26 Delicious Bites to Serve at Your Bridal Shower

You're more than welcome to serve a full-fledged breakfast, lunch, or dinner at your bridal shower, but by no means are you obligated to (and if you do want to, it's worth considering a restaurant venue). Instead, you can make like many hosts and provide an assortment of appetizers, desserts, and drinks for your guests to enjoy as they celebrate the bride-to-be. Finger foods are a staple at these events because they're easy to eat while mingling and participating in other activities, like games. They're also less expensive than a formal meal, and they're usually easier to DIY.

There are tons of small, simple, and creative options for bridal shower fare. You can settle on comfort food, offer refined, tea party-worthy treats, give your cuisine a cultural spin, or whatever else you (and the bride) want. For a truly unique carte du jour, provide a variety of refreshments (this also makes your party friendlier to different palates, diets, and allergies).

As you plan your event's selection, consider the circumstances. What's the theme? What time of day is the shower being held? Where are you having it? The following ideas cover all of the bases, whether you're throwing a casual morning affair, a fun afternoon fête, or an elegant evening soirée. If you're having everyone over, there are snacks that you can make yourself. If you're going somewhere else, there are bites that are easy to transport. For those of you hiring a caterer, you can pass your favorites along to them. You can also pick the dishes you desire, then ask bridesmaids or other guests to volunteer to bring them.

Enhance the fluffy breakfast food with fruit, nuts, syrup, whipped cream, or whatever else your heart desires. A brunch shower with a topping bar sounds like a genius idea to us.

Bite-sized and oh so sweet, add macaroons to your bridal shower bite menu and guests will be so pleased. And it's something a strong baker could easily DIY—the mother of the bride actually made these delicious treats.

Creatively served, gourmet crispy fennel and leek arancini is a unique option for any bridal shower. Guests will love picking the savory balls of rice from a branch. 

Part salty, part sweet, these refreshing appetizers are great for a summertime shower.

Deviled eggs are a party (and shower) classic. Give yours extra flavor with fun seasonings like sumac and Aleppo pepper.

Salted caramel cheesecake bites, mini puffed pastries, and colorful macaroons make for great bridal shower finger food. 

Sautéed shrimp with mint butter in orange sauce offers just the right amount of fresh, summery ingredients ideal for a warm-weather bridal shower. 

Chefs at Beach Plum Farm created this root vegetable mixture as a side dish. Light fare like this is great for a daytime shower.

Who doesn't love a donut wall? A sweet dessert that doubles as a photo-opp, offer guests a treat that they can grab themselves. 

It's hard to find someone who won't indulge in a slice of this comfort food. If ordering from a pizza joint feels too casual, make special pies with unique toppings yourself, or ask your caterer to whip up an array of options for guests. 

Guests can snack on pulled chicken and pork nachos before the bridal shower festivities begin. 

Cru Catering provided a menu of passed appetizers, including mini braised pork biscuits with bourbon-peach jam for this event. Mini bites are ideal if you want guests to try a little bit of everything.

Modern Art Catering created these tiny, arugula-topped pizzas for an added twist. 

Tomatoes, mozzarella, greens, and balsamic are all you need to make these one-bite snacks. 

Sandwich platters are popular choices, too. Make yours unique by offering less-common options, like chickpea shawarma wraps.

These fancy treats (made of cracker rings topped with caviar) will be a cute nod to the bride's engagement.

Need proof that these carnival classics are easy to DIY? The ones pictured were made by a friend of the bride and groom.

These hearty crab cakes, provided by Montage Palmetto Bluff, were topped with a tartar sauce aioli for an elegant twist on a classic. Serve them in mini size for an appetizer or alongside a salad for a brunch or lunch entrée.

Don't be shy about greasy fingers—the best foods leave a mark! Just be sure to provide plenty of napkins so guests don't ruin their party attire.

Never heard of this cheesy treat? It's time to read up. Claire Thomas made this version by combining grated cheddar cheese, eggs, paprika, dried mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and pale ale, then spreading the mixture over bread. Broil the snack until golden brown to make it look as mouthwatering as it tastes.

A sit-down meal with a main dish of steak would cost a pretty penny. Stay on budget by serving small pieces of quality meat on skewers. 

For a healthier take on fried mac-and-cheese balls, put out small scoops of the noodle dish instead.

Oysters XO supplied these passed oysters, and servers walked around shucking the shellfish for guests. 

These hors d'oeuvres were put together by wrapping dates and goat cheese in bacon.

Chips and guac are yummy for sure, but so is this Mediterranean alternative. 

When filled with sample-sized portions, disposable paper cups suddenly seem cool. Try serving mini salads (we like Greek) in them.