Tips For Hosting a Stress-Free Shower

I love hosting showers! Babies and weddings are just fun events to celebrate! They are both gifts from God, and that alone makes them special!  This past Saturday I had the blessing of having a wedding shower in my home for a sweet young woman who has been a part of my Adult Bible Fellowship this year.  I had so much fun coming up with a menu and decorations to help her celebrate her upcoming fall wedding!

I thought I’d show you how I plan and work ahead of time to keep things from being too stressful the morning of the shower.

1. Decide on a menu – I went with brunch and served:
   Egg and Sausage sliders
   Strawberry White Chocolate Scones –
   Crackers with Cheese Dip
   Fresh Fruit & Dip (Provided by a friend)
   Cappuccino Punch/Coffee/Water

2. 

   These are wonderful!!!

   Decide on a color scheme – I used pink and deep maroon flowers, the colors of the bride’s wedding.

3. Begin to decorate the week before.  Here are some things I had done before Friday~
   Flower arrangements
   Mantle decorated
   Sketched on my chalkboards
   
   
4. Make/prep whatever food you can ahead of time.  My do-ahead’s included:
   Cooking the sausage for the sandwiches
   Cutting strawberries for the scones
   Putting all the dry ingredients for the scones in Ziploc bags, ready to mix
5. Get out all the dishes/platters you’ll need ahead of time. The night before set the tables, label platters and places where the food will be placed.  I use sticky notes on the platters telling what food goes there.  Then the day of the shower, if someone wants to help, they know where to put things. or if I’m working alone, that keeps me from getting frazzled!

6. 

8. Get the pitchers, utensils, plates and napkins ready.
9. 
10. The day of the shower, try to have the food ready for the oven, or finished, if possible  30-60 minutes before your guests arrive. Then you can have the kitchen clean and  you’ll be ready to greet your friends as they come.
    Also, accept help if others offer!  A friend from church did the fruit and the punch.  My daughter came an hour early and helped me finish plating food.  Oh,and having a husband who is so wonderful to do dishes is a super-duper blessing!!!!

Working ahead is the best way to keep from being stressed.  A relaxed hostess can make her guests feel welcome because she really will be glad they came!

Happy showering!

With love from my country kitchen,