Bridal Shower: The Ultimate At Home Shower

As more and more brides demand over-the-top bridal showers, the once-classic at-home shower has been labeled "blah." But celebrating your wedding at home is far from boring -- you just have to know how to do it right! That's where we come in, with the perfect plan for an amazing, low-key bridal shower.

The Comfort of Home

Hosting a bridal shower in your home is also a great way to save money for the rest of the event. Here are just a few ways to spend:

• Buy higher quality food and beverages in bulk, and avoid the usual markups at a restaurant or fancy venue. Your party will be far more upscale!
• Splurge on extraordinary bridal shower activities!

Check out more Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party ideas from our Experts!

Bring the Entertainment to You

Ditch your notions of old-fashioned shower games aside: These activities are hip, fun and interesting. From hiring a chef to bringing in a sommelier, guests will be excited to join in the fun and learn something new.

Get Cooking:

Hire a chef to teach a group cooking lesson to all the shower attendees. They can provide you with a list of ingredients beforehand to make shopping easy. While the shower guests prepare a gourmet meal, they'll learn something new and have plenty of time to chat. Finding a chef is a cinch:

• Many personal chefs are available to hire for group lessons. Check out Hire a Chef for a local list of cooking professionals for hire.
• Contact your local gourmet stores that offer cooking lessons and let them know what you're looking for. Many of the instructors would be happy to take on side work for extra money.
• If all else fails, simply Google "personal chef, cooking lessons" along with your city, and choose from the list of websites you find.

Don't stop the party after dinner! Treat guests to an extra special surprise: Salsa dancing lessons. They'll love learning new moves and sharing good laughs. Olé!

Wine Lovers' Dream:

If the bride and her bridesmaids have a passion for wine (or just want to learn more), hire a certified sommelier for the evening:

• Locate a professional by calling local wine bars and asking for recommendations.
• Or, contact a sommelier from a favorite restaurant whose advice you trust.
• If your first choice isn't available, they likely know someone who might be right for the job.

Do Both!:

• Hire the sommelier in conjunction with a chef for an evening filled with fun foodie activities.
• Schedule the chef to arrive first, and coordinate the sommelier's arrival with the end of the cooking lesson.
• Once the food is in the oven, the sommelier can capture guests' attention with an overview of food and wine pairings, cheese and wine pairings as appetizers, or a simple lesson on types of wine.

Everyone will have just enough time to enjoy a glass before it's time to devour the meal they've created. Perfection!