One of the highlights of the wedding season is to attend all the bridal showers and bachelorette parties.  The weddings are beautiful and most of the receptions are tons of fun.  However, there is something really special about a girly get-together that leads up to the wedding day.  These can be very memorable events for everyone involved with just a little bit of creativity and planning.  With a trip to the flea market or bargain store and a bit of DIY help, you can pull off one of the events without having to break the bank.

The best way to begin planning a bridal shower is to have a theme.  Here are a few suggestions for bridal shower themes to get you started.  

Alice in Wonderland Tea Party - This is an easy one to pull off. Take a trip to your local flea market or thrift store and pick up some beautiful floral teacups.  You can usually find these for under a $1.  Now all you have to do is fill each cup with a tea bag, make a few finger sandwiches and decorate with beautiful floral fabric.  Have the girls dress is their best "tea party" dresses and even hats if you like.  This a great girly party!

Bridal Breakfast - Why not have a bridal breakfast?  Have all the guests come in the cutest pajamas and serve breakfast food.  The decorations can be pastels or bright morning colors (think yellow for the sunrise).  This is great fun and makes everyone feel like a kid again.

Country Style Backyard Picnic - Decorate with red and white, use apples as centerpieces.  Serve classic picnic food and play bingo.  The guests can wear cute sundresses and sip cold lemonade and sweet tea while playing bingo.  This will make for a fun and relaxing afternoon party.  

Stock the Pantry - This is a classic theme but never goes out of style.  People have to eat.  What better way to help the couple set up house than to help them with pantry items?  You can decorate with cookie cutters attached to a favorite cookie recipe. Also, have each guest bring a recipe that corresponds to the pantry items they will be bringing.  This is a great way to get a new bride off to a good start in the kitchen, especially if she has not done much cooking in the past.