Wedding Day Advice | Wedding Planning

You’ve had a full life: One filled with fun and laughter, tears and disappointments (there’s just no escaping these) and good times with friends and family – a life worth celebrating.
A party is the best way to celebrate the last days of being single before your wedding day. So now the question is, what would be the best option to go for-

For the more homely there are kitchen teas, for those who love to indulge there are pamper parties and for the brave and wild there are hen’s parties – something to satisfy everyone. When truly loved by many, it shouldn’t be a problem to have your party organized by someone that knows you well enough to know in what category you fall, as it’s important that you feel comfortable with the choice. This event is usually (traditionally) organized by your maid of honour or bridesmaid or in the absence of these, a close friend or relative.

Photo courtesy of H4hen

Kitchen Teas

A Bridal Shower is the perfect option for a young bride-to-be or someone that is in need of household items. The Kitchen Tea of yesteryear will put many a guest to sleep – do not, I repeat do not let your guests sit through a long episode of boring guessing games (guess what it is, guess who it’s from etc.). Although the Kitchen Tea is an age-old tradition, you can certainly add a bit of “oomph” by letting your imagination go. Herewith a few ideas to add to your own:

• Get a few close friends and / or family members together and attend a cooking class / course. Choose something way-out, like a Japanese cooking class that you won’t really use again and have fun.
• Ask each guest to bring their favourite recipe along (this can be put in book form, a beautiful keepsake for the bride).
• A nice invitation idea: Buy (cheap) cups and saucers (espresso ones are perfect), print small cards and attach the invite to the cup with a ribbon.
• Ask each guest to bring a different, interesting spice and ask her to explain the use of it.
• As gifts: Kitchenware or gourmet grocery items. Where possible enjoy the get together and leave the gifts for her to open in her own time (like you would do at a wedding).
• If you want to open the gifts in the presence of the guests, do this only in a small intimate gathering where most people know one another. If you want to add a guessing game you can ask each guest to attach a photo of themselves as a baby and the bride can guess who it’s from.

Pamper Parties

• This makes a perfect get together for a few close friends in a relaxed atmosphere. This bride-to-be has most of her household items and is ready for some serious pampering:
• Get a spa to pamper the girls in the comfort of your home. The beauticians come to your house fully prepared with massage tables, beauty products and oils.
• Get your PJ’s on and watch some of your favourite chick flicks. Get a caterer in to serve you the most decadent bite-size desserts. You can always tell him/her to get creative and go low-fat where possible (without compromising the taste), this way you can indulge without the guilt.
• Get a few girls together and go on a luxury spa weekend.
• Presents can be anything personal or you can stick to a theme like décor or lingerie. While we’re on this topic, allow me a minute to speak my mind (I’m assuming your bridesmaids or whomever is organizing your party will read this). Why spend so much on ridiculous (uncomfortable) lingerie that will soon find its way to the back of her cupboard after the joke has worn off? When buying someone lingerie, shouldn’t we buy her something that she actually wants to wear? It can still be sensual. But classy. By all means, for a joke, throw something nasty in and have fun!

Hen’s Parties / Bachelorette

Back in the days, a strip show was a common option for the “wild at heart”. While this is still an option, it is certainly not the only one:

• Pole dancing, lap dancing and belly dancing lessons are a fun way to keep the guests entertained and have a good laugh.
• Organise entertainment in the form of games through a facilitator who usually has lingerie, massage oils and sex toys for sale afterwards.
• Order a couple of bare butt butlers to serve snacks and drinks at your party.

Something different

• For a sophisticated hen’s party, book a wine tasting experience.
• If it’s adrenaline you’re after, go for bungee jumping, a canopy tour or a girl’s only camping weekend.
• Dine out in style – hire a limo.

There are so many options to choose from, whatever your party theme is, make sure that you have good (clean) fun! This is not a night that you want to look back on with regret but something that should bring back good memories and perhaps a twinkle in your eye!