We’ve picked a few themes sure to help you plan a memorable wedding shower — or for you to slip to friends who may be planning something special for you and your fiance.
Everyone wants to give a unique gift, but try to select items that the bride and groom have selected for their registry, and do your best to adhere to their wishes.
If a shower guest comes to you for gift advice, be prepared to suggest tips on the couple’s preferences and direct them to their registry.
Christmas Ornament
It doesn’t matter the time of year — Christmas ornament showers will give the couple a nice start collecting ornaments for years to come. Your gift will be hung on their Christmas tree each holiday season serving as a reminder of your friendship.
Try: Winterberry Home, Little Rock, (501) 614-9299; Ebeez, Fayetteville, (479) 521-4995
Pottery Painting
For this hands-on experience, the couple selects several pieces of unpainted pottery — dinner plates, bowls, mugs — and guests are invited to paint them in their own unique ways. The options are endless: give guests free reign, a special color selection or a particular theme. The finished art is a personalized gift to the bride and groom that they’ll enjoy for years to come.
Try: Firefly Studio, Little Rock, (501) 225-1403; Different Strokes, Fayetteville, (479) 443-6440
Gift Card
Gift cards ensure that the couple will get what they really want. Have guests purchase gift cards from places the bride and groom like to shop and to stores where they are registered. This is a great idea for gifts for him and her.
Try: Local restaurants, book and music stores and movie theaters.
Pajama Party
It’s girl’s night in. Pack an overnight bag with pajamas, favorite CDs and romantic comedies and tear-jerker movies, like Love Actually and Steel Magnolias. Offer your roomy home or splurge and reserve a suite at a local hotel for a big-girl sleepover. This could be a last get-together for the bride-to-be before her single days are over.
For pajamas, try: B LaRue, Bentonville, (479) 464-9977; Barbara Graves, Little Rock, (501) 227-5537
Also, try: Embassy Suites, Little Rock, (501) 312-9000; Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, (800) 342-9766
Entertainment Shower
Expand the bride and groom’s game supply with items to entertain. You could upgrade their existing board games with video versions or buy a unique chess set like one with shot glasses instead of traditional pieces. Don’t forget outdoor games like bocce or golf accessories.
Try: Target, statewide; Toys R Us, statewide
Stock The Bar
Help with liquor and bar accessories needed for the bride and groom’s favorite specialty drinks. Treat them to better brands for starting their liquor cabinet. Bar accessories are probably on one of the couple’s registries, so don’t forget to check there first.
Try: Fifth Seasons, Little Rock, (501) 225-0544; Newton’s Jewelers, Fort Smith, (479) 782-9123
Honey-Do
Think about both the bride and groom when selecting tools and items for home and garden projects. Home and hardware stores actually have registries. A wheelbarrow may not be sexy (they do come in tomato red and cobalt blue) but the happy couple will appreciate your gift when dragging three 50-pound bags of soil across the yard in the summer sun isn’t necessary. When in doubt, a gift card to a favorite home store will fit the bill.
Try: Home Depot, statewide; National Home Centers, statewide
