"What a Catch!" - Fishing Themed Bridal Shower
My brother Ryan and his now wife, Hailey
While they have now been married five years, throwing my sister-in-law, Hailey, a bridal shower was one of the most fun parties for me to plan. She was the most relaxed bride and open to a fun and quirky theme that celebrated my brother’s passion for fishing.
This party was also when I first discovered the joy of making paper flowers with my Silhouette electronic cutter. I made some of the simple flowers and added them to these cardboard letters I purchased at Ben Franklin Crafts to create a fun centerpiece with their initials. Once I get started making paper flowers, I can go overboard, which gives me lots of extras to adorn to cards, gift wrapping, party centerpieces, etc.
I found some fun fabrics and a cool net material from Pottery Barn, similar to this one, to carry the theme to the table. I found a local bakery to make adorable and tasty fish cookies along with delicious cakes. I had some treats in little “bait buckets” and even some fun fishing-theme shower games.
Useful links:
Silhouette Cameo Electronic Cutter. The silhouette design store has hundreds of paper flower designs to choose from. I purchased a package that included a whole set with different shapes, but my favorite are the designs that can be assembled using brads in the center. Once cut, they are extremely easy to make. Cindy uses a different electronic cutter and purchases design cuts from Etsy. This would be an example of a similar style of an SVG cut.
Paper Bags- similar to these. I used the “print and cut” feature on my Silhouette cutter to make personalized stickers and tags for party favors. Here are the Silhouette sticker sheets I used.
Hobby Lobby Fabric & Vintage Decor - wire basket & carpenter box. Similar ones are still available.
Paper cupcake cups - similar to these. They are listed as paper baking cups, but I like to use them for individual treat cups as well.
Yellow Cake Stands - Here is a great tutorial on how to make these fun cake stands very affordably with items from the dollar store. I have used these at several parties through the years, even changing out the colors. Using them as a pair on a decorated party table gives a great splash of color and symmetry.
Paper Mache Letters - originally purchased these from Ben Franklin crafts, but these are similar. Given a layer of coordinating paint, connected by dowels, and decorated with fun paper flowers, these make a fun and personalized centerpiece. Hailey liked this piece so much that she chose to use it on her cake table at their wedding.
Tissue Paper Pom Pom Tutorial - These pom poms are a fun way to add a pop of color to your parties. They have been popular for a while now, but five years ago they were harder to find in a variety of colors. I found beautiful shades of tissue paper at Paper Source and made them myself.
Framed Chalkboard and Chalkboard Marker - This framed chalkboard is a great, versatile party decor item. You can use it for a menu, schedule, or fun quote or saying, and even incorporate it in your home decor when it isn’t in use. This one hangs by my daughter’s desk after spending years hanging near her play kitchen. I have tried several different chalkboard markers through the years and find that this slim, bullet point option is the best (despite being a little more expensive).
