Of the many celebrations surrounding a contemporary wedding, the wedding shower is especially personal—and especially meaningful. As its name implies, it’s the occasion when friends and family gather to “shower” the bride—or couple—with love, laughter, tokens of affection, and heartfelt wishes for the future. It intensifies the excitement about the big day to come. And because it’s more intimate and less formal than other wedding-related events, the shower uniquely carries the signature of the friend who hosts it. Bringing together all the elements that make for a successful wedding shower—one that’s memorable for everyone involved—is no small task, however. Selecting the right theme (elegant tea, homey brunch, swanky cocktail fête?) and then deciding on the guest list, designing the invitations, creating the menu, and picking out the decorations all require imagination and careful planning.

In Simple Stunning Wedding Showers, author Karen Bussen draws on her long experience as a wedding and party planner to guide the shower-giver through each step, from budgeting and etiquette, to choosing refreshments that enhance the ambience, to devising activities that break the ice and heighten the fun. Throughout, William Geddes’s remarkable photographs bring Bussen’s simple stunning ideas to vivid life.