Looking for a fun, festive, and budget-friendly bridal shower theme? A Picnic in the Park is the way to go. I planned one for my Sister-in-Law and it was the perfect boho, nature’s lover theme that was also easy on the budget. To my surprise, ideas and inspiration were not so easy to come by, so for all of you out there looking to do the same, I’ve got you covered! In this article, learn how to plan a budget-friendly Picnic Bridal Shower in just 8 steps.
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Here’s what we’ll cover, in case you want to skip ahead:
- Tips for booking a Lodge or Pavillion for your Park Bridal Shower
- Picnic Bridal Shower Invitations
- Menu Ideas for Picnic Bridal Shower
- Picnic Bridal Shower Game Ideas
- Picnic Bridal Shower Decoration Ideas
Ok, let’s get into it shall we. First things first, let’s find a venue!
STEP 1 | BOOK YOUR PARK SHELTER OR LODGE
The best part about hosting an outdoor bridal shower is that your venue costs are typically low and if you live in a fairly scenic setting, you should have lots of options to consider. That said, don’t discount using your or a friend’s backyard if park pavilion or lodge options are limited in your area.
To find a park lodge or pavilion that’s available in your area, check for a park booking tool on your local county’s website.
The next best thing about an outdoor event? The scene pretty much sets itself. All you have to do is make sure that the venue you select for your bridal shower can:
Accommodate your guest list. Consult the bride-to-be about the shower’s guest list before getting started with venue selection and determine a maximum number you can likely expect to attend. Make sure the lodge you book can comfortably fit this amount of people seated.
Has suitable bathroom facilities. Many park pavilions offer nearby porta potties; however, for a bridal shower, that isn’t an ideal situation. Check the details for the pavilion you’re looking to rent to make sure there are actual flushing toilets nearby for your guests.
Is situated close to the road and/or parking lot. To show up the day of the shower and have to haul your decorations, food, and gifts up the river and through the woods (or however that nursery rhyme goes) is also not ideal. Check Google maps before renting!
Download the Bridal Shower Planner
Before you get too far into your bridal shower planning, download this Bridal Shower Checklist and budget planner. It’ll help you keep track of your planning timeline and expenses to make all the not so fun stuff a breeze! Click the link below to subscribe, access, and download!
STEP 2 | ORDER YOUR PICNIC BRIDAL SHOWER INVITATIONS
By now, you should have picked your shower party theme and solidified the guest list with your bride-to-be. Next step is to finalize and send your invitations so you can begin collecting RSVPs.
For my theme, I used these Picnic in the Park bridal shower invitations.
Instead of your traditional red and white gingham picnic blanket look and feel, I wanted a black and white gingham to better match my bride’s style.
DIY Bridal Shower Invitations If you’re savvy with design tools like Adobe Photoshop or Canva (which offers a free option for designing bridal shower invitations), you may decide to go all in and design your own invitations. In that case, you do you and have fun!
Bridal Shower Invitation Templates For most everyone else, bridal shower template websites will become your best friend. Here you can find a list of the best bridal shower invitation template websites to fit your theme.
Once you’ve found the perfect design, get those bad boys ordered! Many designs on Etsy are file or template only purchases, meaning, you’re ordering the file and will need to either finalize it on your end, or download the completed file to print. In this case you’ll need to print through a 3rd party. Here’s a step-by-step guide for DIY invitations for more on this topic.
PRO TIP: For maximum savings, opt for the digital bridal shower invitation route! Sites like evite and paperless post are great options for designing, sending and managing bridal shower RSVPs online.
Shop Picnic Bridal Shower Templates
Like the look of this black and white gingham print invitation for your picnic bridal shower? Shop the set on my Etsy shop. Find picnic bridal shower invitations and welcome sign templates you can edit right in Canva, and instant download picnic bridal shower game and favor templates.
STEP 3 | PLAN YOUR PICNIC BRIDAL SHOWER MENU
Remember when I said everything should follow your theme? I meant it! Now, the menu doesn’t need to be a PERFECT manifestation of your theme, but for example, if you’re going with an English Tea Party theme, consider menu items that complement this, like ehem… tea for one, biscuits, dainty finger sandwiches, etc. You get the idea…
Where to begin? Again, Pinterest is a great place to find and organize your ideas. Once you’re done brainstorming, form your shortlist, and don’t forget to consult with the bride-to-be to make sure you’re on the same page.
Recommended Picnic Bridal Shower Menu: For the picnic in the park bridal shower theme, I mostly went with items you’d traditionally find at an outdoor event, with a few exceptions. Here was my menu:
- Turkey, Chicken Salad and Veggie Sandwiches – Panera offers 1/2 sandwiches that are individually wrapped, which was perfect for a picnic themed bridal shower that also needed to be COVID friendly.
- Pasta Salad packaged in single serve cups
- Fruit Salad packaged in single serve cups
- Caprese Skewers drizzled with balsamic dressing
- Kettle cooked chips
- Assortment of mini cupcakes
Packaging and Service Tips: All of the above were individually packaged to avoid contending with annoying flies (and germs!) getting all over everything. To help with the latter, I also set out individually packaged wet wipes and napkins.
Don’t forget the beverages! As far as drinks, I went a bit rouge in the way of a traditional bridal shower mimosa bar. Instead, we had peach sangria punch along with lemonade iced tea and an assortment of soft drinks and water. Big batch cocktails are both a crowd pleaser and budget saver and are a perfect fit for a more casual outdoor event.
Shop the Supplies:
Get all of these picnic bridal shower supplies to create a beautiful buffet and keep bugs and germs at bay.
Cups with Lids
Bamboo Skewers
Chilling Drink Dispenser
Large Basket
Food Covers
STEP 4 | PREP ENTERTAINING GAMES & ACTIVITIES
What would a bridal shower be without games?! We’ve all been to them, and you can probably recite at least five of them on cue. That being said, Who says you have to stick to the classic bridal shower bingo? You can go as traditional or non traditional with your bridal shower games and activities as you and your bride desire.
For a 2-3 hour shower, you should plan for about 2-3 games to keep the event flowing and your guests entertained throughout.
Here are 3 picnic bridal shower game ideas that are both personalized and entertaining:
1. Bridal Shower Game to Encourage Conversation
Grab photos of your bride-to-be throughout the years and have your guests “Guess the Age of the Bride-to-Be.” This can be turned into a cute photo display! Here are the picnic bridal shower
Guess the Age of the Bride templates I used.
2. Funny Bridal Shower Game
“He Said She Said”, or “Guess Who?” is always a crowd pleaser, where guests decide if the statement is more likely the groom or bride. Here is the template I created for the Picnic in the Park theme.
3. Entertaining Bridal Shower Game
My bride loves music, so we played a “name that love song” game while she was opening presents. In between each present, I would start the next song. The first person to raise their hand/guess it right got a heart sticker. The person with the most stickers at the end of the game won.
STEP 5 | PREP GAME PRIZES
It’s probably obvious you need at least one per game, though an option is to have more on hand in case of ties, or the desire to offer 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prizes. The easiest, no fuss prizes for bridal showers that I’ve seen and/or used in the past that I thought were ingenious were:
- Centerpieces – Your event décor doubles as prizes! This works great if you go the route of potted plants, but also can work with beautiful centerpieces.
- Gift Cards – This makes gift delivery a breeze and takes no time at all to execute! Just pick up a handful when you’re doing your food shopping!
- Candles – These are incredibly easy to DIY and are a great low budget option, especially if you have any beautiful jars that can be repurposed into a candle vessel. Here is my DIY wine bottle candle tutorial as just one option.
- Bath Bombs – Now, I’m going to be honest, I have not tried these myself, but if you’re crafty I have total confidence in you!
STEP 6 | PICNIC BRIDAL SHOWER DECOR PREP
This is the stuff I live for, all the little details. It’s the décor that gives your bride, and your guests, that “wow” moment when they arrive. What’s amazing is that it’s easy to spend a small fortune on this part. For an outdoor bridal shower, keep in mind that half your work is already done just based on your surroundings!
For budget-friendly bridal shower décor, focus on three key areas that will make the biggest impact: the entrance, the gift opening area, and the tablescapes.
The Entrance – I made a DIY “Future Mrs.” banner, DIY Fringe Banners and swags to define the entrance, simply stapled to the frame of the pavilion. Cheesecloth is a great choice for swags to cover the pillars as it’s inexpensive and can also be dyed to match your color scheme. Any fabric would work for this though, you’ll just need a solid bit of length.
The Gift Opening Area – To create a unique space for my bride to sit and open her presents, I purchased a bohemian style lace teepee and paired that with a checkered picnic blanket to tie in to the theme.
At a local thrift shop, I found a vintage picnic basket that I used for cards, and made a tiny banner to attach to it.
When it came time for the bride to open the gifts, she had a beautiful spot to sit which worked well as a backdrop for photos as well.
The Tablescapes & Centerpieces
I kept the bridal shower centerpieces and tablescapes pretty simple with black and white gingham printed plastic table cloths (found online for about $2 each), lacey runners and mason jars filled with faux eucalyptus, lavender and white Gerber daisies (I just didn’t want the added fuss of real floral).
Shop These Picnic Bridal Shower Decorations
Find all of these picnic bridal shower decorations and DIY supplies at the following links.
Lace Table Runner
Wide Mouth Mason Jars
Gingham Print Tablecloths
Boho Lace Teepee
White Cheescloth
STEP 7 | EXECUTE YOUR PICNIC BRIDAL SHOWER!
Finally, once all of the big stuff is out of the way, you’re nearly there! The rest is all about the execution. Collect your RSVPs, purchase and prep your food, buy or make your decor, and finalize any additional details. The additional stuff may include a guest book, shower favors, and signage. That’s it! So, keep your lists and your calendar close, your bride-to-be in the loop, stay calm and have fun – you’ve got this!
I hope you’ve found this information helpful and inspiring in planning your own budget friendly outdoor bridal shower.
Happy planning!
xoxo
The Savvy Swaréy
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