Hostess with the Mostess®

When I first started HWTM waaaaay back in the day, one of the first styled shoots I designed (just for fun) was a Something Blue Bridal Shower table. That was almost 10 years ago now, and boy have things changed across the years! LOL ;)

So… when I was recently asked to design a bridal shower theme for HersheyLands.com that incorporated some of their awesome new colored-foil Hershey’s KISSES in a creative way, it felt like the perfect chance to revisit the Something Blue theme and put a fresh spin on it all these years later. I kinda want to do this with all my old themes now! I hope you guys like how this one turned out… and there are lots of free printables for you to use if you’d like to recreate this look too. Click here to download them.

Some of my favorite details from this theme:

• spray-painted succulents tucked into the flowers for a bold look
• giant “engagement rings” made from paper gems + embroidery hoops
• paint-dipped bud vases + “balloon dipped” glasses
• “Something Sweet” party favors filled with a mix of colored-foil and silver KISSES
• guest of honor chair embellished with ribbons and mini honeycomb balls

Something Blue Bridal Shower – Creative Details

Centerpiece

When it comes to tablescapes, I’m a firm believer in statement-making centerpieces with clever details! Surprise guests with unexpected elements like these giant DIY rings made from painted embroidery hoops and printable paper gems. Hot glue the finished rings to wooden craft dowels (painted silver) and display them in a container filled with white and yellow flowers. For a bold accent, spray paint a few succulents blue and silver and tuck them into the flowers. Last but not least, a printable “Something Blue” banner helps to highlight the theme and adds a nice finishing touch. (All of the printables can be downloaded here.)

Place Settings

Give table place settings some (inexpensive!) geometric flair with octagon shaped premium plastic plates and printable plate liners. A special “Bride to Be” design will ensure that the guest of honor’s setting stands out. Use craft paint and patterned tape to give plain plastic utensils a party-ready makeover.

Table linens are a great place to introduce pattern. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box if you can’t find the exact type of linen that you need right off the bat. This striped “tablecloth” is actually a (brand new) queen sized duvet from Ikea, and the triangle print napkins are squares of inexpensive fabric that I purchased and cut down to size! If you shop at affordable places, you’ll often find that it’s even less expensive to purchase these outside-the-box “linens” than it would be to rent traditional ones!

Signature Drink

Signature drinks should compliment the party’s color palette, but remember that all of the colors don’t need to be portrayed through the drink itself. Blue party straws and blue marbled balloons are the secret ingredients for this perfectly-coordinating party lemonade! To “balloon dip” your own glasses, just cut the tail off of a 12” balloon, turn your glass upside down, and stretch the balloon around the bottom of the glass. (See more details in this online tutorial.)

Party Favors

It’s a good idea to thank your “Something Blue” guests with something SWEET on their way out, and what could be sweeter for a bridal shower than chocolate Kisses, right?! To create these party favors, fill 3” clear tins with a pretty mix of Dark Blue, Light Blue, Silver, and Black Hershey’s Kisses + Silver Nuggets. Use double-stick tape to attach a paper gem to the lid and a “Something Sweet” banner to the front of each container. Add tiny rhinestone stickers for extra sparkle! Display the finished favors next to a printable “Something Sweet to Say Thank You” sign.

Bridal Bingo

Make gift opening time a fun activity for the entire party by playing Bridal Bingo! Pass out printable bingo cards, pens, and sets of 5 Hershey’s Kiss “game markers” to each person before any presents are opened. Ask them to fill in the blank squares on the card with different gifts that they think the bride will open today. (No duplicates, please!) Each time the bride opens a gift that matches a square on the guest’s card, they can place a game marker on top of that square. The first guest with 5 squares blocked off in any direction wins a prize!

DIY Bud Vases

Mini bud vases are a great way to stretch your color palette even further down the table. Gather some craft paints and paint brushes, then just have fun with it! I used a pencil eraser to create polka dots on some of these vases and freehand painted the rest. You can hot glue ribbons and trims on as accents too. (These vases were all around $2 each and were purchased at Ikea and Michaels.)

Accent Decor

Garlands & oversize balloons are some my favorite types of party decor because they’re quick to create, affordable, and high-impact for your space. Use printable papers and leftover fabrics from your Something Blue table to cut or punch out simple shapes. Hot glue the shapes to string or twine and make your own circle garlands, triangle banners, and more! Give giant balloons (24” to 36”) a stylish twist with chic tassels made of lightweight ribbons and trims.