Bridal shower invitations typically go out four to six weeks before the party, and by then the bride's flowers are usually chosen. That gives a pattern designer an opening most occasions don't have: you can draw the wedding's actual flowers, so the shower looks like an overture to the day rather than a separate event.
The shower is also the one wedding-season event with room to play. The wedding itself has to please two families, a venue and a dress code. The shower has one guest of honor and an afternoon.
Quote the wedding
Ask the host or the bride three questions: which flowers will be in the bouquet, what are the wedding colors and what is the venue like. Then build a pattern from the answers.
- Bouquet flowers become the lead motif, such as peonies, ranunculus, garden roses and sweet peas.
- Venue details become the supporting shapes: olive branches for a vineyard, scalloped edges for a seaside hall, wrought-iron curves for a city loft.
- A tiny monogram or date hides in the repeat as a quiet surprise, not a loud label.
Matching the shower to the wedding system also makes a good capsule for a designer: one flower set, three levels of detail. See our wedding pattern design trends post for where the wider market is heading.
Five themes with patterns attached
| Theme | Pattern | Palette |
|---|---|---|
| Garden tea | Pressed florals, scalloped edges, teacups | Sage, blush, cream |
| Lemon grove | Lemons with leaves, hand-painted tile borders | Lemon, leaf green, white |
| Something blue | Delft-style and china-blue florals | Delft blue, white |
| Bubbly brunch | Champagne coupes, bubbles, strawberries | Blush, gold, white |
| Wildflower | Loose meadow flowers in casual bunches | Lilac, butter, cream |
"Something blue" draws on the old rhyme "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," and suits the blue and white china patterns category or a romantic toile. Lemon grove invites puns like "main squeeze," and a hand-drawn version keeps it from feeling like clip art.
White on white needs help
Bridal showers love ivory, and low-contrast florals can disappear in printing.
- Add a shadow. Put a soft mid-value shade beneath each petal so the shape holds.
- Push the ground. Cream or pale blush gives white blooms something to stand against.
- Use finishing. Foil, embossing or letterpress can make a tone-on-tone print visible. Ask the printer for a proof.
- Check contrast on a phone. Digital invites show on small, often dim screens, where faint prints vanish.
The white floral patterns category is a good start for the base.
Pieces of the shower
A shower is a set of small objects, each wanting its own scale.
- Invitation, 5 by 7 inches. Calm center, pattern at the border, and a matching envelope liner.
- Envelope liners and tissue. An allover repeat at 1 to 2 inches.
- Napkins and plates. A corner motif plus a small repeat.
- Favors. Jam jars, cookie boxes, tea bags, seed packets and soap, with labels sized for a 2 to 3 inch surface.
- Banner and backdrop. One large hero flower or scallop shape, far bigger than any other item.
- The bride's gift. A patterned robe, apron or tea towel set in the shower print. Keep this in the main print so she keeps it afterward.
Palettes
- Garden: sage (#A9BFA2), blush (#F2D4D0), cream (#F7F0E3).
- Lemon: lemon (#F4D35E), leaf (#5F8F4E), white.
- Blue: delft (#2F5A9E), pale blue (#CFDDF0), white.
- Champagne: blush, gold (#C9A24A), ivory (#FBF6EA).
Timing
Showers happen throughout the year, but they cluster before spring and summer weddings. A designer selling printables should keep a bridal shelf live all year and refresh it in January and February. The next post to read for a different celebration is bachelorette party pattern ideas, which is the louder cousin of this one.
Restyle in Pattern Weaver changes the finish, so the same bouquet can be a soft watercolor for the invitation and a crisp engraved-line version for the favor tags.
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