How to Style a Holiday Bridal Shower

Editor’s Note: This post is sponsored by Ladurée and Minted as the products featured in this blog post from each respective company were sent to me complimentary in exchange for writing about them. All editorial and opinions are my own.

There is something so magical about winter holiday weddings and I love the idea of surprising a bride with a bridal shower decked out in the true Christmas spirit! With the help of Ladurée and Minted, I put together a holiday-infused bridal shower last week complete with gorgeous gifts for the bride and beautiful details fit for any sugarplum fairy. I’m especially head over heels for the framed Wedding vows from Minted. While it might take a little sneaky legwork to get those personal vows in time for a shower, the gift of giving this heartfelt present would be so worth it! I hope my tips below will help you plan a gorgeous holiday shower.

Choosing a color palette

This is the first thing you’ll need to tackle. I knew I wanted to highlight pastels for the palette so I decided to go with a (baby) blue Christmas look accented with soft pinks and metallics. Steinbach nutcrackers were a no-brainer for centerpieces as they fit in with the colors and my favorite Villeroy & Boch crystal candelabra made a perfectly icy signature statement.

The favors

I wanted to give guests something that was actually used at the party so I packaged the marshmallows in glassine bags and tied them with ribbon. The adorable “jingle” scalloped stickers from Minted provided the perfect way to finish off the favor bags.

The presents

The framed foil-pressed wedding vows from Minted may be the most personal and beautiful gift you could bestow upon a bride. I ordered the piece above with the vows from my wedding and am planning on giving it to my husband for Christmas (shh!). I can’t wait to see his face as he reads the words we said to each other years ago! This present makes a stunning centerpiece if you gift it at a shower – just place it on a cookbook stand or easel to give it some prominence.

Every French pastry-loving girl worth her salt knows Ladurée is the crème de la crème of macarons and I thought an homage to the beautifully-styled patisserie would be perfect for a holiday bridal shower. I love the idea of gifting a bride with one of the Beauté candles from the Ladurée line along with a stunning copy of their macaron cookbook! Mmmmmm.

The drinks

I love the idea of doing a holiday high tea with rosewater or offering a few different holiday cocktails but nothing says Christmas to me like a good old fashioned hot chocolate (you could spike them if you like!). I sprinkled the cocoas with snowflake and peppermint-twist marshmallows and provided antique glass drink stirrers for the guests.

Place settings

I used mismatched antique blue French plates to keep within the blue Christmas aesthetic and propped name cards in dried magnolia buds. Instead of menus (as this shower was more for light bites and sips), I opted to place gorgeous foil-pressed Christmas cards from Minted at each setting with a warm holiday wish – by the way, this is a really great idea if you’re like me and always end up with extra cards around the holidays – just pop them out for a family gathering or party!

Decor

Neutral-toned ornaments from Minted added a touch of warmth and the seaglass felt garland from Minted created a playful feel as well as a place of importance around the bride’s chair. Peach Velvet Ribbon was the perfect way to wrap up the macaron book and to add a little femininity to the decor. The Snow Dot Gold and Kraft Foil Table Runner was the perfect and easy way to dress up the table as the metallic touches lend a festive vibe but it makes for super-easy cleanup as it’s just paper!

Photography and styling by Sarah Darcy of Classic Bride blog.