The traditional bridal shower: If you’ve been to one, you’ve (most likely) been to them all. The cheesy games, less-than-tasty finger foods and what can seem like never-ending gift opening. Who’s to say you can’t throw tradition to the wind and host a bridal shower that uniquely represents the couple and won’t have guests looking at the clock? We’ve checked out the hottest new trends and ideas around Minnesota to please the bride and her guests alike.
Kiss the Cook
Cooks of Crocus Hill, with locations in St. Paul, Edina and Stillwater, and five menus to choose from, offers their popular culinary classes for brides. You pick the start time, and they’ll set aside space for gifts galore post-meal.
“If you have 10 or more people, we encourage a private culinary experience,” says Allison Sundquist, Cooks of Crocus Hill private events coordinator. “It’s three hours, which includes time to socialize, have appetizers, then 90 minutes of hands-on training. Then you’ll break up into teams to create a portion of the meal and enjoy.”
Cooks typically hosts groups of 15 to 25 for bridal showers, and charges a food and beverage minimum from $800 to $1,200 depending on the time of day and location. Interested? Try to book eight weeks in advance.
Are you a seafood lover? Coastal Seafoods in Minneapolis offers a number of cooking classes that specialize in the subject, all from the comfort of their kitchen. In a small-group setting, guests can learn the basics of sushi making, oyster shucking and how to perfectly grill seafood. “We tend to book out a couple months in advance, but parties can schedule separate classes with our cooking instructor, too,” says Hazel Lauer, store manager for the Minneapolis location.
Couple’s Soirée
Nix the mid-morning luncheon and host a soirée or glitzy dinner party for the bride and groom. Encourage guests to help stock the bar instead of bringing traditional gifts, as a more relaxed way to celebrate the couple.
“Today’s bridal shower is more focused on supporting the couple, not as much about opening gifts,” says Casey Noelle Bahl, owner of Belle Noelle Events + Design. “A lot of couples are getting married into their 30s, and might not need a new set of dishes—they may have all of that already.”
Doing a destination wedding? Consider having a couple’s shower that doubles as the party back home, held before the soon-to-be-weds jet off to say their official “I dos.”
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Sport-loving couples will relish in a shower thrown at one of their favorite sporting venues. Soak up the suite life at a Vikings game in the newly opened U.S. Bank Stadium, take in a Timberwolves game at the Target Center, or sip a brew on Target Field’s Budweiser roof deck while watching the Twins play. The private space allows guests to mingle while watching the game, and half-time (or the seventh-inning stretch) makes a perfect time for the couple to take turns opening gifts.
Set Sail
Soak up the summer sun on a Lake Minnetonka charter cruise. Al & Alma’s Charter Cruises offer boat trips for as few as 10 people, including lunch and dinner options. The Allante yacht is perfect for bridal showers, with capacity for 15 to 35 people, and lunch and dinner options ranging from $32 to $46 per person. Ahoy, matey!
Bridal Brews
Sip your way through the state’s craft beer scene with a limo or trolley as your chariot. Have a favorite brewery? Rent out their event space for the day to taste their offerings, or do your own pub crawl and have the bride open a gift before each stop.
Is wine more your fancy? Renee’s Royal Valet offers four unique wine-trail tours that take you through various regions in Minnesota, with all tastings coordinated by their team. Yes way, rosé!
Pampered Party-Goers
Every girl deserves a little pampering. Head to one of the many popular blow-dry bars in the Twin Cities, like Blowdry! in Uptown Minneapolis, where parties can sip on bubbly while they receive a new voluminous ‘do.
“We host private events for bridal showers, bachelorette parties and more,” says Laura Prow, marketing director at Blowdry! “The blow-dry bar is a perfect setup for a bridal shower with plenty of room for gifts, food and drinks on the expansive U-shaped bar.”
At Blowdry!, payment is based on the services each guest receives, which can be worked out with the host prior to the shower; that also ensures that each guest has a stylist or makeup artist available for them during the shower.
Skipping gifts at the salon? Have guests go in on a lavish spa-day gift certificate that the bride can enjoy before her big day.
Sweating for the Wedding
There’s no shortage of trendy workout classes in Minnesota. For the bride who loves to move, book a private class at your favorite studio followed by a shower—in both senses of the word.
Alchemy, a workout that blends yoga, strength and cardiovascular training, has two studios in Minneapolis—one in Northeast, one in the North Loop, and both offer private classes. For $300, you’ll have the studio to yourselves for two hours, including a customized version of two classes Alchemy offers, A10 and A20, and an hour to relax, sip on Champagne and shower the bride with gifts after the workout wraps up.
“We provide snacks and beverages, and you can bring as many people as you want, but we typically cap it at 30,” says Katie Weed, front desk coordinator at Alchemy’s North Loop location.
The offered classes are 50 minutes long and include a yoga warm-up, 10 to 20 minutes of a high-intensity workout, then a cool-down. Need even more of a cool-down? Both locations boast a patio for post-workout celebrations.
Skip the Registry
Not into gifts? Encourage guests to make a donation in the bride and groom’s names at their favorite charity, and highlight the donation’s impact—for example, a $25 donation to an animal shelter will benefit three dogs.
Or encourage guests to donate to the honeymoon fund. You can identify specific activities you want to experience on your trip or certain places you want to dine, and list them for wedding guests to “purchase.” Can you say endless in-room massages and bubbly?
Gifts: To Open or Not to Open?
“Formal etiquette is opening the gifts in front of everyone—especially for people who have traveled to come. It’s polite to do that,” says Bahl. “I know there are a lot of brides who don’t want to open in front of other people, but it’s expected, so make time for that, too.”
For brides overwhelmed by the idea of opening gift after gift, share the spotlight—invite the groom and take turns. That way, guests can still see the look on the bride’s face when she unwraps that shiny new gravy boat, but she doesn’t have to unwrap every last one of the packages.