A Cool Girl’s Guide To Bridal Showers

Bridal showers can be boring. Lame party games, watered-down punch, hours spent watching the bride-to-be feign excitement over monogrammed tea towels and mixing bowls... But, in this era of one-of-a-kind weddings, when couples carefully plan their nuptials to be a reflection of their personalities and unique love, there’s no reason showers shouldn’t get the same makeover.

After all, this is your sister/cousin/best friend/cool coworker we’re talking about. You love the heck out of her — and you want to help celebrate her big day with a party that is on par with her awesomeness. Plus, you’re fun, so there’s no reason you can’t throw a fun bridal shower — especially in New York City. So, we rounded up five cool venues (and the outfits, invites, and favors to match) to take some of the pressure off. The parties ahead are so good, you might even be able to convince the bride to reconsider those yellow bridesmaid dresses. Maybe.