Surprise Shower

I hate games so much and no one asked me if that was something I wanted. My IL's did a few at my bridal shower and I wish they wouldn't have (or would have asked me).

My best advice is to just keep in mind what kind of person the bride is. I personally am someone who prefers casual and relaxed vs. "fancy" and traditional - my shower was lovely and I'm very grateful they hosted one, but it just wasn't my taste really. So just keep that in mind so you don't plan a fancy sit down tea party instead of a BBQ that the bride might prefer (or vice versa!) Just try to keep her vibe in mind

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That is such a good point. Her wedding is going to be a true black tie affair so the tea is my attempt to keep it somewhat in line with that.

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Then you're plan sounds perfect!!!

Also, fruit and cheese displays would be a nice dessert option if bride doesn't do sugar!

You should look into keto cakes. Does she not do sugar for reasons like diabetes, or is it just for healthy lifestyle? If it’s just for health and not medical reason like diabetes, you could also look into things like edible arrangements layout without the chocolate dip and just the fruit. Do you plan on also having guys attend too? If so, you may want to have her skip the whole opening the presents thing because some people might put some risqué stuff in there which might possibly embarrass her in front of her uncle etc. etc.

Sounds like a great idea and it is very kind of you to keep your cousin's taste in mind while planning it.



Savory snacks, like charcuterie or sandwiches, with fruit on the side for those who want some sweetness would be a great option. Fruit salad with pineapple and melon (perhaps with berries, too) would be my choice. Also, it would be something the bride-to-be could avoid if it was too sweet for her and still have enough other food to choose from.

If you are doing a more traditional afternoon tea then you should be thinking finger sandwiches and 'scones' (along with cake, which you might skip entirely). I know Costco and Sam's do really good sandwich platters, that could help you cut down on prep time or cost. English 'scones' are really what Americans call biscuits and are usually served with softened butter, jam, and clotted cream or whipped cream. You could substitute that for cheese biscuits with sliced meats easily, if you want a less-sweet option. Cake could be traded out for banana bread or zucchini bread (both are much less sweet).

Hope those ideas help!

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She's just very healthy! The only sugar I've seen her ingest in the past 10 years is juice she is that dedicated!

Thanks for the suggestions!

I don't think we were going to do present openings and instead do gift cards since it'll be a decent amount of time before her registry is done.