Designing Bridal Shower Invitations

If I see one more bridal shower invitation with an umbrella on it I am going to scream! An umbrella is the most literal and boring interpretation of "bridal shower." Rain on a wedding day is also bad luck, so why allude to it on a shower invite?

Apparently the phrase "bridal shower" originated from the late 1800s' custom of placing the bride's gifts inside a parasol, so that when she opened it she'd be "showered" with presents.

Whether designing bridal shower invites for a client, family member or close friend, here are some design and content ideas to inspire a lovely umbrella-free invitation!

For graphic designers

If you are designing bridal shower invites for a client, make sure you "know your client." You can ask for a photograph of her to do an illustration or silhouette that's realistic, ask to visit her wedding website or Facebook page, or set up a quick telephone or e-mail question and answer session to get a sense of her personality that you can reflect in the design. For example, if she loves her pet Chihuahua then you might want to incorporate the dog into the wedding invitation design!

Something borrowed ...

There are so many wedding traditions that you can pull from for the bridal shower invitation design. Some ideas include, a white gown on a hanger, seasonal imagery to go along with the season of the shower or the wedding itself, lingerie (which is a typical shower gift), wedding rings, a proposal scene or the couples' initials. Flowers are always a great design element, just be sure to check the meaning or symbolism of the flowers first. Another cute idea is to set up a border or a sidebar on the edges of the invite with cut-outs of retro kitchen appliances (such as a mixer or a blender) and simple cooking objects (such as a whisk or an apron) to represent the shower gifts.

Content and wording

Every shower is organized differently. Sometimes just one person throws the party and sometimes it's a couple of friends or family members. Be sure to name them all in the invitation and to state the bride's full maiden name and the full name of the bridegroom. Be specific about the event itself. If its lunch, say lunch; if it's cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres say that. If there's room on the invite, or you'd like to include an extra insert, you could tell the story of the engagement or how the couple met to personalize the invite. Finally, provide a way for guests to RSVP and provide a phone number where they can find out more or ask for the wedding registry information. If the couple has a wedding website set up, include that on the invite as well so the wedding gift registry is accessible to shower guests.