Updated on: Nov 11, 2024
One of the most common choices of venue for a bridal shower is to host at a restaurant. Restaurants often offer private rooms or areas for you to host in, and it takes away the hassle of cleanup. While this may be a common location idea, there are so many ways to make it fun and unique to you and your friends!
Here are 8 Bridal Shower at a Restaurant Ideas that not only provide a successful bridal shower but how to have a special and fun time at any restaurant of your choice. You may choose a restaurant for a sentimental reason, you love the food, or because it is friendly to your budget. No matter the reason, you’ll be guaranteed to have an amazing time.
Unique Bridal Shower at a Restaurant Ideas
1. Choose Upscale
It might be worth it to splurge in this department due to how much can go wrong in a restaurant. Choosing a more upscale restaurant can ensure that your dining experience is going to be as fabulous as your bride deserves. Now, if your budget doesn’t allow this, choosing a restaurant that you trust and have had amazing experiences at works as well. Don’t be afraid to choose somewhere not necessarily upscale, as long as you have a good personal relationship with it.
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2. Think about the Lighting
Many upscale restaurants happen to be extremely dark inside. This is not going to be ideal for a bridal shower because you’ll want lots of natural light in order to take good pictures. While you can take group pictures outdoors, the candids are going to be what you want inside. This also includes pictures of the bride opening her gifts, so you’ll definitely want to make sure there is an ample amount of natural light! Always visit the proposed venue for booking, and this will be one of the things you are looking for on your visit.
3. Cocktail Hour
A fun thing to do before the actual shower is hosting a cocktail hour at the restaurant's bar. This switches things up for your normal restaurant outing. You’re going to want to check and see if you can rent out the bar for an hour or so before your event, as well as if you can set up a bar tab. You’ll also want to check and see if the space is suitable for your number and if there is ample room not only for standing but seated at the bar.
4. Food Choice
When you think of your restaurant, you’re probably primarily thinking about your entrees. If you are only focused on the entree for your meal there is no problem with this, but serving hors d'oeuvres or a table full of light snacks is also an option. Ask the restaurant about options before you make a decision based on only the main course. You’ll also want to take into account the type of food paired with your occasion.
If you want a more casual bridal shower, maybe opt for American food or family-style food. For a more upscale feel, you could choose a steak house or fancy sushi restaurant. In addition to the style and type of food, make sure you pay attention to the details of the menu in terms of allergies, food sensitivities, and diet restrictions. If you know members of your group are vegan or have gluten allergies, try to make sure there is at least one option on the menu that caters to those needs.
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5. Seating
Bridal showers are going to have people from all different areas of the bride's life. While it is not essential, seating charts or name cards could be an excellent option to organize your guests so that they are not sitting next to only strangers. Name cards also have a personal feel to the restaurant and make your guests feel special.
6. Personal Touch
There are a few different ways you’ll be able to make the restaurant feel more personal to your shower. To begin with, bring your own decorations to ensure everything is set up the way you’d like. You could decorate the room or table with bouquets of flowers or small candles. You can also have name cards at everyone's seat for a personal touch for your guests. Many restaurants have decorations for an additional fee, so make sure to inquire about those options and prices before choosing a venue!
Also, make sure to ask about their policy in terms of bringing in decorations and cake. If the restaurant has an extensive dessert list, see if you can get a sampler platter that has a personal design/message for your bride, but it is something everyone can share! You can also bring party favors to the shower to give to guests as they leave. Personalized soaps, candles, or cookies are all great options!
7. Gift Table
There most likely won’t be somewhere for gifts without asking first. If the restaurant does not have a secure area where guests can put gifts, assign someone to bring a large basket or cute totes to hold all of the gifts in. You also might want to assign someone to communicate with everyone where the gifts go, as well as keep track of them. The message should also be communicated to the bride that she does not have to open her gifts at the shower if she is not comfortable doing so. Breaking the stigma that you have to open gifts in front of people is important for people with social anxiety.
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8. Payment
The final part of the bridal shower you’re going to want has already been figured out well before the bride has to. Make sure you have the payment plan figured out well in advance so that there are no awkward moments for your bride. The family may want to pay for it, a small group of friends may want to split, the family of the groom may want to provide the staff with tips, no matter the situation make sure you have it figured out in advance.
Bridal Shower at a Restaurant Ideas: Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed these 8 ways to have a bridal shower at restaurant ideas. There is a lot of factors that come into play to make a bridal shower great so we hope you found these ideas helpful to give you the best bridal shower experience.
Written by Callie Brown