A bridal shower is an event that is centered around giving the bride gifts to prepare her for married life. A typical bridal shower itinerary includes some games, a meal, moments for socialization, speeches from the bride’s friends and family, and usually ends with the bride opening the gifts in front of the guests.
Bridal shower wishing wells are containers where the guests can place smaller gifts they brought for the bride. Depending on the theme of your bridal shower, you can personalize the appearance of the wishing well. Some examples of ideas for your wishing well include a hot air balloon, lemonade stand-inspired, and a wedding house.
10 unique ideas for your bridal shower wishing well are listed below. Additionally, instructions for creating your own wishing well are also briefly given. Lastly, some things to remember with regards to the wishing well are outlined.
Ideas for a Bridal Shower Wishing Well
1. Birdhouse-Inspired
2. Cottagecore
3. Country Barn
4. His and Hers
5. Hot Air Balloon
6. Lemonade Stand-Inspired
7. Mailbox
8. Placemat-Inspired Tabletop Wishing Well
9. Wedding House
Perfect for vintage and rustic-themed bridal showers, this wedding house card box can provide shelter to your guests’ gifts. They can insert cards containing well-wishes, advice for the groom- and bride-to-be, monetary contributions, and so on.
10. Winning Well
Making Your Own Bridal Shower Wishing Well
Although there are plenty of purchasable wishing wells online for your bridal shower, building one yourself allows for a more personalized result. All you need is creativity, patience, and some DIY materials. Items commonly used to craft a wishing well include:
- Laundry hamper
- Tote basket
- Napkin basket
- Cardboard
- Bins
- Dowel rods
- Craft paint
- Duct tape
- Hot glue
- Decor items
- Fake flowers
- Wrapping paper
- Greenery
- Chalkboard
- Ribbon
- Fabric
- Twine
Browse through various forums and websites for more ideas and tips. Likewise, you can search for blogs specifically dedicated to crafting and DIY projects. For example, The Basket Lady provides detailed instructions for two wishing well options: a large standing basket and a small tabletop wishing well basket.
Things to Remember for Your Bridal Shower Wishing Well
Themed Gifts
Generally, gifts placed in a bridal shower wishing well are small, inexpensive, and practical items that newlyweds can use in their household. Guests are free to give anything within their budget. However, to make gift-giving easier, you can employ a specific theme of gifts you would like to receive. Below are some themes you can choose from, along with gifts that fall under them:
- Kitchen-themed gifts – measuring spoons and cups, oven mitts, utensils, potholders, molds, salt and pepper shakers, placemats, recipe books
- Honeymoon-themed gifts – travel kits, sunscreen, flip flops, portable board and card games, naughty gag gifts, lingerie
- Bride-centered gifts – makeup, accessories, perfume, skincare, and hair care products
- Crafty-themed gifts – glue sticks, art supplies, brushes, paints
- Garden-themed gifts – packets of seeds, small gardening tools, gardening books
Sentimental Gifts
Aside from the gifts listed above, you can also have your guests bring something meaningful that is not necessarily material. Below are some examples of heartwarming and valuable gifts:
- Bridal shower poem, either an original piece or written by someone else
- Family recipe
- Marriage advice
- Date ideas
- Well-wishes
- Prayers for the bride or the couple
Write a Note About Your Wishing Well
Before the event, it is best to inform your guests that there will be a wishing well in your bridal shower. Letting them know in advance can give them time to decide if they will bring a gift for the wishing well and then prepare the said gift. You can include a short note regarding the wishing well in the invitation to the bridal shower.
On the day of the shower, you can also place a note on the actual wishing well. Not only will this indicate the location of the wishing well, but this will also be a reminder to your guests that giving a gift is appreciated but not obligatory. The note can be a simple message, a humorous two-liner, or a poem. An example is given below:
“In our home, we have our things,
That being together usually brings,
Household items we’ve already got,
Towels and linen; we’ve got the lot!
The kitchen sink, cups, and dishes,
What we’d like are your wishes.
So, if you can, it’s our hope,
You can fill a little envelope,
To make our home its very best,
thanks to you, our loving guests.”
Not Everyone Will Be in Favor of a Wishing Well
Bridal shower wishing wells are particularly prevalent in New York City and New Jersey. In other regions of the country, guests might not be as open to the idea of a wishing well. They may find it tacky and improper or see it as a cash grab.
However, if you really want to include a wishing well in your bridal shower or another pre-wedding event such as a wedding shower, you are more than free to do so. After all, it is your bridal shower, and in the first place, bridal showers are gift-giving events. Moreover, guests are not obligated to drop something in the wishing well.
Final Thoughts
A wishing well for bridal shower offers a distinctive way to collect gifts from attendees. Though they might be smaller in size compared to traditional bridal shower gifts, they hold equal sentimental value. The challenge lies in selecting the bridal shower wishing well idea that best captures the essence of the bride-to-be.
