Something Blue: A Navy and White Bridal Shower Brunch

Picture a brunch table in crisp white with navy stripes, lemon slices floating in glass dispensers, and a candy bar piled with blue sweets. That is the Something Blue bridal shower: a party built on the old rhyme “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,” carried out in a clean navy and white palette.

Here are the questions hosts ask most when they plan this kind of shower, with practical answers for each.

How do you carry the theme through the whole party?

Pick two colors and hold to them. Navy and white work well because white keeps everything fresh and navy gives definition without feeling heavy. Use the rhyme as your wording: invitations, menu cards, signs and favor labels can each nod to old, new, borrowed or blue.

If you can’t find printables that match your vision, make your own. Any design app works. Choose a simple navy and white pattern, add the rhyme in a clean font, and print everything on white cardstock so the set looks coordinated.

Decorate from top to bottom, too. A chandelier or light fixture can carry the theme when you hang about nine tissue paper poms from it in your colors. It draws the eye upward and makes the room feel finished.

What should a drink and dessert station look like?

For a brunch, combine drinks and sweets on one table. You need fewer desserts than for an afternoon party, and the shared space keeps the setup tidy.

• Base: a white tablecloth or white risers, with navy as the accent.
• Pattern: one thick stripe rather than a busy print, so the food stays the focus.
• Drinks: glass dispensers with water and lemon slices, and pink lemonade with blueberries floating in it.
• Trim: a wide navy-and-white grosgrain ribbon tied around each container.
• Dessert: a lemon pound cake, which is bright and pairs well with egg dishes and fruit.

What should you serve for a shower brunch?

Aim for a mix of savory, sweet and fresh dishes that can be made ahead or served at room temperature. This menu worked well:

• Sour cream coffee cake
• Strawberry spinach salad, a lighter counterpoint to the baked dishes
• Sunrise casserole with eggs, cheese, spinach, bacon and ham
• Mini quiches
• Fruit kabobs
• Apple strawberry turnovers
• French toast sticks

For the turnovers, strawberry jam works well in place of raspberry jam if a recipe calls for the latter. Fruit kabobs are easy to assemble, and threading the fruit onto skewers makes it more fun to eat. Prepare them the morning of the party and keep them chilled.

The sunrise casserole is an egg bake, so it suits an assemble-ahead approach. Cook the bacon and ham, layer everything, and bake it shortly before guests arrive so it comes out warm.

What can you give as favors?

A blue candy bar doubles as decor and favor. Fill glass jars with blue candies in several shades, set out scoops, and give each guest a small white Chinese takeout-style container to fill. Dress each box with a scalloped circle label in navy or white.

Choose candies that fit the palette: blue chocolates, blue jelly beans, rock candy or blue mints. Keep the containers within easy reach so guests can fill them as they browse the table.

Should the shower be seated?

A seated shower gives every guest a place setting, which suits a brunch with several dishes. It also gives you more to style.

• Runners: mix damask with bold stripes down the center of each table.
• Centerpieces: keep the flowers simple, in low arrangements guests can see over.
• Height: set some arrangements on cake plates or stands to vary the levels.
• Plates: choose square plastic plates that look like fine china but cost far less than the real thing.
• Utensils: tie a small ribbon around the end of each fork.

Little details like the ribbon on the fork are inexpensive, and guests tend to remember them.

How do you manage hosting with a group of bridesmaids?

Agree on the theme and color scheme early, then divide the jobs: one person on food, one on decor, one on printables, one on favors. If the party takes on several roles, such as baker, stylist and host, ask a guest or a fellow bridesmaid to take photos so no one misses the moments.

Set up the drink station and candy bar the evening before, and leave only the hot dishes and fresh fruit for the morning of the shower.