HOW TO CREATE A BREATHTAKING WINTER WONDERLAND THEME (WITHOUT BEING A STYLIST)

AUTHOR: SONJA OF ‘SONJA CALLUS STYLING’
Baby, it’s cold outside... the perfect time to create a magical wintery celebration for your best friend’s bridal shower. There are so many lovely variations to this winter wonderland theme. Soft and romantic, totally glam and glittery, or cosy and warm with loads of gorgeous textures. This article will provide you with all of the tips and inspiration to help you decide!

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STEP 1: CREATE YOUR WINTER WONDERLAND PARTY INVITATIONS

Before you start styling the bridal shower, you will need to create the invitations; which will set the scene for the styling of the whole event.

Online invitations are great, and there are loads to choose from. However, for an extra special touch, send out a printed invite. It’s so nice to receive an invitation in the mail.

If you are creative, why not make the invitations yourself? This will allow you to totally customize and personalise the invite to suit the bride-to-be. For ideas, look online for easy to use templates, or get a little crafty and put those scrapbooking skills into action.
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If DIY isn’t your thing, use store bought invitations and add embellishments such as a theme related sticker to seal the envelope. It’s also fun to include some biodegradable glitter or winter themed paper confetti inside the envelope – think snowflakes of all shapes and sizes!

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STEP 2: BE BRAVE WITH YOUR WONDERLAND PARTY COLOURS

Typically, a winter wonderland theme would be blue and white, or white and silver, but it doesn’t have to be. Be brave and let your imagination run wild! You can really use any colour scheme. Using the colour or colours from your invitation is a good place to start. And it would be a lovely touch to include the bride-to-be’s favourite colour in the overall party scheme. Don’t go overboard and make it all matchy-matchy – just keep all of the elements consistent.

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STEP 3: HAVE FUN WITH DELECTABLE DESSERTS

A dessert table is a great fun way to incorporate your winter wonderland theme into your bridal shower styling. Buy or make cute cake toppers to add to cupcakes. Buy or bake themed cookies, macarons or whatever sweet treats appeal. There are some amazing cookie decorators on social media, so have a look online for ideas.

It’s also nice to ask some of the bride-to-be’s family and friends to bake something, especially if they are known for their baking skills. Be sure to tell them of your colour palette so that they can keep to the theme.

For the setup of the actual table, be sure to use a crisp, ironed tablecloth (white always looks nice). Top this with white or plain trays and/or plates, and then add a coloured or patterned paper to line them (this will add a pop of colour to the table and tie in the theme). Add some embellishments such as ribbons to lolly jars, and make up some little name cards for each of your treats (be sure to use the same font as on the invitations).
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It looks good to add a bit of height to your dessert table, especially at the back. You could use a shoebox covered in the same paper as on your trays, and then place a tray or jars on top. Alternatively, stack a couple of cake plates to create your own high tea trays. For a touch of sparkle, dig out your metallic Christmas decorations. And don’t forget the fairy lights!

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STEP 4: KEEP EVERYONE WARM WITH A HOT COCOA BAR

You can’t have a winter wonderland bridal shower without a warming hot cocoa bar!

On a large tray, place jars of different hot chocolate powder. Add some cups or mugs and a jug of warm milk – and don’t forget the marshmallows. In little jars, have a choice of fun toppings such as chocolate drops, cinnamon, sprinkles, wafers, smarties, and of course whipped cream.

Be sure to add little labels using the same layout that you used for the dessert table. Make up a ‘Hot Cocoa Bar’ sign and let your guests help themselves.
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For those who want to spice up their hot cocoa, you might like to include some Irish whisky, or your choice of wintery spirit. And if hot cocoa isn’t your thing at all, why not make a cocktail station? This is sure to warm you up!

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STEP 5: CREATE MEMORIES WITH A DIY PHOTOBOOTH

A photobooth is a fun addition to a bridal shower. And the best part is, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to pull one off. All you need is a backdrop, a few fun props, and your camera or phone.

A backdrop can be something as simple as a nice wall or a curtain, or you can jazz it up a bit and add a frame covered in flowers, balloons or fabric. Create some fun props for the guests to hold, add some signage and snap away. Be sure to share a #hashtag for everyone to post and share their photos on social media.
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If you are crafty, create a cardboard forest by cutting out some cardboard pine trees of different sizes. Painted white or just left kraft coloured, grouped together they will look amazing. Add a string of fairy lights behind them for a little sparkle.

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STEP 6: DECORATE YOUR WINTER WONDERLAND TABLE

If you are having a sit down meal, it is lovely to dress the tables. Fresh flowers are always a winner. Add some fabric napkins, or have a look for some pretty paper ones that will suit your theme. Layer plates with a dinner plate topped off with a side plate. Add a name place-card on top, and include a flower or snowflake to top it all off.
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Add some candles to the table, and use some of your wintery themed Christmas decorations here too. Think pine cones or small wreaths, faux antlers, holly and greenery, and a string of fairy lights along the length of the table.
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Keep it simple and stylish, and stick to your colour palette.

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STEP 7: SURPRISE GUESTS WITH WINTER WONDERLAND TREATS

It’s so nice to take home a reminder at the end of the event. Why not create a take home hot cocoa kit for each guest? Include a sachet of hot cocoa, some mini marshmallows, a cinnamon stick and some sprinkles. Package it all up in a box or a mason jar; add a snowflake accent and a ‘Thank You’ tag tied on with string or twine.

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CHECK OUT THIS PINTEREST BOARD FOR MORE WINTER WONDERLAND THEME INSPIRATION:

AUTHOR BIO - SONJA CALLUS STYLING

CREATING AMAZING, ONE-OF-A-KIND EVENTS
Whether it’s a casual boho picnic in the park or a beautiful sit down lunch at your home or a venue, Sonja loves to create amazing one-of-a-kind bridal showers. Working within your budget, Sonja includes all of the little details, leaving your bride-to-be feeling totally loved up and spoilt. Call Sonja today to have a chat about your next bespoke event.

Website: www.sonjacallus.com.au

Socials: Facebook | Instagram

Available: New South Wales

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Now that you have styled your winter wonderland theme like an absolute pro, it's time to look into some games to play at the celebration! Click here for the ultimate list of ideas!