An Event Planner’s Guide to a Garden-Party Bridal Shower
July 11, 2023
Trends are popular for a reason, and we are glad the garden party theme is here for a good time (and hopefully a long time!). We spoke with Elle Allison of
Events by Elle – the planner for the gorgeous garden party pictured throughout this article – to grab an expert’s “must-haves” for the ultimate garden-party themed bridal shower. Keep reading to find out how Elle and her dream team brought this gorgeous garden party to life, and ways you can do the same to elevate your own bridal shower!
Elle’s “Must-Haves” for a Garden Party
1. Dainty Details
According to Elle, every phenomenal event is brought together from lots of independent small details, carried out cohesively and elegantly when put together for the finished product. The more areas of detailed depth the better, as they all contribute more than you might think to the guests overall experience!
2. Choose a Theme
Having a theme is a helpful starting point and is great to direct the vision of your decor if you’re needing inspiration! Elle & her team focused on this garden event being a “cocktail party” and it instantly helped them know which direction to go in for signage, decor, etc.!
3. Have a Dress Code
A specific dress code immediately makes the guests feel much more involved and makes the event look and feel so much more put together!! It will also make such an impact in your photos too! The guests’ outfits will add to the candid shots of the event beautifully!
4. Elegant Glassware
Every party needs festive glassware, and this is a favorite dainty detail to spend time on. Elle would recommend champagne coupe glasses or maybe different colored glasses for a garden-party bridal shower!
5. A purposeful backdrop/ photo spot
This is a great idea for a bridal shower to make sure you have a catalyst helping you get photos with all of your guests. You’re going to want to capture those amazing outfits after you set a theme and dress code, after all!
6. Passed Canapes
Nothing feels more festive (or fancy) than someone walking around with trays of little treats! Even if you are hosting a smaller bridal shower at home, choose 2-3 appetizers and place them on different trays and bring them around to your guests!
7. A tasseled umbrella, or cute personal paper parasols
This is Elle’s recommendation for a fun party favor that makes for great garden party photos! Place these cute umbrellas in a woven basket near the entrance, your guests will love them on a warm day to keep the sun off of them and they’re a super cute prop to use in front of that backdrop.
8. Custom Signage
Custom signage really ties any event together, and this is a great way to bring in more garden details and emphasize the theme. A custom floral invitation would help your guests know what to expect, and you can have a matching welcome sign, menu, etc. on the day of, too!
9. Pre-poured drinks upon arrival
Who doesn’t want to walk through the garden with a glass of champagne in hand?! Let’s be honest – we all want to pretend like we’re in an episode of Bridgerton at this bridal shower.
10. Fresh florals!
This one may go without saying – but you really can’t have a *garden* party without beautiful, fresh florals! Elle’s favorite way to style her floral arrangements as of late is to plunk the vase into a rattan or wicker basket, making the arrangement look more casual and effortless! A basket full of blooms is the perfect addition to a garden-party bridal shower!
We hope these ideas from Elle Allison of
Events by Elle really *blossom* to help you create your dream garden-party bridal shower! Find some more garden party style inspo on our blog
here.
Creative Team:
Event styling, decor rentals, welcome signage and lounge set ups: Events by Elle Bartending: Jenn and Tonic
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