Fun but frugal wedding showers
By Amy Brown-Bowers • Bankrate.com

Tracey Manailescu loves lecturing her students about the history of the bridal shower because it is wrought with romance. Back in the Netherlands in the 1800s, "there was a poor miller who fell in love with a high society girl," says the vice president and instructor at The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada. "The father of the girl was so upset and despondent over this upcoming marriage that he refused to give them a dowry," Manailescu says.

The miller, known for his generosity, was loved by the townspeople who "showered (the couple) with gifts to help them set up their home when they found out about the threatened romance," Manailescu says.

Since then, showers have continued to be held to prepare women for major life changes like marriage and motherhood.

"It was really meant to give (women) the items they needed to start a new home and with a new baby to help get the baby outfitted with basic clothes and toys," says Cynthia Martyn, of Cynthia Martyn Events, a boutique event planning and design firm in Toronto.

While many couples today already have fully outfitted homes and the financial resources to buy all things baby by the time they get married or become pregnant, the shower tradition continues.

For those who find themselves hosting or planning showers for friends and family, here are some creative cost-saving ideas from seasoned event planners.

Eat, drink and be frugal
The easiest way to save on food and drinks is to have the shower in someone's home, Martyn says.

Next, consider having the shower before or after a conventional meal time, Manailescu says. People won't expect a big spread at 3 p.m., leaving you free to offer lighter fare. Denise Dos Ramos, owner of Toronto's Glamourous Planning and a certified wedding planner, suggests doing a potluck. "Have everyone bring a dish and then bring the recipe card along with it to give to the bride in a nice cookbook."

She also recommends doing "one-pot meals" like pastas that can be dressed up with eye-popping garnishes and served in beautiful bowls for an overall low cost. For dessert, "instead of having a big beautiful $200 cake, go and make cupcakes and decorate them beautifully and put them on a really ornate silver three-tiered tray," Manailescu says.

For drinks, consider having one special theme drink in an alcoholic and nonalcoholic version, Manailescu says. "Make them fancy. Put them in fancy glasses and add a lime wedge or an umbrella or a cherry, and it looks really pretty."

This way, you won't have to buy a wide assortment of alcoholic options and you can keep the drink budget within your control.

Décor on a dime
Dos Ramos suggests borrowing items from family and friends rather than buying décor pieces. For example, mix and match borrowed crystal, tea cups or patterned china rather than buying paper or plastic. It saves money and looks more elegant.

For centerpieces, she suggests borrowing large glass or crystal bowls and filling them with lemons, pears or green apples depending on your colour theme. "It sounds really frugal but it actually looks really classy," she says.