20 Tips for Throwing the Ultimate Winter Bridal Shower

By Lauren Pardee
December 17, 2015
JACQUE LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY

Check out these bridal shower decorations inspired by the cold-weather season.

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Annamarie Akins Photography

Whether you're the bride-to-be, the mother of the bride, or the maid of honor, planning a bridal shower comes with the added pressure of kicking-off a couple's nuptial celebrations. Luckily, you have so many different themes and décor ideas to choose from when planning this pre-wedding party—including the time of year. If you're showering the bride in winter, you already have an advantage. 'Tis the season of festive decorations, fun holiday events, and memorable moments with your friends and family—that trifecta just so happens to be the ultimate recipe for a winter bridal shower.

Getting inspired by the cold-weather season—rich flavors, cold-weather activities, cheerful décor, and all—is the key to pulling off a soirée that that honors both the bride-to-be and the most wonderful time of the year. For starters, we recommend chic, all-white décor, rustic elements, green and red detailing, and plenty of aromatic greenery when designing your party space. For the glamorous bride, don't be afraid to dress things up with metallic accents, too. No matter the venue's locale—whether you're celebrating at home, at a restaurant, or a hotel—these thematic ideas will translate to any space and are guaranteed to wow your guests.

Use the fact that the season is all about coziness, too, by serving up comfort foods and drinks sure to warm your guests. Spiked eggnog, Tom and Jerrys (seen here), Bailey's-infused hot chocolate, and hot toddies never fail to start the party. And once everyone is toasty (and a little toasted!) thanks to her bridal shower cocktails, the rest of the evening's festivities—including bridal shower games and activities—will flow nicely.

Looking for even more inspiration? Click through for our favorite winter bridal shower decorations—you won't need a Christmas miracle to bring these ideas to life.

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Festive Place Cards

Sarah Hill
The Case for Having Both Escort Cards & Place Cards at Your Wedding

The Every Hostess and Laura Hooper Calligraphy created these dainty wooden place cards, which resembled fireplace kindling.

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Offer Ornament Favors

Aaron Delesie
Bridal Shower Favors Your Guests Will Love

This bride gifted her shower guests ornaments from Bombki—they resembled her wedding's getaway car.

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Signature Cocktails

Brklyn View Photography
Genius Ways to Serve Cocktails at Your Bridal Shower

The Upper Crust created these grapefruit mojitos (made with festive Champagne!) at this bridal shower. The drink's off-white hue and garnish played into the snowy, all-white aesthetic of the afternoon event.

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Play Up Frosted Greenery

The Singlers Photography

Don't be afraid to make a statement with your winter bridal shower décor. Blanc Floral Design used a eucalyptus garland and copper vessels to add a festive pop of color to the snow-white backdrop.

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Holiday Traditions

Rodeo & Co. Photography
21 Ways to Set Up a Card or Gift Table at Your Wedding

Guests bearing cards for the bride-to-be dropped them into this "Letters to Santa" box from Target.

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Wintry Textures

LV Imagery
23 of the Sweetest Bridal Shower Cakes

Le Dolci baked this sweater-weather-inspired cake for this bride's celebration, which Blush & Bowties helped style.

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Serve Soup

Elaine Palladino Photography

Constellation Catering passed mini grilled cheese sandwiches and shots of tomato soup as appetizers to warm up guests at this holiday bridal shower.

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Donuts Display

Amy Pinder
39 Amazing Dessert Tables from Real Weddings

Gourmet donuts arranged in a vintage jewelry display were placed next to an ice-blue candle, which brought cold-weather vibes to the dessert table.

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Cocktail Napkins

Shannon Von Eschen

Festive wreath-printed napkins, embossed with a sweet phrase, personalized this party's bar area.

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Comfort Food

Alexandra Wallace

At this shower, guests escaped the cold weather entirely thanks to the colorful, fruit-filled waffle bar provided by Gusto on the Go.

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Metallic Details

The Singlers Photography
Metallic Wedding Ideas

How stunning is this color combination of white, metallic copper, and green? Blanc Floral Design also utilized a faux fur tablecloth to create a super luxe feel.

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Holiday Drinks

Cody and Allison Photography

These holiday cocktails by Aperitif Events & Cocktails were the drink of choice at this celebration thanks to their festive, frothy look and lavender garnish.

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Guest Book

Jennifer Fujikawa
46 Guest Books from Real Weddings

Chances are you'll have a guest book at your wedding reception, so why not document your bridal shower, too? This winter-white display allowed guests to record their favorite party moments with polaroid pictures and hand-written notes.

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Eucalyptus Garland

Lance Nicoll
A Floral Trend We're Loving: Garland Wedding Bouquets

Poppy and Mint Floral Company arranged garlands made up of eucalyptus, pink and red roses, and tulips to soften the look of this cake display.

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Bare Branch Arrangements

MLE Pictures

Centerpieces made from bare branches by Campbell Studios Events stylishly mimicked the lack of greenery seen during the winter season.

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Cool Accenting Colors

Olivia Richards

A blue ombré "Future Mrs." place card, calligraphed by Lynn & Lou Paper Co., decorated the bride-to-be's setting, adding seasonal, cool tones to the tabletop's overall pink color palette.

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Powdered Sugar

JACQUE LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY

This bride ordered naked cakes with powdered sugar to add a snowy effect to her dessert table.

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Cozy Color Palette

Katie Stoops

For a speak-easy-themed shower, this table setting was decorated with lush fabrics, like velvet, and rich colors, like black, gold, and plum shades—a combination that could also warm up a space during colder months. Screen-printed napkins by Southern Sprout offered another luxe touch.

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Winter Flora and Fauna

JACQUE LYNN PHOTOGRAPHY
52 Gorgeous Winter Wedding Bouquets

Alexis June Creative added a deer illustration to this winter bridal shower menu, which gave it a festive upgrade. To decorate the neutral-toned napkin, Michelle Leo Events brought the wintry outdoors in with a sprig of evergreen that paired well with cinnamon sticks. She placed both over a wood stump placemat by MC2 WoodWorks.

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By Lauren Pardee