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Theme adds zest to bridal shower

Helen Malani

Published April 27, 2006 at midnight

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A week after Kathleen Montgomery became engaged she created her first bridal registry in just an hour from the comfort of her living room through Crate and Barrel's Web site.

What she hadn't thought of yet was which, if any, theme she would like for her shower. Theme bridal showers are becoming more and more popular as many modern brides and grooms, like Kathleen and her fiancé, Jacob, come to the marriage with the basic necessities since they each had their own apartment.

Bridal showers should be fun. They're the last party you'll have before the formal wedding and reception, the one that your aunt Edna and uncle Stanley from Pittsburgh don't attend.

Whether you're the bride, groom or attendant, a shower theme is only as limited as your imagination. Start with the couple. What is their lifestyle? What are their passions? Are they in a bowling league or do they belong to a book club? You can have a coed shower at a bowling alley or come as literary characters (a la dressing like a pirate from Treasure Island). Are they planning on honeymooning in Hawaii? Why not plan a luau-themed party?

Among 3,372 respondents to a Shopzilla survey, the two most frequently mentioned themes were kitchen and lingerie showers.

Kitchen showers can be boring without a specific direction. Consider a color theme or style. If she dreams of a sleek stainless steel kitchen, sherbet-colored accessories will look out of place.

Another possible theme: a garden shower, with outdoor selections from Crate and Barrel and a registry at Home Depot.

Kathleen and Jacob, relocating after the wedding, have long been members of a local winery and have amassed a nice collection, none of which can be transported by the movers. The wine will be given away and a collection started anew, so why not a wine and cheese shower to replenish their passion? MorrellWine.com is a fine wine shop in New York that offers a bridal registry.

Consider a Web site's ease of use, on-time delivery record and shipping and return policies.The more user-friendly it is, the more likely your guests will embrace it rather than shop on their own.

Helen Malani is the chief shopping expert for shopzilla.com.