5 Bridal Shower Hacks You Will Definitely Want to Use

Sure, you've thrown and attended several parties over the course of your life, but have you ever hosted a bridal shower? It's a whole other kind of party that comes with a different set of rules and expectations. On the one hand, you've probably been asked to host because you're besties with the bride-to-be. On the other, you may have unwittingly taken on a massive, anxiety-inducing project depending on how easy going the bride (and her mom) is. To maximize the fun factor and minimize your stress, we've teamed up with Francis Ford Coppola Winery to bring you some clever hacks that will help you host the best bridal shower ever. But fair warning, if you throw a really awesome shower, your services may become a hot commodity!

In this day and age, it’s easier to track down the email addresses of everyone on the guest list than it is to get their home address. So don’t be afraid to send an electronic invitation! Online stationery companies like Paperless Post have some great options. If the bride-to-be has asked you to send something via snail mail, contact everyone on her list by email and request they submit their address with Postable or Google Forms.

Everyone knows that cleaning up is the least fun part of hosting a party. Save yourself the trouble by purchasing some festive items that up the pretty, but minimize the clean up time. Consider ordering customized cocktail napkins or some of these cute pink cans of Francis Coppola’s Sofia sparkling wine. The best part? Each can comes with its own pink straw, which will make for adorable photos! Plus, you won’t have to carefully clean any champagne glasses at the end of the night.

Who says you have to do all the work? Instead of having elaborate finger foods and full sit-down meal, make the food portion of the party more interactive. If you’re hosting a brunch shower, feature a build-your-own Belgium waffle station or a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar. Planning a late afternoon event? Opt for a brew-your-own tea station with fresh sprigs of aromatic herbs, several pots of hot water, and several petit fours. This hands-on approach will help get the conversation started on the off-chance some of the guests have never met before. Multitasking has never looked so good!

Planning to give all the ladies at the shower a parting gift? Consider something that comes pre-wrapped or at least an item that comes with a gift wrapping option at checkout. It will help streamline the gift process and eliminate any scotch tape disasters. These gift-wrapped bottles of bubbly from Francis Coppola are guaranteed to be a hit. Bonus: place one at each seat to add a little feminine flair to your table décor!

One of your day-of duties will be to keep track of who gave what gift. Most people scramble to write down names as the bride-to-be is tearing through all the wrapping paper, but you can make your life much easier by planning ahead. Once you have the final list of yeses and nos, make a spreadsheet with the name and address of everyone that will be attending (make sure you sort it alphabetically, too). That way, as the bride opens up her gifts, all you have to do is fill in the gift information and then hand over the list to the bride-to-be at the end of the day. She will truly appreciate having all of the gift giver’s information in one place (and spelled correctly) when she goes to write her thank you notes!