Guest post by Molly Suedbeck from Suburban Events (Read her bio below.)
I had asked my sister-in-law if we could throw her and her future husband a couples’ wedding shower. Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with couples’ shower ideas, especially a theme. I wanted to try and find a happy medium where the future bride and groom didn’t feel like the party theme was geared more towards one than the other. After talking with her about it, she thought a BBQ theme would be perfect and I couldn’t have agreed more! I used Pear Tree Greetings’ I Do BBQ Bridal Shower Invitations to set the theme.
As guests walked into the front entrance, they were greeted by pictures of the happy couple, strung with twine, across an old six panel door. This is a great way to incorporate the couple’s engagement photos that are rarely seen by friends and family.
Next the guests moved into the entryway where there were blank envelopes. I asked the guests to fill out an envelope with their address on them. I love this idea! It saves the couple so much time addressing each thank you note, and it ensures that each note ends up in the correct hands. I purchased the matching I Do BBQ Thank You Cards from Pear Tree to continue with the theme. As a bonus, these cards were blank on the inside so the cards could be used after the shower as well.
The rest of the décor was very simple. A black and white gingham table runner went well with the invite color scheme. I hung large kraft paper as a backdrop behind the food table and drew a butcher outline of a pig. Rather than writing the cuts of meat on the outline, I used words like yummy and delicious instead.
When hosting for over 30 people, it can be difficult to “man the grill,” entertain the guests and make sure everyone has a drink in hand all at the same time. I wanted to keep the food simple, selecting items that could be prepared ahead of time. The menu consisted of pulled pork sandwiches, kettle chips, corn on the cob, potato salad, corn bread muffins and watermelon. I made the pulled pork the night before using this delicious recipe from The Pioneer Woman and just reheated it prior to serving. I let the guests decide which type of BBQ sauce they preferred as well.
One of the biggest goals of the party was to have a casual laid back BBQ, which just happens to be celebrating a special couple. I set up yard games and a kiddie pool to keep everyone entertained, as well as tables and chairs so guests could catch up with each other. Of course I couldn’t let the guests leave without a little treat, so I put together a favor of take-home s’mores.
My biggest advice when planning a couples’ shower with a large guest list is to keep the menu simple. Picking foods that you can make ahead of time and reheat is the perfect solution. After all, you want to enjoy celebrating the future Mr. and Mrs. with everyone else too!
If you’re planning a couples’ shower, be sure to shop our bridal shower invitations and you can personalize them to your liking. To get more couples’ shower ideas, see all our other bridal shower ideas.
Molly Suedbeck is the creator of the party planning and DIY blog Suburban Events. Molly loves to provide party planning inspiration, tips and details to help others plan their own events. Molly and her husband have a dog named Lily and keep busy with their three nieces. In her free time, she enjoys helping others plan their parties, working on DIY projects, and researching new ideas on Pinterest.
