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VOA News - Dalai Lama Says His Best Birthday Present Would be for People to Practice Compassion Text Only Search )" name="submit" V OICE OF A MERICA VOA Home Tibetan Home Regions/Topics Subscribe to E-mail Select Language About VOA Internet Audio Regional News Tibet News Asia Europe Middle East Africa U.S.A. Americas Radio Programs Newscasters Frequencies RFA Tibetan Contact VOA Dalai Lama Says His Best Birthday Present Would be for People to Practice Compassion Exclusive Interview with VOA Tibetan Service 08-07-2005 Exclusive Interview with VOA Listen to Exclusive Interview with VOA Watch the Exclusive Interview with VOA Tibetan Service As thousands of people are getting ready to celebrate your 70 th birthday in many different ways, do you have any idea about what you would like for your birthday presents? Because of their unwavering faith and trust in me, people are gathering at different places to celebrate my birthday, and for that I feel thanks and appreciation. I am just a simple Buddhist monk, and so I really don’t take that much interest in celebrating birthdays. Whenever I begin a new day, I always pray that the day will be a meaningful and beneficial one—that is, in helping and serving others. I feel that this thought is more important than celebrating a birthday. However, since people are celebrating my birthday with joy and happiness and with faith in me, I would like to offer them a few words. I am now seventy years old. During this lifetime, since I was fifteen or sixteen years old, I have taken on the responsibility of Tibet’s temporal and spiritual affairs. It was a responsibility that was too difficult to shoulder, but because of my karmic relations with Tibet, I took the responsibility and have served the country to the best of my ability. In the past 46 years, I have had to live as a refugee—most of my life has been spent as a refugee. During this time, the most difficult and saddest thing has been hearing endless stories about the sufferings of our Tibetan people inside Tibet: so and so died, a father died, relatives died, imprisonment, death by hunger and so on—endless stories of suffering and torture. Despite these difficulties, there are two reasons for not losing hope or being discouraged: First is that the people of Tibet have an unwavering faith and trust in me, and secondly, the teachings of the Lord Buddha help me to maintain my mental balance. I never become hopeless or desperate. I always have this thought: whatever I do, I do it for the benefit of others. As Shantideva says in the Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life: “And now as long as space endures, As long as there are beings to be found, May I continue likewise to remain, In order to drive away the sorrows of the world.” So when I think these thoughts, they give me courage and determination to face these problems. Because of these, I am not a desperate person, but a happy one. I now share my thoughts with my friends—both male and female. Every human being desires happiness and desires not to suffer. From my experience, I can say that to have a meaningful and happy life, inner development is more important than life’s external factors. The way one thinks is more important than the accumulation of wealth and external environment. It really makes a big difference. You have to bear this in mind. To have a compassionate and altruistic mind is the basis for happiness in this life and also the beginning of happiness for your next life. So the best present my friends could give me for my birthday is to be good, compassionate and altruistic people. So if people are celebrating my birthday with joy and happiness, I would like to say thank you. E-mail this article Print Version Top Story Dalai Lama Says He Expresses his Desire to Go on a Pilgrimage to China More from VOA Chinese Border Police Arrest Tibetan Refugees Time is Running Out for Tibetans to Solve the Tibet-China Problems: Tibetans Should be Proud of their Rich Culture: Dalai Lama Tibetan Chief Minister Says It will take two or three Years to begin Resettling Tibetans from Nepal in the US Rights Group Calls For Release of Tibetan Monk Dalai lama Meets with Press in Tucson Dalai Lama Blesses a Prayer Wheel Dalai Lama Meets with Tibetans Dalai Lama Meets with Children of Idaho Dalai Lama Says His Best Birthday Present Would be for People to Practice Compassion FAQs | Terms of Use & Privacy Notice | Broadcasting Board of Governors | Site Map | Archive | Link To Us | Contact Us

Birthday Presents || Special

GDR Souvenirs - Birthday and Anniversary Presents Preface || Introduction || Official Gifts || Gifts to the Party Birthday Presents || Special Items || Site Map Information || Guestbook || Picture galerie Birthday and Anniversary Presents by Andreas Michaelis One might be forgiven for thinking that birthdays, even those that come in round figures, are essentially private or indeed contemplative occasions. Not so, if the birthday boy happens to be the head of a state or Party or is in some other way in the public eye. In that case, a birthday becomes a public event. The guests can no longer be hand-picked, nor the tidal wave of presents averted. Gifts made to GDR leaders, if they were of the right kind, tended to end up in the museum. They included both highly individual pieces and items off the mass production conveyor belts. These souvenirs sometimes commemorated significant social occasions, sometimes insignificant; some were presented by governments, some by ordinary working people; and, while some might be suited to the personality and office of a president, others were given in friendship or comradeship. Along with presents to mark birthdays or other occasions in the lives of the state and Party leaders, there are certain items that were presented by home or foreign givers on particular GDR anniversaries. Most of these, and the oldest too, were left by Wilhelm Pieck at his death. One remarkable for its origins was given to him in Moscow in December 1943: a desktop calendar handcrafted out of wood for the Communist leader by German prisoners of war in the Soviet Union. The red crayon inscription reads: Unity and peace to the German people - Wilhelm Pieck - From antifascist prisoners of war in USSR p.o.w. camp 158. Three presents given to Wilhelm Pieck in Soviet exile in 1936, on his sixtieth birthday, have survived. They were made by Soviet industries, using material from the current production line, and represent a kind of gift that seems to have appeared for the first time in the USSR in the 20s. These presents signalled a deliberate rejection of feudal or bourgeois traditions and a liberation from the material and artistic values of an old societal system then supposed defunct, and their meaning to the recipient lay purely in their symbolic function. Doubtless it would be going too far to suggest that there was an individual artistic style of expression peculiar to socialism as practised in the Communist bloc countries - but it remains true that this kind of characteristic symbolic gift was in evidence in almost every east European country till the late 1980s. The workers at the factory or plant in question would normally be identified as the givers of presents of this sort. Thus Wilhelm Pieck was given a ball-bearing mount by the workforce at the 1st State Ball-Bearing Works, a clock (inevitably) by the workforce at the 2nd State Clock Factory in Moscow and a smoker's set made of cogwheels by the Sergo Orjonikidse Machine Tools Works. In 1954 the workers at Zeulenroda furniture factory took Pieck by surprise when they remembered an anniversary he had probably forgotten himself: in 1894, the President, then an apprentice carpenter, had joined the German Woodworkers' Association, and his fellows in the craft were keen to mark his diamond jubilee as an active member of the trade union movement. On the side of the chest they made to celebrate the occasion is an image of Stalinallee (Stalin Avenue) in East Berlin, which East Germany touted as the premier socialist street in the capital of the GDR. Naturally the Communist bloc had another tradition, first practised in the Soviet Union: the naming of cities, factories, co-operatives, streets and public amenities after prominent Communist personalities, often when they were still alive. A danger was concealed in this kind of honour, however. If a personality fell out of favour, or was downgraded by his successors, the names all had to be changed. Thus cities, works and streets named after Stalin were renamed almost immediately after the 20th congress of the Soviet Communist Party in 1956, and Stalin memorials were toppled. Stalin was dropped from the leadership hall of fame. The boulevard once known as Stalin Avenue became Karl Marx Avenue, which it remains to this day (though the names of other leading Communists have been largely removed following the velvet revolution in eastern Europe). In 1946, for his seventieth birthday, Wilhelm Pieck, then leader of the German Communist Party in the Soviet zone of occupation, was given a number of china figurines and a metal sombrero by the Party's cell in Mexican exile. Rather more useful, no doubt, was a cigarette case embellished with portraits of Lenin and Stalin which he received from Soviet comrades for his seventy-fifth birthday. One motif that recurs insistently in the presents given to him on that birthday and his eightieth is the first of the GDR's five-year plans. It was launched in 1951 and declared over in 1955, ahead of schedule, the targets more than met. Even at that date, the propaganda that accompanied the beginnings of an East German planned economy could be grotesque, and the items that recollect this phase will doubtless tickle many now. It would only be fair, however, to bear in mind that in the first decade of the GDR's history the struggle to fulfil plans was accompanied by a genuine sense of a fresh start, a new and energetic departure - and in this respect it was finally a more honest thing than the ossified, dogmatic planned economy of the 70s and 80s,with its clichés and hot air. Slogans such as Peace - Reconstruction - Prosperity, or the five-year plan emblem together with its motto The key to our success, are eloquent not only of the political vocabulary favoured during the 50s but also of the hopes and longings of the East German people. Among the many activities mounted by the Freie Deutsche Jugend (Free German Youth) was the Wilhelm-Pieck-Campaign , intended to prompt greater effort by the country's young people and the working population in general, to mark the President's eightieth birthday. On this occasion, the apprentices at the Bitterfeld electrochemicals combine gave Pieck a stylish folder containing documents and statements concerning their FDJ group. At their deaths, Pieck and Grotewohl left several hundred folders of this kind, with enough material for a hefty tome, or a feature-length satirical programme. Elsewhere, workers in factories set a good example in cost-cutting. If honorific gifts were produced in series, a given item could be made at a fraction of the cost of an individually-crafted piece. The figure of a muscular miner in a combative attitude, an optimistic expression firmly on his face, was far and away the most frequently given present for Pieck's eightieth birthday. He received numerous gifts from comrades in the Federal Republic too. Most of them were little items with some local connection, such as a figure of Roland from Bremen , or one of Hamburg's typical Hummel figures . The GDR leadership's duties routinely included visits to factories. These visits served primarily to demonstrate the closeness of the state and Party leadership to the working classes. In 1953, Prime Minister Otto Grotewohl visited the Ernst Thälmann Polygraphics Works at Saalfeld. He may have been critical of the work being done by the graphic artists and designers there; at all events, for his sixtieth birthday the following year he was presented with an entire collection of draft designs for new product labels. In the 50s, in addition to the obligatory gift, a leader might be honoured by having a work team (at least) named after him. Long before he officially took over the reins of the state and Party, Walter Ulbricht was so popular that labour collectives bore his name as early as 1953. For his sixtieth birthday, one of his work teams presented him with a desktop set praising his endeavours on behalf of peace, unity, democracy and socialism. Ten years later, as chair of the GDR's Council of State, he received for the first time one of the traditional presents from the Soviet armed forces in Germany - generally bombastic and symbolically top-heavy affairs. That first gift was a model of a Soviet cosmonaut memorial. A present from the Soviet armed forces to Otto Grotewohl has survived too, a figure reaching for the stars and thus symbolizing humanity's unceasing striving after higher things - an allegory that recurs frequently in Communist and socialist iconography. The Honecker era, too, in due course provided the Deutsches Historisches Museum with a number of anniversary presents. The desk set given to Erich Honecker, on his sixtieth birthday, by Lieutenant Colonel Kurkotkin, commander in chief of the Soviet armed forces in Germany, and bearing a personal dedication, particularly intrigues all who see it. The martial character of the set was no doubt intended to convey that the SED First Secretary could count on the massed firepower of the Soviet Union behind him, and thus settle in to a quiet period in power. The composition - typical in approach, given its origin - does in fact include a number of useful items, regardless of its military character and offputting design: a radio, a thermometer in the TV mast, a calendar, and four ball-points disguised as missiles. Ten years later a Soviet-German joint-stock company, SDAG Wismut - which was the last company in East Germany to remain under partial Soviet administration and control (till 1990), because of the uranium it was mining - presented a conversation piece inspired by mining. The bismuth workers, honouring an established tradition, selected a particularly fine mineral sample. The musical box they built into the sample seems never to have been used. On the same occasion, Honecker was presented with a pick by the Senftenberg Brown Coal Combine. It was not to be the last he received in his lengthy career as head of state and Party. It was not only the leaders of state and Party that were given these heavily symbolic presents; the tradition was observed at every level of the state and Party hierarchy. Stasi boss Erich Mielke kept a trophy room, as it were, at his headquarters in Normannenstrasse. Numerous honorifics are now on display there, gifts to Mielke or the ministry on a variety of occasions. Some were passed on to the Stasi ministry's information centre, whence they were made over to the Museum für Deutsche Geschichte in 1990. There are the usual plaques and tapestries, but one of the Stasi ministers birthday presents was a rather unusual model of an electric oven. In the GDR, 7 October was a national holiday, an annual celebration of the establishment of the first German workers' and peasants' state, and the date was marked with a grand parade, a government ceremony, and countless local festivities around the country. And every five years, on jubilee occasions, the state and Party leadership celebrated in lavish style. Leaders from friendly countries, and representatives from around the world, would pay their respects to the GDR. Again, it is the presents made by the Soviet armed forces that are especially striking. The model of the Soviet memorial in Treptow Park, which symbolizes the liberation of Germany from fascism and stresses the role played by the Red Army, was a gift to mark the GDR's silverjubilee in 1974. The outsized helm presented to Honecker on the 35th anniversary by the Schwerin SED regional leaders alluded to the well-worn image of Erich Honecker as the great helmsman of state. The accompanying letter is a gem, sparkling with all the routine phrases that had become de rigueur among the Party leadership echelons. The regional first secretary thanks our dear comrade Erich Honecker for his outstanding personal contribution to the conception and realisation of policies designed to assure the happiness of the people and the safeguarding of peace, and asserts that the people of our region are paying tribute to these fine socialist politics by making greater endeavours than ever before, in every field of society. By the time of the 40th anniversary celebrations, however, a gloomy knowledge of imminent upheaval darkened the leaders' festivities - though surely none of them could suspect at the time that it was to be the GDR's very last birthday.

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Google Directory - Shopping > Weddings > Gift Registry Directory Help Search only in Gift Registry Search the Web Gift Registry Shopping > Weddings > Gift Registry Go to Directory Home Related Category: Shopping > Gifts > Gift Registry (26) Web Pages Viewing in Google PageRank order View in alphabetical order Crate & Barrel - http://www.crateandbarrel.com/ Official online registry for Crate & Barrel, specializing in dinnerware, home accessories, and furniture. TheBigDay.com - http://www.thebigday.com An online wedding registry, where the gifts are portions of the honeymoon expenses. Fortunoff.com Bridal & Gift Registry - http://www.fortunoff.com/br_home.asp Fortunoff, online store and bridal registry. Felicite.com Wedding Registry - http://www.felicite.com Register any gift from any store for weddings, birthdays, or anniversaries. Rainbow Wedding Network - http://www.rainbowweddingnetwork.com National service directory of gay-friendly wedding resources and registries. The Honeymoon - http://www.thehoneymoon.com Plan and register for your honeymoon online. Belk - http://www.belk.com/ Bridal registry presents a range of products including china and flatware. Target ClubWedd - http://target.com/target_group/gift_registry/club_wed/club_wed.jhtml Wedding gift registry at the Target chain of discount department stores. Preregister online, then use barcode scanner at local store. Your Wedding Registry - http://www.yourweddingregistry.com/ Allows couples to register for gifts and services from any store in any location. 2 of Hearts Honeymoons - http://www.2ofheartshoneymoons.com Online honeymoon registry service. A Dining Room - http://www.adiningroom.com Online gift registry for fine china dinnerware, pottery tableware, linens, porcelain, crystal stemware, silverware and cutlery. Marriage Gift List - http://www.marriagegiftlist.com/ Gift list service, to create and manage a list using a number of UK-based stores. Silver Queen Wedding Registry - http://www.silverqueen.com/Union/ Online registry specializing in silverware and dinnerware. Bridal Travel Registry - http://www.bridaltravelregistry.com Friends and relatives can send honeymoon travel gift certificates as an exquisite wedding present. Casa de Oro Travel - http://www.casadeorotravel.com/wedding/wedding.asp Honeymoon registry service. Best Gift Registry - http://www.bestgiftregistry.com/ Provides bridal registry information, including store registration and gift ideas. The Wish Directory - http://www.thewishdirectory.co.uk Create your wedding wish list for contemporary home collections. Chadds of Hereford - http://www.chadds.co.uk/ Online wedding registry. Site also has overview of store. Small Island Trader - http://www.smallislandtrader.com/weddings Wedding Registry specializing in crystal and cookware. TheKnot.com Bridal Registry - http://www.theknot.com/kr_main.html Choose from thousands gifts, including china patterns, flatware, and crystal at this online wedding resource. Pier 1 Imports Bridal Registry - http://www.pier1.com/Registry/search.asp? View and revise your Pier 1 registry online. Secret Ingredients - http://www.secretingredients.net/ Find kitchen accessories, home decor, bridal registry and gifts; located in Rogers, AR. Martha Stewart Wedding & Gift Registry - http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=shop-cat&id=cat76 Wedding gifts and online registry. Shower, wedding and anniversary gifts encompass their merchandise selection. Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web. Submit a Site - Open Directory Project - Become an Editor Modified by Google - ©2004 Google Advertise with Us - Jobs, Press, Cool Stuff...

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Bridal Shower Ideas and Themes from Top Wedding Sites Discount Bridal Shower Favors and Ideas Print Your Own Bridal Shower Invitations Bridal Shower Games BRIDAL SHOWER GAMES Priceless bridal shower advice from planning and hosting to tons of games and all your printable Game Cards - Bridal Bingo included. Easy to Download use. BridalShower GamesAtoZ.com The Perfect Bridal Shower Planning Book Click here to get tips and advice to plan the best ever wedding shower! E-Book is packed full of ideas, directions, etiquette guidelines and advice, so that you can plan the perfect shower for the bride-to-be and all your guests. Makes a great bridal shower gift or wishing well gift! Chicken Soup for the BRIDE'S Soul Romantic, humorous, touching, and true, Chicken Soup for the Brides Soul will help bride's look ahead to their wedding day with joy instead of stress. Buy This Book Wedding Gown Preservation Kit BRIDAL SHOWER GIFT! Only $99.99 More info Real Postage Stamps! Wedding Coupons Click here for money saving coupons and offers from our top ranking wedding professionals! SAVE NOW Save Money! Wedding Store Clearance Items...all ON SALE NOW!!! CLICK HERE to Save! The Chick Game - Girls' Night Out in a Box! ON SALE NOW $3.95! Disposable wedding cameras make a unique bridal shower gift or bridal shower favors! Useful Bridal Shower Favors Votive Verse Bridal Shower Favor The lighting of candles has always signified respect and memory. Let your girls remember the great time they had at your bridal shower for a long time with this great reusable votive. You choose the verse that's best. More great wedding shower favors here! Wedding Hair Bridal Shower Lottery Game Lose Weight Now! Great Wishing Well Gift! Thank-You Cards Need to make a speech at the wedding? Click here for wedding speech help. Bridal Shower Party Games Bride Trivia Game NEW! Bridal Bingo Wedding Favors & Bridal Shower Favors Wedding Dresses Wedding Favors Wedding Music Wedding Invitations Wedding Etiquette Wedding Websites Wedding Cakes Wedding Photography Wedding Planner Wedding Speeches and Wedding Toasts Bridal Showers Wedding Videos Wedding Rings Bridal Hairstyles B ridal Shower Ideas: Best bridal shower ideas. Wedding shower games Bridal shower themes Bridal shower favors and invitations Courtesy of: Recipe Legacy Provider of the unique bridal shower gift: Recipe & Photo Album CD Kits Plan the Perfect Bridal Shower E-book History The concept of a bridal shower is to ensure that the bride-to-be is well prepared for her married life. In fact, according to www.world-wedding-traditions.net, "The idea of the customary bridal shower originated in Holland. If a Dutch bride was unfortunate enough to have her father disapprove of her choice in husbands, he would not offer a dowry. Her friends would then "shower" her with gifts so she could still be married to her groom, without the help of her father." Purpose However, in modern times the purpose of a shower is twofold. Ostensibly the shower is held to provide the bride-to-be with gifts to help her set up her new home. However, the bridal shower also provides an opportunity for the women who surround her to provide a sense of support, as she enters into this new phase of her life. For this reason, it is preferred that the shower be small enough so that the bride gets to talk individually to all the participants. As the bride-to-be moves forward with her wedding plans it will become clear that she will need several helpers to be sure that all the wedding day events run smoothly. By the time the shower takes place, she should have a good idea of what these duties are and to whom she has assigned each one. The shower is, therefore, an ideal time to discuss these responsibilities with her friends and family. Recipe Legacy's Adaptable Wedding Planner includes an assignment sheet with 69 such duties - from keeping charge of the guest book to setting out the place cards. Hosting & Guest List The Maid-of-Honor traditionally hosts a bridal shower. Sometimes, the Maid-of-Honor is a sister or other family member. It used to be considered improper for a family member to host a shower, because it would seem as though the family was requesting gifts. However, in today's society, showers are accepted as being an integral part of the wedding celebration, and family members often host bridal showers. Sometimes, two or three showers are scheduled, perhaps one given by the immediate family, another hosted by the Maid of Honor for the bride-to-be's friends, and sometimes one given to the bride-to-be by her business associates. The bridal shower hostess or hostesses should invite female family members of both the bride and the groom: mothers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, etc. She should also invite close female friends of the bride and the bride's family. She may also want to invite some of the bride-to-be's co-workers. She should be sure to consult with the bride when compiling the guest list. Not everyone invited to the wedding needs to be invited to the shower. However, those invited to the bridal shower are normally invited to the wedding. Inviting someone to the shower and then not inviting them to the wedding is sure to cause hurt feelings. Surprise or Not to Surprise??? Sometimes a surprise shower is planned for the bride-to-be. This is unwise, since the bride-to-be should be consulted on who attends the event and what type of gifts are needed. It is also possible that more than one shower is planned. Perhaps the bride's family and friends are planning one event and the bride's business associates are planning another. Only the bride will be able to coordinate the dates of both events. We advise against making this event a surprise unless you are sure of the following: The bride-to-be will not be disappointed that she has not been informed beforehand. You are confident that your guest list includes everyone the bride-to-be would have invited, if consulted. The bride-to-be has registered for gifts. The bride will not schedule another event on the planned date. If there are to be several showers, and some guests are to be invited to more than one shower, the bride-to-be should be careful not to burden anyone with the need to purchase more than one gift. Guests receiving two bridal shower invitations are faced with the moral dilemma of whether they should give two gifts. The answer is no. An understanding bride-to-be will make it known to the guest that she will also announce during the gift opening activity at the second shower that she has already received a beautiful shower gift (describe the gift) from that guest. If the guest has not been given this hint ahead of time, a solution would be for the guest to give a small gift for the second shower. It is a good idea to connect the second gift with the first gift. Examples: 1. You gave a cake plate and server at the first shower. For the second shower, gather some spatulas and other utensils at the local 99Cent store, wrap them prettily and include a note in the package saying "The cake plate was for the end product - here are the utensils you will need to bake the cake!" 2. If the bride is registered for dinnerware, you can split up the gift. Give the sugar dish at one shower with a note saying "more to come", then give the creamer at the second shower. 3. Give a set of towels for the first gift. Wrap a pretty package of guest towels for the second shower with a note saying "My first gift was for you, this gift is for the many guests who will be welcomed into your new home." Scheduling It is best to schedule a bridal shower about two months before the wedding, when the excitement is mounting in anticipation of the wedding day. A bridal shower should not be scheduled less than a month before the wedding date because the bride-to-be is typically consumed with last minute details as her wedding date approaches. Be sure to check with the bride-to-be to make sure that the scheduled date fits in with her plans. Bridal Shower Invitations Mail three to four weeks before the event and include the following information: Name of the bride-to-be. Date of the Shower. Time of the Shower, e.g. 2 PM - 5 PM. (It is best to put both the beginning and end times on the invitation so that the guests can plan their day.) Address where the shower is being held. Name and phone number of the hostess/hostesses. A deadline date for the RSVP. (This is usually about two weeks prior to the shower date.) Bridal Shower theme. (If applicable). Home decorating colors. (If applicable). It is helpful to enclose a map of the shower location. Personalized Save the Date Magnets can be tucked inside the invitation. Discount Bridal Shower Invitations Print your own bridal shower invitations Schedule for a Bridal Shower at the Home of the Hostess 1. Hostess greets guests and offers drinks and appetizers. Some introductions are made. 2. When all the guests have arrived, the hostess has each guest introduce herself and explain her relationship to the bride-to-be. 3. Icebreakers: These can be shower games or other activities that help your guests interact. 4. Food is served. This can be appetizers, a buffet or a sit-down lunch, tea or dinner. 5. Toast to the bride-to-be. 6. The bride-to-be opens her gifts and then the gifts are passed around for the guests to admire. 7. The bride thanks the hostess for giving the shower and thanks the guests for celebrating with her. 8. Time for individual conversations. 9. Shower favors are given to guests. (If they have not been provided at a place setting.) 10. Hostess thanks the guests for coming - individually, if possible. Home Bridal Shower Menu Suggestions Appetizers - vegetables and dip, fruit tray, potato chips, nuts, etc. The meal - salad and a casserole works well. Select a menu that can be prepared ahead of time, because you don't want to be busy in the kitchen when you could be mingling with your guests. For vegetarians - If some of your guests are vegetarians, include a meatless dish such as a bean casserole, etc. If you plan to serve a chicken or shrimp salad, put aside some of the salad in a separate bowl before adding the chicken or shrimp. Drinks - coffee, tea, soft drinks and/or punch. Mimosa (orange juice with champagne) is good for a brunch. This can be used to toast the bride. If you don't want to serve liquor, there are many good non-alcoholic champagne choices available now. Dessert - specially decorated cake, pie. Sunday Brunch Shower: Bagels, fresh seasonal fruit, mini danish, scones, breakfast quiche, fresh squeezed OJ, bloody mary's, mimosas. Atmosphere Builders for a Shower at Home Have some music playing in the background to set the mood. See that the music is low so that it will not drown out the conversation. Choosing a CD of wedding music will set the tone and provide a talking point. A CD of wedding music is also a good gift for the bride, if she has not yet finalized the music to be played at her wedding. Decorating with banners and balloons can quickly give a room a festive air. Flower centerpieces always add charm to the food table. Consider purchasing the new " edible arrangements " that are fruit based cut out to resemble flowers...really cool and useful too! Use white napkins pushed through heart-shaped cookie cutters as a napkin ring. Make a "faux wedding cake" or a bridal shower towel cake for a centerpiece. This "wedding cake" is composed of 4 bath towels, 4 hand towels, and 4 washcloths. These should be new and will be given to the bride after the shower. Start by folding the bath towels in fourths lengthwise. Connect the folded towels end to end with large safety pins. Start at one end and roll the towels up. When you reach the end, secure the end with pins. Follow the same procedure for the hand towels and then again for the washcloths. Stack the three rolls with the bath towels on the bottom, the hand towels in the middle, and the washcloths on top. Secure the layers together with pins. Use creativity to decorate. Ideas include silk flowers, strands of beads, pearls and/or jewels which can be purchased at local craft stores. Schedule for a Bridal Shower at a Restaurant Hostess places shower favors and place cards at each place setting. Guests arrive and are introduced to each other. Guests are seated and the meal is served. Toast to the bride-to-be. Bride opens her gifts. Bride thanks hostess for giving the shower, thanks guests for celebrating with her. Hostess thanks the guests for coming. Bridal Shower Favor Ideas While a tradition in some communities, favors are unknown in others. Here are some bridal shower favor ideas, should you decide to include them: Candies in a decorative wrap or special favor holder . Place Card Frames Small plants (wrap fabric around the pot, tie with a personalized ribbon ) Soft Lotion Bridal Shower Favor Orchid favor Soaps Personalized Tea Bag Favors Bottled Bath Salts "I Do" Lip Balm Wedding Shower Favor Bridal Shower Favor Kits Wedding & Bridal Shower Favors, Accessories & Ribbon Mint Pak Bridal Shower Favor Votive Verse Candle Bridal Shower Favor Jack and Jill Bridal Shower Favors: Lucky Couple Mug Bridal Shower Favor When the shower includes the guys, get straight to the heart of the matter with these beer mugs. Make 'em very happy they came to the party. Free Bridal Shower Game Ideas: Wedding Shower Games Wedding shower games get everyone involved. However, if the guests are diverse in age and interests, it is important to choose themes that all guests can relate to, such as cooking or travel. If the games break the guests into small groups, you will encourage laughter and interaction. Creating a recipe/photo/memorabilia album at the shower for the bride is a great way to get all the guests occupied - and the bride-to-be receives a unique memory album. Recipe Legacy features a recipe / photo CD with artwork, games and detailed instructions on how to do this. A fun shower game that allows your guests to become familiar with the groom as well as the bride, is the How Well Do You Know The Bride game. This will require some work on your part but it is worth the time! Heres how you play: Before the day of the shower, ask the groom several questions about the bride. For example, What is her favorite flower? or What is her dream date? Videotape his answers to each of the questions. At the shower, ask the same series of questions to the guests and have them write down their answers. After all the questions have been answered, ask each one to the bride and have her give her answer. Next play the videotape of her fiance's answers just for fun. The one that gets the most answers right wins! Not only is this a fun way to include the groom, you learn more about the guest of honor! More Wedding Shower Games: Bridal Shower Party Games Love-Themed Shower Bingo Bridal Shower Lottery Game Shower Gift Bingo That Guy! Game Priceless bridal shower advice from planning and hosting to tons of games and all your printable Game Cards - Bridal Bingo included. Easy to Download use. BridalShowerGamesAtoZ.com Game Prizes and Bridal Shower Favors The hostess should wrap small prizes to award for the games. Here are some game prize gift ideas that are easy to wrap: Disposable Cameras Cosmetic Pouches Photo Frames Candles Click here for wedding supplies for d o it yourself homemade wedding favors & bridal shower favors Bridal Shower Gift Unwrapping Ceremony You will need: A prominent chair for the bride-to-be. A writing pad and pen for the gift list. A sturdy paper plate and a scissors for the shower bouquet. A plastic bag for quick disposal of the discarded wrapping paper. Helper assignments: Helper A: Write down a description of each gift and the name of the giver. Helper B: Create the shower bouquet - traditionally accomplished by taking the bows and ribbon from the wrappings and threading them through a paper plate. Helper C: Pass around each gift for all to examine. Helper D: Repackage each gift (with each gift card inserted in the correct gift box - this will make thank-you notes an easier task!) Helper E: Collect the discarded wrap and stuff in a garbage bag. Be sure to have a camera handy to take plenty of photos. While a bridal shower is especially for the bride-to-be, it should be an occasion that all guests will remember warmly - including the hostess! Play Shower Gift Bingo Bridal Shower Themes Ideas and Suggestions by Winnie Ying at Beaucoup Tea Party Serve tea along with finger foods such as scones, finger sandwiches, petite fours, etc... Room of the House Each guest is "assigned" a room of the house and brings a gift to be used in that room. Lingerie Guests bring a gift of lingerie for the bride! Around the Clock Each guest is assigned a "time," such as breakfast time or bath time. Gifts should reflect this time. Pamper the Bride Guests to bring items suited to the purpose, such as bath products, gift certificates to a spa or salon, and yoga lessons. One idea is to have the shower at a spa or salon. There are plenty of places that specialize in hosting showers. What is more enjoyable than to spend a day at a spa with a group of your best girls? Garden Party Host a shower in a garden setting and decorate tables with beautiful flowers. Ask guests to bring gifts that the bride can use in her garden. Stock the Bar Guests bring gifts of liquor, glasses, etc. to help the couple stock their bar. Christmas Ornament Guests bring an ornament for the couple's first Christmas tree. Great for winter showers! Pajama Have guests arrive in the evening dressed in their PJ's. The evening is filled with manicures, pedicures, facials and massages, and lots of girl talk. Stock the Pantry Have each guest write their favorite recipe on a recipe card and bring the card along with all non-perishable ingredients for the recipe in a box or gift basket. Ask the Expert: Bridal Showers Questions About Bridal Showers? Go to Top Wedding Questions , the wedding etiquette advice forum . Unique Bridal Shower Gift Popular Bridal Showers Sites: Bridal Shower Games, Ideas and Themes - Looking for ideas to host the perfect shower? Look no further than here. You will find an assortment of free information to help you become better prepared for your hostessing duties. Bridal Shower Games A to Z - Custom printed full-color bridal shower games you can print from home. They're fast, fun & super easy - if only the rest of the shower were this easy, too! 2000-2004 Top Wedding Sites, Inc. ® All Rights Reserved. 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