Bridal showers that are Halloween themed are fun and inventive ways to celebrate brides. Just don't make yours so spooky that it scares the bride away from the altar! There are many Halloween elements you can add for a festive touch.
Halloween Wedding Shower Ideas
A good bridal shower theme will incorporate many details to create a coordinated event, including decorations, food, games, and even the gifts for the bride.
Decorations
Halloween decorations are easy to find as early as the end of August, while party supply stores stock a limited range of creepy accents throughout the year. Bridal shower decorations that can be useful for a Halloween themed bridal shower include:
- Themed invitations with ghosts, witches, black cats, pumpkins, or other Halloween icons
- Silk or paper colored leaves to scatter
- Jack-o-lanterns carved with wedding symbols, such as a silhouette of a bride and groom, wedding bells, or a tiered cake
- Clear pumpkin dishes filled with treats in the wedding colors
- Masks for guests to wear
- A witch hat accessorized with a black wedding veil for the bride-to-be
- Miniature pumpkins or squashes
- A heart-shaped honeymoon coffin
- Skeletons dressed up as a bride and groom
Guests can also be part of the decorations if the party is arranged as a masquerade. Corpse or zombie bride costumes, bridezillas, and evil bridesmaids are popular choices to add to the themed event.
For a more elegant twist, use decorations such as:
- Black taper candles in crystal holders
- Black and orange tulle tablecloths
- Black silk roses
- Metallic pumpkins
- Cream-colored decorations, such as ceramic pumpkins accented with gold
- Centerpieces of fall flowers
Food
Halloween is always associated with treats, and there are many sweet options that would work well for a bridal shower. A bridal shower cake could offer a taste of autumn with apple, spice, pumpkin, or carrot flavors. Shape it into a tombstone, arrange like a tiered black wedding cake, or decorate with icing spider webs, for added flair. Cupcakes and cake pops are also ideal for a shower and can be decorated for the theme.
Some snack food options include:
- Caramel apples
- Snack size candies and Halloween candies
- Candy corn
- Cookies shaped like a witch's hat
- Dips, such as pumpkin mousse served with graham crackers
For heartier options, set up a buffet with an assortment of food such as:
- Mini sandwiches
- Pasta salad
- Deviled eggs
- Pumpkin soup
- Hot dips served with bread, crackers, and raw vegetables
For beverages, you can serve:
- Bloody Marys
- Punch with novelty eyeballs and severed fingers for a scary touch
- Orange soda
Games
Bridal shower games can break the ice and add an element of fun to the gathering. Several options are well suited to a Halloween theme.
- Pumpkin carving contest: Divide the group into teams and give each a pumpkin and supplies. Award prizes for most creative, scariest, and funniest.
- Haunted scavenger hunt: Hide a variety of Halloween themed items and give a list to each guest to find. Items can include plastic spiders, gourds, plastic teeth, and a stuffed black cat.
- Halloween bingo: Print bingo cards with words related to Halloween. You can also print blank cards and ask the guests to fill them in with words. Prepare a call list and play a game of bingo.
- Kiss the vampire: This is played like pin the tail on the donkey, except you will use a poster of a vampire and hand out red lip cut-outs. Blindfold each guest, spin her around, and point her in the direction of the vampire. See who can get the lips taped closest the vampire's mouth.
- Go on an adventure: Arrange to visit a local a haunted house or corn maze for some seasonal fun.
Gifts
The purpose of a traditional bridal shower is to literally "shower" the bride with gifts she will need for her wedding and her home. You can keep with tradition or ask guests to bring gifts that are tricks. A couple examples include:
- Tricks for the kitchen would imply culinary gifts or recipes.
- Tricks for the bedroom may refer to a lingerie shower.
Be sure to explain this on the invite with wording like "Bring the bride some new tricks for her to wear for her honeymoon night" or "Share your favorite recipe trick with the bride-to-be."
Shower Tips and Considerations
Planning a Halloween shower can be fun and exciting. Be sure to keep the following in mind for the most success:
- Don't plan it on the actual holiday. Many people will want to take their kids trick-or-treating. If the shower is at someone's home, it could get interrupted often with kids out trick-or-treating.
- Make it tasteful. Since most showers include family and friends, be sure not to offend anyone at the shower. Halloween can be a bit controversial; plan accordingly so everyone feels comfortable attending.
- Ask the bride-to-be before making the plans. Make sure that this theme will go over with the guest of honor. If she is someone who loves the Halloween season, this theme is ideal.
Festive Halloween Theme
Using a theme for a bridal shower is a fun way to celebrate the bride and her impending nuptials. A Halloween shower can be filled tricks and treats that will last far longer than one scary night. For an unforgettable shower, host one with a festive Halloween theme that will be fun for all invited.
