Wedding Dress: Before the shower, purchase several rolls of white toilet paper. At the party, divide the guests into two or more groups of 3-5 people. Each group must choose a model for their wedding dress (mothers of the bride and/or groom work wonderfully). The goal is for each group to design and fashion a "wedding dress" out of toilet paper. Accessories are allowed (earrings, bouquets, trains, headpieces, wedding ring, etc.), but they must all be fashioned out of toilet paper. Once the groups are finished, the bride must pick the winner of the contest. This is my favorite bridal shower activity. And brides love this contest for the wonderful photo-memories it provides The Wedding is over. Tell the guests and bride to pretend the wedding is over and it is the wedding night. The motel/cruise boat/etc. that the couple is staying in loses all electricity and the bride must prepare for her wedding night in complete darkness. Next blindfold the bride and hand her a suitcase. He must put on everything in the suitcase. Put items in it such as sunglasses, men's underwear, big bra, work gloves, or anything else that may bring a laugh. (She puts all this on then snap a picture for memories.. ngredients Stationary Pens Box or Basket To Play Give each guest a piece of stationary and have them each write down what they feel is a recipe for a good/happy marriage. When everyone is done, fold the "recipes" in half and place them in a box. Have somebody pull them out one by one and read them out loud. As they are being read, have everyone try to guess who wrote each recipe. There really is no "winner" except for the bride-to-be that is if she takes and follows the combined advice.

You said "punch" not "cocktail"? Right? LOL! My favorite "fruit-ey" drink if Southern comfort and cranberry juice with lime. You can make it more like a cocktail or more like a punch by varying the ration of Southern Comfort to juice....If I am making a punch bowl of thes tuff for a woman's group I use 5 to one ratio...5 oz cranberry juice to 1 oz Southern comfort....and I add the juice of a lime to every Qt or so of cranberry juice and float some lime slices in the bowl....If I remember fountains, there is a pool that would look pretty with lime slices floating....and because they are floating they don't go into the pump. You can make up a punch with things like bottled Kiwi juice and frozen lemonade ( put through a strainer to remove any pulp and the booze of your choice...vodka or rum. Or a wine punch....I bottle of Reisling to 2 qts of strawberry Kiwi juice....or white grape if you really want it sweet....and float sliced strawberries in it. Linda C

Ginger Pineapple Punch 2 c orange juice 2 c unsweetened pineapple juice 2 T fresh grated ginger 1 liter ginger ale, chilled Ice cubes 1 orange, thinly sliced, optional In large pitcher stir together the orange juice, pineapple juice and ginger, cover and chill for 2-24 hours. Strain the juice mixture, discard the grated ginger. Slowly pour the cilled ginger ale into the pitche with the juice mixture. Serve punch over ice in chilled glasses, garnish with orange slices, if desired. Makes 12 6oz. servings I love this one because it is clear and sparkling. Very pretty with the ice brittle, too! Glacier Punch Source BH&G Holiday Appetizers 1999 2 c citrus vodka (may sub raspberry or cherry flavored) 2/3 c orange liqueur 2 T kirsch 1/2 c peach schnapps\-(my addition) 4 c ice cubes 1 750\-ml bottle champagne, chilled 2 c carbonated water, chilled Sugar (optional) Ice Brittle Combine vodka, orange liqueur, kirsch, schnapps and ice cubes in punch bowl. Carefully add champagne and carbonated water. If desired, sweeten with a little sugar. Top with chunks of Ice Brittle. Ice Brittle: Pour 1 c water into a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. Sprinkle surface evenly with edible flowers such as marigold, calendula, viola, pansy or dianthus. Sprinkle surface evenly with 1 c fresh raspberries or other fresh fruit. Freeze 3 hours or overnight. Unmold and break into chunks. ~~I used fresh rapsberries and mint leaves in place of flowers~~ Linda

Agree with mary c that a spa day sounds more like a bachelorette party than a shower. Do you know the bride's mother? Can you contact her? She might be a good source of information as to what type of shower is typical in her family, or in her area. And she can help you put together the guest list. One thing you should do first is figure out how much money you can spend. Are the other bridesmaids going to be helping out? Ask them how much money they are willing to contribute. Now you know what your budget is. The bride and her mother may want certain things at the bridal shower, but if you can't afford them, you do not have to have them. Showers vary so much around the US. In some areas, they are small and held in someone's home and cake and punch are served. Elsewhere, they are large, like 80 or 90 people, and held at a restaurant or hall. Start with a firm budget. Get ideas from the other bridesmaids. Make your plans to fit your budget. Another thing to consider--is this going to be her only shower, or will anyone else be giving her one? Some brides end up with a work shower, a friend shower and a family shower. If there are multiple showers, only the MOB and MOG and the bridesmaids should get multiple invites (and the bridesmaids only have to give a present at one shower). When you are looking at your budget, also consider the other wedding costs you are going to have: dress, shoes, accessories, hair/makeup if the bride wants those, dress for the rehearsal dinner, travel, hotel, wedding present, bachelorette party. It all adds up, so don't spend all your money on just one part of the whole shebang.