Cooking-Themed Bridal Shower

For the bride-to-be who loves to cook, here are ideas to help you throw a kitchen- or cooking-themed bridal shower.

Send guests invitations framed on mini cutting boards for a kitchen-stocking shower. Have invitations made, or make them yourself (the utensil illustration here is from a book of clip art). Center each on a board; attach with double-sided tape. Wrap with ribbon, and mail in a small padded envelope.

Replies to a shower invitation become precious gifts for a bride when they're returned with recipes that loved ones hold dear. With these RSVPs (perfect for a shower with a cooking or kitchen theme), even those who can't attend will take part in the celebration. You can save some time by having an office-supply store craft a stamp; just provide a design of how you want the card to look, including a place for the guest to fill in her name, response, and recipe. Stamp on blank 4-by-6-inch index cards, then send out RSVPs with the invitations. Once all of the replies have been received, the shower's host can put them in a recipe box and wrap it for the bride.

Instead of having guests take part in the traditional shower games, hire a chef to teach a cooking class during the party. The bride-to-be and her guests will be able to learn how to make a delicious dish, savor it as a meal at the shower, and take the recipe home with them to make again and again.

Ask guests to bring gifts that will help the bride-to-be make their favorite dishes. If a guest gives a favorite muffin recipe, she can also give the mixer, the muffin pans, and the necessary ingredients..

Give the bride-to-be something she'll cherish long after the shower is over with this elevated version of the guest book. Have guests write on plates to be mounted on the couple's wall later. Choose white dishes for the well-wishes, which highlight nicely the metallic paint-pen inscriptions. After the event, the bride can arrange the signed plates with patterned ones in a random grouping for a sophisticated feel. But give her fair warning, she shouldn't use them to serve her anniversary cake -- the paint is not food-safe. White platter (at bottom), Crate & Barrel. Extra-fine-tip Gold Creative Marker (PILSCG-E), Pilot Pens.

Ripe fruits symbolize abundance and fertility -- and make colorful and easy centerpieces, as well as delicious favors for shower guests to take home. Tomatoes look beautiful and enticing in this rustic Italian display and will keep guests cooking long after the shower is over.

A cullinary delight, melted chocolate is nearly synonymous with indulgence. Serve it alongside yummy delectables to dip, such as dried apricots, pretzel sticks, and cubes of pound cake. Or consider cookies, caramels, fresh fruit, and chunks of coconut. Use Japanese porcelain teacups and sushi trays to yield single-size portions for guilt free double-dipping.

Incorporate food into everything from the invitations to the centerpieces. We love this easy and colorful centerpiece. Tie taffeta ribbons around lemons and grapefruits and pile them into a glass compote to make a bright, casual arrangement. The bows are secured by pins, and sheer yellow organdy drapes from the bowl. A coordinating menu card is trimmed with taffeta ribbon.

For a twist on silverware rolled in a napkin, package utensils at a buffet in printed 9 1/2-by-4-inch envelopes. Rubber Stamp Champ will create a custom stamp from any black-and-white image (or ask for our cutlery design). Purchase an ink pad and envelopes, and get ready to make an impression.

For cooking-themed shower centerpiece vessels, why use regular vases when you can take containers straight from the kitchen (such as these cafe au lait bowls)? You can find inexpensive ones at home- and kitchen-supply stores (ours are from Anthropologie and Sur La Table), or collect mismatched vintage styles from flea markets. Place floral foam in the bowls to anchor the blooms, then group them on reception tables, stacking some atop inverted ones for visual interest.

Give shower guests this fragrant sea salt to sprinkle over potatoes or use as an ingredient in focaccia. After preparing, decant into airtight containers, and label with the couple's initials and wedding date.

For a Southern cooking-themed shower, guests were sent home with a sackful of grits -- with a recipe for shrimp and grits wrapped around the outside. Use this idea for baked goods, or other family recipes that are special to the bride-to-be or traditional to the location of the wedding.