a wedding shower gift that I did for my sister and now am doing for a friend.... We did a "love Year Round" gift theme..... We had the entire bridal party involved, and even some family members (sister in laws, mother in laws, aunt etc...) if you need more people.

Every bridal party/family member had one month to theme their gift around.....example: January: was a basket filled with New Years Eve gifts....Bottle of Champagne, glasses, NYE hats..etc... February: Valentines Day..maybe some sexy lotions and lingere, candels etc... October: Was a huge Halloween basket with candy, Halloween/Falll blankets December: was a 5 Foot christmas stocking filled with all individual gift wrapped presents March: St Patricks Day.....Green apple Martini mix set, some Sexy green undies...(you can be as creative as you want here.. Summer months may be a bit hard...so some people did a Picnic basket filled with picnic things for June...or even a whole Day at the Beach, or a whole outdoor BBQ set up..etc....Or a basket filled with Margaritta's set up to go...

The mother of the Bride picked the month of their first anniversay and included a weekend getaway (hotel & dinner) w/ the destination being their choice... It was a great idea and we even had a little poem to go along with the bride as she was oppening the gifts so she would know what month was what.. Everyone loved it! Hope that helps someone.... =)

Thanks for the great ideas from this site! I am using the candle idea and changed it a little. After the blue candle, I added: The next day when (groom's name) treats you like a Queen, light the green! I also included a pair of candle holders, a snuffer, and a nice lighter. I put them all in a decorative basket for her to keep them in.

I also made the bride a pair of "Reception shoes". I bought a cheap pair of white canvas shoes at Wal-Mart and added pink ribbon (the color theme of the wedding), white and pink bows, and pink beading with a hot glue gun. We all know how uncomfortable wedding shoes can be, so make some fun reception shoes so that the bride can party all night without worry about sore feet!

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about something that will take the place of a wishing well. Instead of renting a wishing well, does anyone have ideas of using something else that serves the same purpose as a wishing well? Thanks in advance for your help!

Angel are you looking for something to hold monetary gifts? If so , you can use a white bird cage ( you can find it at a Joann's etc or ac moore or just about any craft store) decorated w/ flowers and ribbon. Or a fabric coverd mail box decorated w/ flowers or just a beautiful White basket

Thank you all for your wonderful ideas, i have two wedding showers this month...now my only problem is deciding which idea to us. I really like the candle idea, the cleaning products idea, as well as the wedding day emergency kits. Thanks!!!

I have great results from this website. Last fall I used Stephanie's candle idea. The bride cried, she absolutely loved it. I am getting ready to use it again for my brother and his bride to be. I am also, planning my own wedding in August that has a country/western/redneck theme. We are on a low budget and are in the process of remodeling our house. We live on a 150 acre farm and will have the wedding there. Does anyone have any ideas that can help cut corners?

I really like this site and have found many cute ideas for my daughter's shower...what I am looking for now is a way to ask the guests not to wrap their gifts in traditional wrapping paper, but in clear celephane. I would like to display the gifts on a large table and have everyone go around and see the gifts.Can someone creative help me out?

Ok I have read that a lot have been asking for a poem for the wine gift: So I sort of made one up (using a few from the candel one). Hope it helps! In a wine rack....each bottle of wine is decorated (to fit THAT date) and has a label attached with these following instructions.....

In no particular order:

1) Home Coming: This first one is special. It's the first drink you shall share as you begin your new life.at home together as husband and wife.

2) First Dinner: This next bottle is to be shared with loved ones, & hope no one is thinner after serving the first guests you have for dinner.

3) First Fight: This one will be needed to help you through your first fight, save it for when you will be making up all night.

4) V- Day: This bottle of Red is used set the mood and paves the way for your first married Valentine's Day.

5) New Years: This one is different from what you would be drinking, among all the kisses this one will toast your first New Years as Mr.& Mrs.

6) Thanksgiving: This is the time of year where you will be giving thanks, before you start passing the turkey around, toast this bottle in thanks that your soul mate was found.

7) Special Anniversary: This is a Holiday that is special to only you, although your lives may now be set open this bottle to celebrate the night you first met.

8) First New Home: As the perfect life you have dreamt starts coming real, drink this bottle after signing your first home deal.

9) First Anniversary: Now when your first year of marriage is through, this special bottle of champagne will help toast your beautiful life of two.

10) First Snow Day: On a cold winter night you choose to stay in, share this bottle to make you feel cozy and warm deep within

11) First Baby: And in time we hope, maybe, just maybe you can open this one on the birth of your first baby.

12) First time Apart: This bottle for one will come in handy for your sad heart..on that dreaded first trip you may be apart.

Congratulations Amanda & Jason on the start of your forever. May the two of you always be happy together!

Great Ideas! Also looking for a poem from a flower girl to the bride and maybe a cute idea for a little shower gift(other than the blue garter belt).

A great idea I used at a shower once, which was a hit, was a salad bowl with serving spoons taken out of the box and crinkled dollar bills enough to form a hefty salad (about 25), sprinkled croutons and covered with plastic wrap, then added to a basket with other salad condiments, dressing..jar of olives, salad bowls etc... you can use the wooden salad bowls with serving spoons or use a salad bowl off of the brides registry. Everyone laughed when the bride opened this gift-

I LOVE this site. Absolutely great ideas. Thank you to all the wonderful creative people out there who take the time to contribute. Very helpful. I do have a request for the flower girl poem plus, I have an added twist, the flower girl is the daughter of the couple being Married. The shower is in 2 weeks so any and all fast help will be much appreciated. Thank you all so much again. Keep up the good work.

I got a really neat gift for one of my showers- it was a basket that had about a dozen or so canned goods without the labels on them. It had a poem which read something to the effect of "POT LUCK" for dinner. Anyone have the poem? I'd like to pass it on to my girlfriend's daughter.

Hi...to the person who responded to my message...thank you for the ideas...yes, I am looking for something to hold both monetary gifts and also miscellaneous stuff. So I guess the best suggestion would be a decorated white basket? What if the shower is for him and her? What do you suggest then? Please scroll up to see my first message - dated April 7th...I appreciate everyone's input...thanks!

This site is fantastic! I think the picnic back-pack and manicure ideas are great. I thought a nice idea would be to give the bride a book on her honeymoon distination- she is going to Borneo, so I will look for a coffee-table type book that she can have on display and show visitors how beautiful her honeymoon was, then have it as a keepsake- just have to find it now!! I also love the idea of giving them a Scrabble set to take on their honeymoon- Scrabble by the pool, how romantic!! Ha!

This site is wonderful and has been very helpful. My brother-in-law is getting married this year and my husband is the best man. I wanted to get them something special so I have scrolled through this site a few times. I took a few people's ideas and made a basket. The theme was a romantic night at home. The basket included a blockbuster card, a bottle of wine with two wine glasses, tostitos and salsa (the couple's favorite snack food), a fondue set with chocolate and marshmallows (I didn't want to include anything that could spoil), candles, a soft blanket to cuddle, bath salts, and a wooden massager. In addition, I liked everyone's poems so I included one too. It says:

This basket is filled with items for you To help create a romantic rendezvous This evening is meant for you two alone So lock all your doors and turn off the phone With the blockbuster card rent a movie or two A romance, a comedy, any genre will do Next grab the glasses and uncork the wine Bring the Tostitos and salsa for you two to dine Instead of a lamp, use the candles for light Now under the blanket, snuggle in tight When its time for dessert, share the chocolate fondue Dip the marshmallows included and any fruit too Once the movie is over, your night is not done Make your way to the bathroom to relax and have fun Draw a bath with the salts and take a soak in the tub Use the massager to give each other a rub We hope you enjoy your night to unwind Time alone with each other, there is no better kind.

The shower is this Sunday so if anyone has any further advice let me know. Thanks!!

My daughter-in-law and I had some trouble thinking of a shower gift for the soon to be bride who has been living with the soon to be groom and own their own home. We came up with what we think is a terrifc idea for a girl who loves gardens. It is pretty expensive, but several people can be involved. There are several nursery's that have unique names for the flowers/plants they sell (springhillnursery.com/waysidegardens.com to name a couple). We came up with a poem using the plant names (example plant name = wild romance aster - just use wild romance in poem). If the season isn't right for planting you can do as we did and create the poem covering the plant name and picture of the plant that will arrive when the planting season is right. Here is what we came up with:

To the (1) BLUSHING BRIDE,

Your (2) WEDDING day will be the most important day of your life. It's that one day that holds (3)THE KEYS OF HEAVEN as (4)FOREVER you will be with the man you love.

You will have days together that are filled with (5)MAGIC and create within you a (6)SENSATION of joy, peace and (7)WONDER.

However, love is (8)BITTERSWEET. When you've both had a bad day, the room is like (9)ICE and you're feeling like the man you love is being a (10)TOAD do the (11)BOLD move and create (12)WILD ROMANCE! How? Perhaps set a romantic dinner table, or put mood music on, or wear something that will spark his (13)FANTASY.

Call it a (14)DARING DECEPTION but in the end it's sure to (15)DOUBLE DELIGHT! Always remember good day or bad day never go to bed without a (16)KISS.

I am attending a shower for a long time friend in 1 week. I found alot of great ideas here, but here is another. Since a marriage is a union of two families, a book kit, or wall hanging tracking the genealogy of both families is a great idea. I have also seen time capsules for the new couple. A website that had helpful links is surprise.com. It gave me some great ideas for presents for several different upcoming occasions. It enabled me to select a gift based on the persons age, and interests, or by event. It then gave a list of products with links to different sites. This was helpful, because I was then able to search those sites for other gifts. Some of them were a bit pricy, so I just did a google search for the specific product I was looking for and in a snap I found some nice gifts at reasonable prices.

This website is great..I originally was looking for the poem that goes along with the wines..but..I read all the comments and found that I had the most enjoyable time reading and sharing all the great ideas. Thank you.. I am still looking for the poem(wines)

I love all the ideas on this site, but I am trying to find something unique for a bride/couple who loves to camp. They are going camping for part of their honeymoon so I would love to give her something cute related to camping. Any help would be great!!

Hello- wow, you all have wonderful ideas!! I am the maid of honor, and am hosting a bridal shower in 2 weeks. I went to my cousin's shower 2 years ago, and they had a homemade wishing well made out of various household products- such as a laundry basket, broom, mop, etc....Does anyone know how to make something like this? Or would you suggest just renting/buying one?

Wow, there are so many great ideas on this site. I was overwhelmed on which idea to choose. I did a few minutes of research on the "towel cake" and within a few hours I had one finished. It was a little more expensive than I would have liked but I put my heart and creativity into it and it's looks great. I am going to take some pictures of it so if anyone is interested in seeing it, you can e-mail me at stacyskogen@verizon.net. I guess I'm proud of what I made and would like to share it.

I love the ideas on this site. My daughter's shower is in June. One idea we are using is to have a food donation instead of a traditional wishing well. We printed on the invitations that people should bring a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the local food pantry. My daughter is a social worker and has always said she wanted to do this if she ever got married! I am decorting one of those inexpensive arches from Michael's and using a wicker basket underneath to hold the food. Thanks to all for all your ideas.

Thanks for all of the great ideas. I have desperately been trying to find a poem to go with a single place setting that you give to the bride to use on special days. I have heard it called either a "red letter" days or "blue plate special" days. I know that you use the dishes when you are really proud of a child's grades, your husband gets a promotion, etc. I saw this once at a shower and thought it was a great idea. Any one else heard of it?

Could someone explain what an "around the clock" shower is. Thanks.

I just have to say im 19 and have had a hard time figuring out a gift for my best friends Fiances bridal shower that is next week. I came across Stephanies leter and TOTALLY love it! It's great because it's not a boring gift, and also is inexpensive ..compared to lots of other gift ideas! Thanks to everyone who submitted great ideas!

PS. Jenna, a around the clock shower is one where guests get a time "example 9pm" of the day. Then that guest has to bring a gift according to that hour.

Hi! I love this site! I am my sister's maid of honor and I am hosting a Bridal Tea. The favors are personalized tea-bags and white porcelin tea caddies in garden flower packaging. I love going to this site www.myweddingfavors.com It's awesome.

I'm going to a bridal shower on Sunday for a friend who is moving to Australia (sp?) with her new hubby for a year after the wedding. They both love games, so I'm going to get a collection of travel games and put them all together either in or with a nice travel bag. Thank you to everyone who gave suggestions- reading them helped my creative juices start flowing!

PS- Joanne, as a fellow social worker and recently engaged myself, I love your food donation idea! I'm going to tell my bridesmaids about it!

vicki- last february we had a western theme wedding and were able to do lots of fun things for not a lot of money. I got some checkered fabric (in burgandy and cream since my color was burgandy) and cut out small squares with pinking shears for the zigzag look. put jordan almonds in them and tied them off with brown twine and placed them at each place setting. Also got online and found boot bubbles-small cowboy boots filled with bubbles for each setting. had just hurricane lamps on the tables with burgandy table cloths and I placed burgandy cowboy bandanas under the hurrican lamps. we decorated with a lot of tulle which we found on sale, in white and burgandy. we found about a dozen cowboy hats at a dollar store, spray painted them burgandy, tied white tulle around them and hung them every few rows like a pew decoration. later during the reception people grabbed them and wore them all night- we now have one hanging over the doorway to our bedroom. we also placed insta cameras at every table and favorite aunt went around on her own and made sure that each camera was used to take at least one pix of each the people that sat there- we now have pix of every couple that was at our wedding and we sent the duplicate photos back to everyone with the thank you notes. The candle basket we got was lovely!!

I'm a teacher and a fun gift to give fellow teachers is a "words of wisdom" book written by the brides' students. You tell your friend that you need to talk with her class for 20 minutes about a suprise, and tell her to go to the lounge becuase it's a secret. I have done it with first graders (asking them to write down their advice for a happy marriage for Mrs. Johnson), up to sixth graders, depending on what she teaches. The advice ranges from hilarious, to heart-warming. Then you type up the words of wisdom and make it into a book. Get as crafty as you like, or you could bring it to a print shop and have it bound.

Thanks Kimi, I too have found the boot bubbles. But I hadn't thought about bandanas or my table covers. I did find miniature cowboy hats that I plan on filling with candy. I will definatly get checkered table clothes and bandanas.

Love this site! :) I am looking for a poem to go along with the wedding towel cake. Something like: Here is something yummy! But not for your tummy! Instead it's used to cover your Bummy! The cake is made out of two bath towels, two hand towel and two wash cloths. Rolled around an empty plastic wrap tube. tied with ribbon and decorated with flower and pearls to look like a wedding cake and placed on a glass cake holder. I was looking for a poem that is little longer than my verson. any help is greatly appreciate. Thank you.

Love this site! :) I am looking for a poem to go along with the wedding towel cake. Something like: Here is something yummy! But not for your tummy! Instead it's used to cover your Bummy! The cake is made out of two bath towels, two hand towel and two wash cloths. Rolled around an empty plastic wrap tube. tied with ribbon and decorated with flower and pearls to look like a wedding cake and placed on a glass cake holder. I was looking for a poem that is little longer than my verson. any help is greatly appreciate. Thank you.

I am going to my first bridal shower this saturday and thought that everybody's ideas were great. I am going to a recipe theme shower but was wondering if I can give something else as well?

I am going to take the candle basket and the wine rack idea and combine them. I am going to do 6 bottles of wine and 2 candles per wine bottle. I'm gonna wrap the candles with the wine bottles with different colored ribbons and attach the poem to each set. I will put them all in a basket with 2 wine glasses and 2 candle holders and them wrap the whole thing with celefan.(sp?)

anyone know where i can find a cleaning supplies poem or a vegetabke poem for a bridal shower? thanks!

I have been looking everywhere for the wine bottle poems. I have used them at a couple weddings before and nobody can find their copies. I like the candle poems on here and the new wine bottle poems but does anyone have the other wine bottle poems. I am going crazy looking for them! Thanks so much!

Thank you to everyone on this amazing website for the great ideas. I used the idea of a "breakfast-in-bed ensemble." I bought two of those breakfast-in-bed trays (about $10 apiece at Bed, Bath & Beyond), then got plates, cups, coffee mugs, and napkins, plus two scented candles, a bag of gourmet coffee and a box of pancake mix. I arranged all the items on one of the trays and wrapped it all up in the bridal wrapping stuff that they gave me at the store. By the way, this was one of those "formal and stuffy" bridal showers, given by my friend's very traditional family, but she loved my gift. I think she was happy to see something that was NOT straight off the registry (she is not very stuffy herself). So she liked it, and I really had fun picking out all the items for the "set." Thanks again guys!

P.S. I originally intended to get one of those picnic backpacks. After looking high and low at Macy's, Target, Filene's, etc., I gave up. (There was one on Target's website - for $79.99, which seemed kind of pricey, plus I didn't have time to wait for it to ship). Then later on, someone told me you can buy them at the Christmas Tree Shops for like $29.99. A word to the wise!

For the Second of three showers I have to plan this year, I am planning a twist on the Calendar/Around the Clock shower. The bride and groom have been living together for some time. There isn't much they need for their home, so we are asking guests to bring them a date in a box. Every guest will be asigned a month and asked to provide a complete date that the Bride and Groom can enjoy together.

Some ideas: A Date in DC: (not too far from our home) Metro Passes, Gift Certificate for dinner in Chinatown, Map of Smithsonian Museums (which have free admission), Tourbook.

A spring date: Gift certificate for brunch, pamphlet from a local garden or arboretum to see the spring flowers

A summer date: Gift certificate to gourmet shop for picnic supplies, two kites, gift certificates to ice cream shop, picnic blanket, sun glasses

A fall date: Passes for a corn maze, haunted