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The something blue bridal shower, in four lines
Eighteen guests, two hours, inside the usual shower budget.
- The palette
- Blue and whiteDusty blue, cornflower or navy with white. Pick one blue and repeat it, rather than four blues that argue
- The flowers
- HydrangeaBlue hydrangeas carry the look on their own, and delphinium or cornflowers fill in when hydrangea is out of season
- The budget
- $340Revelwick's shower estimate at eighteen guests. This bridal shower moves money into florals rather than adding to the total
- The line
- On the invitationSomething blue before I do belongs on the invitation and one sign, not on every napkin
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Something blue bridal shower ideas that carry the theme
Six, all of which live on the table or in the food rather than on the walls.
Blue and white china
Mismatched blue and white plates borrowed from two or three relatives. It is the most convincing version of the theme, it costs nothing, and it is the detail guests notice and talk about.
Hydrangeas in jars
Split across small vessels down the table rather than one large arrangement. Blue hydrangeas are the flower this bridal shower idea is built on, and a few stems fill a room.
Blueberries in the food
A blueberry lemon cake, blueberry scones, a bowl of berries with cream. The food carries the color without any dye, which is the version that also tastes good.
A blue drink by the jug
Blueberry lemonade, or sparkling wine with a few blueberries dropped in each glass. Avoid anything dyed bright blue, which photographs as a novelty rather than a style.
The bride's something blue
Guests write a wish on a small blue card, or the host gives the bride her actual something blue for the wedding day: a ribbon for the bouquet, a handkerchief, an embroidered initial. It is the one theme detail with a job after the shower.
A dress code of one blue item
Optional and easy, because almost everybody owns something blue. It gets the group photograph without anybody shopping.
03
Something blue bridal shower invitation ideas
Styles that set the tone for the party before guests arrive.
Dusty blue florals
Watercolor florals on a white card, soft and classic for a spring or garden bridal shower.
Blue and white chinoiserie
A porcelain pattern border that matches borrowed blue china on the day.
A blue bow
A single illustrated bow above the line, a modern and whimsical design.
Minimal blue lettering
Something blue before I do in a script font, and every detail below in plain type.
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Something blue bridal shower decorations
Blue themed decor that creates the look without a large budget.
A welcome sign
Something blue before I do in blue lettering on a white board or a mirror at the door or on the food table, the one place the phrase belongs besides the invitation.
A blue table runner
A block print or a plain dusty blue runner down the center of the bridal shower table, over white linen.
A photo backdrop
A wall of blue and white florals, a pale blue fabric drape or a simple ribbon curtain, so guests have one spot for the photo they keep as a memory of the day.
Mixed candles
White and pale blue taper candles in brass or glass holders for a romantic, modern look at an evening shower.
Bud vases
Small bottles or bud vases with a single blue stem at each place setting, which also work as favors.
Satin bows
A blue bow on the bride's chair, on each napkin and on the gift table, the whimsical detail that ties the decor together.
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What to wear to a something blue bridal shower
For the bride and the guests.
The bride in white
A white dress lets the bride stand out against a room of blue, with a blue accent like earrings, a bow in her hair or blue shoes.
The bride in pale blue
A light blue dress is the playful alternative, especially for a daytime bridal shower.
Guests in one blue piece
A blue dress, a blue shirt or a blue accessory, never a required purchase. Mention it on the invitation as optional.
The bridesmaids
Coordinated shades of blue look stylish in the group photo without anyone matching exactly.
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Seasonal twists on the something blue bridal shower
How the same idea changes through the year.
Spring
Dusty blue and white with hydrangeas, a garden brunch and a blueberry lemon cake.
Summer
Cornflower blue, a lemonade bar, blue and white stripes and an outdoor setting.
Fall
Navy with cream and a touch of rust, candles, and a cozy dinner party.
Winter
Icy pale blue with silver, white florals and a warm drink station for a winter bridal shower.
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How to plan a something blue before I do bridal shower without overdoing it
Where the phrase comes from, the one-blue rule, the wording, and the things to skip.
Something blue before I do is a bridal shower theme built on the last line of the wedding rhyme about what a bride carries on the day. It works because it is a color with a meaning rather than a costume, and a color is the cheapest and most forgiving kind of theme for a room that runs from the bride's friends to her grandmother.
Where the something blue tradition comes from
The rhyme is an old English wedding custom: something old for continuity, something new for the future, something borrowed for luck, and something blue for faithfulness. Brides still tuck a blue detail into the wedding day, and the shower theme simply moves that detail a few weeks earlier and makes it the palette.
That history is also what gives the theme its one good gift idea. Handing the bride her something blue at the shower, a ribbon for the bouquet or an embroidered handkerchief, is a moment the room enjoys and an object she actually uses at the wedding.
Pick one blue and repeat it
The rooms that look designed use one blue with white, not four blues. Dusty blue is the soft version and suits a spring or garden shower, cornflower is brighter and suits summer, and navy with white reads as crisp and slightly nautical.
Repeat it three times, on the flowers, the linen and the food, and stop. A room reads as themed because three things agree rather than because every object in it is blue.
Something blue before I do invitation wording
The line goes at the top: something blue before I do, then who the shower is for, who is hosting, the date, the time, the place and how to reply. Blue ink on white card stock is the whole design, and it matches the table without trying.
If the host wants guests to join in, one sentence at the bottom does it: wear something blue if you have it. Keep it optional, because a dress code that has to be bought is a bill sent to the guests.
Something blue shower decorations, kept to the table
Linen, flowers, china and the food are where the theme lives. A blue and white striped tablecloth or a plain white cloth with blue napkins does more than any balloon garland, and it survives two hours without drooping.
One sign with the line on it is enough, placed on the food table or the gift table. Everything beyond that is decor for the camera rather than for the guests, and it is where the budget leaks.
Shades of blue and the style they set
Each blue sets a different bridal shower style. Dusty blue with white and a little greenery is soft and elegant and suits a garden brunch. Blue and white with a floral chintz print reads as classic and a little vintage, and pairs well with borrowed china. Navy with white and gold is the crisp, formal version for an evening cocktail shower.
The delicate details carry the style: a satin ribbon tied in a bow around each napkin, a pale blue bow on the back of the bride's chair, fresh flowers rather than silk ones. Two or three of those and the theme looks designed rather than bought.
Something blue bridal shower games
Keep the bridal shower games in the palette rather than inventing new ones. Bridal shower bingo printed on blue cards, a short quiz on the wedding rhyme and what each line means, or a round of guess how many blue sugared almonds are in the jar all fit the theme without any extra shopping.
The best theme game is the simplest: guests write marriage advice on blue cards, and the bride reads a few out between gifts. It fills the room with love for the couple and leaves her with something to keep.
A something blue cocktail and a mini dessert table
A signature cocktail is an easy win for a something blue before I do bridal shower: sparkling wine with a splash of elderflower and three fresh blueberries, or a blueberry lemonade with a sprig of mint for the guests who are not drinking. Name it on a small card on the bar and it becomes part of the celebration.
For dessert, go mini: blueberry tarts, lemon cupcakes with a pale blue piped flower, and shortbread with blue icing. A small table of those looks generous and costs less than a tiered cake.
Something blue favors
Blueberry jam in a small jar, a packet of blue cornflower seeds, blue sugared almonds, or a blue candle without a printed date. Each costs two to four dollars and is used or eaten within a week.
Skip anything printed with the phrase and the date, since a dated favor has no use after the day.
Personalized details that are worth it
If the host wants one personalized item, make it the bride's something blue for the wedding day: her new initials embroidered in blue thread inside a handkerchief, or the wedding date stitched on a ribbon for the bouquet. That is personalized in a way the bride actually carries down the aisle.
Printed cups, signs and banners with the couple's names are the personalized designs to skip. The shop version costs more than the fresh flowers, and it is thrown away the same afternoon.
What to skip
Food dyed bright blue, balloon arches, printed napkins with the phrase on them, and a blue dress code guests have to shop for. All of them cost more than the plain version and look less like the theme than a table of blue and white china does.
A something blue bridal shower is at its best when it is quiet. Blue flowers, borrowed plates and a blueberry cake are the whole of it.
A room reads as themed because three things agree, not because everything in it is blue.
One blueRepeated three times
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The something blue before I do bridal shower, answered
What it means, how to do it, and what it costs.
What is a something blue before I do bridal shower?
A shower themed on the last line of the wedding rhyme, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, done as a blue and white palette.
It is a color theme rather than a costume one, which is why it works for a mixed guest list.
What colors work for a something blue shower?
One blue with white: dusty blue for spring, cornflower for summer, navy for a crisp look.
Repeat it three times, on the flowers, the linen and the food. Four different blues argue with each other.
What flowers suit the theme?
Blue hydrangeas above everything, with delphinium or cornflowers when hydrangea is out of season.
Split them across small jars down the table rather than one large arrangement.
What food goes with a something blue shower?
Blueberry lemon cake, blueberry scones, berries with cream, and blueberry lemonade.
Avoid anything dyed bright blue, which reads as a novelty rather than a theme.
What is the best something blue gift?
The bride's actual something blue for the wedding day: a ribbon for the bouquet, a handkerchief, an embroidered initial.
It is the one theme detail that has a job after the shower.
What should the invitation say?
Something blue before I do at the top, then who, host, date, time, place and how to reply.
Add wear something blue if you have it, and keep it optional.
What games suit a something blue bridal shower?
Bingo on blue cards, a quiz on the wedding rhyme, and guess how many blue almonds are in the jar.
The simplest is advice written on blue cards, read out by the bride between gifts.
What is a good something blue shower cocktail?
Sparkling wine with elderflower and a few fresh blueberries, or blueberry lemonade with mint for guests who are not drinking.
Name it on a small card on the bar.
Is dusty blue or navy better for a bridal shower?
Dusty blue for a soft, elegant daytime shower; navy with white for a crisp evening one.
Either works as long as it is one blue repeated, not several.
Who is a something blue bridal shower for?
A bride who loves a classic, elegant look, a blue wedding palette, or the tradition of the wedding rhyme.
It also suits a couples shower, since blue works for any guest list.
When should you have a something blue bridal shower?
Any time of year, two to six weeks before the wedding, with dusty blue for spring and summer and navy or icy blue for fall and winter.
The season changes the shades, not the idea.
What should guests wear to a something blue before I do bridal shower?
Something blue they already own, as an optional dress code.
The bride can wear white with a blue accent.
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What to read next
The other themes, the invitations, the decor and the favors.
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Where this comes from
The costs are Revelwick estimates. The one-blue rule is ours.
What the figures are
Every cost on this page is a Revelwick editorial estimate for a bridal shower of about eighteen guests. It is a starting point for a budget conversation rather than a quote, and prices move, so check the current price before you book anything.
What is ours
The origin of the rhyme is a long standing wedding custom rather than our claim. Keeping the theme to one blue repeated three times, and on the table rather than the walls, is our recommendation.
We do not name shops, florists or brands.