My Epic Picnic Bridal Shower

Alright ladies, I’m throwing it way way back to last June when my bridesmaids threw me an epic picnic bridal shower. After my wedding at the end of August last year, I paused all of my wedding content since it quickly turned into fall, the holidays and then COVID happened all of this year. However, with baby on the way, I wanted to share all of my wedding content before our one year wedding anniversary and before we move on to the next big chapter of my life! Here’s a recap of my incredible picnic bridal shower – my bridesmaids are amazing and really went all out for me!

Picnic Bridal Shower Decor

PICNIC BRIDAL SHOWER THEME. For the theme, I was inspired by Pinterest and wanted a picnic bridal shower. I created a private board, sent them to my bridesmaids, and just like magic, they made all of my bridal shower dreams come true! To start, I wanted to use wood pallets as tables and have the bridal shower in our backyard. My brother was able to gather these pallets from his work. I think you could source free ones from local hardware stores (like in their trash area), Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist – just keep looking! Unfortunately, on the day of the bridal shower, it was cold and drizzly so the wood pallets were set up inside where my dining room is. It worked out perfectly though and we were able to stay warm and dry!

PLACE SETTING. For the place setting, we used plates and silverware I already had. Some of my girlfriends also gifted me gold flatware that was on my wedding registry and they arrived just in time for the picnic bridal shower! I also had these pink linen napkins on hand, which I previously purchased for $1 each. Additionally, Roses Ami graciously gifted me these cute mini rose boxes that last for a year – they smell amazing too! For the final touch, we gathered a bunch of cushions and pillows from my house – as you can tell I have a lot and they made the whole setting cozier!

BALLOON GARLANDS. We had not one, but TWO balloon garlands! My cousin, who was my Matron of Honor, hosted a friend’s bridal shower a day before mine at her house and somehow stuffed their balloon garland into her car. We were able to easily repurpose it and hung that one above the wood pallets in the dining room. My other bridesmaids also purchased a balloon garland already so that was set up on my covered patio for the perfect photo opp with my pink bike!

Food + Drinks

Onto the bridal shower food and drinks, there was certainly no shortage of it. Us girls can eat and they brought in all of my favorites!

CATERED VIET FOOD. My ethnicity is Vietnamese and I love my culture’s food. My bridesmaids catered banh mi, egg rolls, and spring rolls from a couple of great, local Vietnamese shops.

FRUIT PLATTERS. Okay, have you guys seen any fruit platters more beautiful than these? My cousin Mina made ALL of these! They are gorgeous, yummy, and she is just so dang talented! These fruit platters added so much color to the table setting! There were many of my favorite fruits including papaya, dragonfruit, mangos, and pineapple.

BUBBLE TEA. If you guys know me, I am obsessed with bubble tea, especially from Young Tea. I was jumping for joy when I found out my bridesmaids catered bubble tea from there. In addition to that, they made custom stickers with a cartoon illustration of my dog Boba, who was named after my love for bubble tea! Those stickers were added to the bubble tea cups.

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CABERNET. Is it even a bridal shower if there’s no booze? I actually don’t drink alcohol very often (maybe a few times a year) but I appreciate a beautiful drink set up and getting my guests a little tipsy lol. My bridesmaid Stephanie used Eclat de Carbarnet bottles and put them in my drink tub. She topped them off with ice and pretty pink flowers!

Bridal Shower Activities

ICE BREAKER. Once all of the guests arrived, we got food, sat around the picnic tables and talked. Since I had family and friends from different groups, not everyone knew each other. But they all know I love a good ice breaker. So they went around sharing some of their favorite memories of me. It was a great way for everyone to bond and share a connection, but it was also very heartwarming for me to hear the stories!

FLOWER CROWNS. My bridesmaids seriously thought of everything. They set up a flower crown station on my patio and taught all of the guests how to make one. I was terrible at it, but one of the girls made one for me and it was so pretty! There were a variety of flowers including baby’s breath and roses. We found that the lighter/smaller flowers were easier to use since they didn’t weigh down the crown as much.

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TOILET PAPER WEDDING DRESS. After eating and making flower crowns, my bridesmaids planned a bridal shower game where the guests break up into groups of 3-4 people and use toilet paper to create a wedding dress. They had 15 minutes to design and make their dresses. Then we had the girls strut their stuff and show off their dresses. I chose the winning group and they went home with a prize!

ADVICE CARDS & PARTY FAVORS. At the end of my epic picnic bridal shower, guests were invited to leave me marriage advice and put it in the jar. I loved reading them after everyone left. We also set up party favors to take home. In addition to the Roses Ami mini rose boxes, I got these Sally Hansen nail polishes and my bridesmaids printed out stickers that said “mani thanks.” You guys all know I love my puns!

As you can tell, this picnic bridal shower was epic and over the top. My bridesmaids really thought of everything and anything. What started off as a Pinterest idea all came to life. Every detail was impeccably planned and everyone said it was one of the most beautiful bridal showers they’ve ever been to. I feel so lucky to have such thoughtful and caring bridesmaids that made this such a memorable event for me. Even a year later, I feel absolutely loved! I hope you all get to still have your bridal shower whether it’s small and intimate, virtual, or a drive by! Lastly, here is a before and after of how we transformed the wood pallets for a beautiful picnic bridal shower! See the rest of my wedding content here.