My Bridal Shower: Vino Before Vows

Wedding season is upon us, and I'm excited to share my bridal shower with you all! Thanks to my family and friends, I had the most unforgettable time at my Vino Before Vows party.

I knew I wanted a wine-themed party since it's my go-to drink. I also dreamed of having my shower at a winery, but since many guests were already traveling to Tulum for the wedding, I opted for a backyard party at a friend's house – and I'm so glad I did! This daytime soiree was so intimate and fun. With the help of my loved ones, we were able to make it memorable and affordable.

From money-saving DIY ideas, Amazon product links to a list of local vendors from Vegas; scroll down to get an inside look at my bridal shower.

Photo Backdrop and Signage

The decorations might have been everyone's favorite part during the early planning stages. My maid of honor/sister assembled the balloon garland for the photo backdrop, giving the party all the POP it needed. She also added a chic beach umbrella, which elevated the space.

Thanks to my creative bestie May and her Cricut, I had personalized signages for the party. The wine wall is initially used for champagne flutes, but I put wine glasses instead to stay with the theme. I rented it from a local event and design company called What Happens In Vegas Events.

In addition, I brought a few furniture pieces from home and added touches of pampas grass to give this area some texture. My friend also donated an old rug she was getting rid of – which expanded our photo area.

Flower Bar

Next, the bouquet bar! This is the cutest idea for bridal showers. Not only can the flowers be used for decor, but it also gives the guests a unique experience. They can make their own arrangement and to take home as a thank-you gift from the bride. Everyone loved it!

Here are the things I used to create a flower bar:

Flowers (I suggest going to Costco or your local grocery store)
Vases
Bar cart
Table with tablecloth
Ribbons
Craft paper
Scissors
Thank-you labels
Label stickers

Tablescape

The tablescape came out great! Most items on the tablescape were rented from a vegas event planner, Isablue Event Design: glassware, gold utensils, tablecloths, and napkins. For the finishing touches, we added our own candles, candlesticks, and burlap placemats.

I decided to DIY the centerpieces to save hundreds of dollars. All the flowers came from Costco and Smith's, and I only paid a fraction of what I was quoted from a florist. The pampas grass and dried leaves were bought from Amazon, and the small circular vases were from Dollar Tree!

If you look closely at the wine glass below, you’ll see cork wine charms. I recommend using these at bridal showers!

Food and Beverage

I wanted to keep the meal simple, so we got it catered by Rachel's Kitchen. They have great pasta and wrap platter options for big groups, but the real winner was the sweets from Butter and Baked. They specialize in fresh gooey, buttery cookies – I am still dreaming of their Oreo and S’mores treats until this day! Check them out on Instagram @butter.and.baked.

The type of drinks we offered at this gathering is not a secret. The guests had ample access to white and red wines and rosé. My friend even had the cutest idea to fill the beverage tub with gorgeous flower ice cubes – the icing on the cake for the wine bar.

Bridal Shower Games

Of course, a bridal shower would not be complete without fun games. Here's a list of ideas you can do:

Guess how many corks is a unique shower activity. I purchased recycled corks from Amazon, or if you want to DIY this, you can start collecting your wine corks now!
The following printable shower games were ordered from an Etsy store called Lulloo: "would she rather, "how well do you know?" and "he said, she said." My digital invitation came from this store as well. They’re all so cute!
Put a ring on it is a classic bridal shower game. You can print and add the game's rules in a picture frame and use it as a display. The plastic rings are also from Amazon.
For the winners of my bridal shower games, I got prizes from some of my favorite local woman-owned businesses: Darling Gemz (Use code: DG20 for 20% off) and Rise Collective gift card (Use code: MARGARETH20 for 20% off).

It can be challenging to plan a bridal shower, but I hope this blog will be helpful to you. Don't hesitate to reach out to the bridesmaids or family members. Hosting your own special party like this takes a village! You would be surprised how many offer their time, things, and ideas. I would've never thought of making ice cubes with flowers to elevate the wine bar. Haha!

Cheers to all the brides-to-be!