A couple weeks ago a former colleague of mine asked for some suggestions for an alternative bridal shower idea. She said that at this point – most of her friends had already done the private restaurant room, sitting in a circle opening gifts thing and they wanted something different this time around. I immediately Googled “alternative bridal shower ideas in DC” and while I was pumped to see an old blog post of mine pop-up first, the rest of the hits were pretty lacking. So I did some asking and some digging and came up with my own list for her, which naturally makes a really great blog post for me.
Alternative Bridal Shower Ideas for the Washington DC Metro Area
Most of the suggestions revolve around DOING something, instead of just sitting around playing traditional shower games. Lucky for us, we live in an awesome area, full of AWESOME creatives, so I found some pretty great ideas. Here we go!
1. Take a Cooking Class
Andy & I recently took a class at Hills Kitchen in Capitol Hill and it was AWESOME. This would be SO fun to do with a group of friends. We learned a lot and got to eat some yummy food. Plus, after the class, there are plenty of places nearby & walkable to keep the party going.
2. Winery Tours
There’s a LOT of wineries just out the Beltway, including Paradise Springs, Bull Run, Barrel Oak and the list goes on. I also found Vinthill Craft Winery which let’s you make your own wine too! Spending an afternoon with your favorite people, sipping wine and enjoying the beautifully scenery of Northern Virginia wineries? I mean, what’s not to like here….
3. Crafting Classes
[Meant to Be Calligraphy Facebook Page]
There are tons of artists in the Washington, DC area that host workshops for you to learn their craft. My favorite ladies with Typecase Industries often host letterpress workshops, and Meant To Be Calligraphy hosts Calligraphy Workshops!
We’ve also launched our own DIY Wedding Workshops, created exclusively for couples in the DC area to learn how to make things for their wedding. Why not enlist your bridal shower attendees to then help create some paper goodies or other DIY wedding projects for your big day? This would be a PERFECT workshop to bring your ‘maids, mom, sisters, or partner, and enjoy a glass of sangria and get crafty!
Who doesn’t love to learn something new? Also, any of these classes linked here would be beneficial to helping you later in your wedding planning.
4. Attend an Artisan Workshop
Artisan workshops like MakeTribe, Topaz + Arrow, or Knead & Know or even Cocktail Classes are similar to craft classes, but offer something a bit more curated. Sometimes tied to food or a peculiar craft,they’d be a totally different or alternative thing to do for a bridal shower. [While not as part of a bridal shower, I’m excited to attend my first Topaz + Arrow workshop later this month!]
So what do you think Romancers? Did we hit some good alternative bridal shower ideas? Personally I love a good ole fashioned backyard BBQ with no gift-opening. But let us know if we missed any good ones and we will add to the list!
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2 comments
I think these are great ideas for alternative bachelorette outings because not everyone is about the club/bar scene. I for one, did the wine tour thing for mine:rented a limo and visited 3 wineries in Virginia.
very true!! they’d def be a great option for “alternative” bachelorettes too!