pool party bridal shower | Ultimate Bridesmaid

So I don’t know how things are where you live, but I’m about done with this freezing, snow-filled insanity. Winter, please stop. Naturally, I’ve has been longing for warm-weather things—sunshine on the sand, citrusy cocktails and a refreshing dip in a crystal clear pool. For a little escape therapy, I’m bringing you a tropical beach bachelorette party inspiration board. I’m digging the retro bikinis from this poolside party and had to share my favorite new summer decor idea: faux presents floating in a pool! A pair of neon shades, a travel-size bottle of sunscreen and a mini-bottle of booze in a kraft box with neon trim is the perfect start to creating your own party welcome boxes. For refreshing treats, try these raspberry and lime sangria popsicles (yep, they have alcohol, folks!) or a classic paloma—a grapefruit, lime and tequila cup of sunshine. For more tropical beach party ideas, check out our Pinterest board.

Image credits: Poolside bachelorette, paloma cocktail, presents in the pool, bachelorette welcome box, beach umbrella pose, raspberry lime popsicles, heart sunnies, palm tree love.

August makes me think of extreme heat, sunny days on the beach and that moment of anticipation before you plunge into the ice-cold water for some much-needed relief. It’s the end of summer, but also probably the perfect month for a bachelorette weekend if your bride has an October wedding (one of the top four months for weddings according to The Knot). Here are some of my favorite beach weekend invites.

This sunny invite comes from one of my favorite Etsy vendors: SocialitePaperworks. I think Raquel makes some of the most modern, cute bachelorette and girls weekend invites that I’ve seen. Her pieces are feminine and flirty but also clean, crisp and unique.

This invite is definitely outside of the type I usually go for, but it’s such a cute concept and the illustration won me over. Plus, it’s not something I’ve seen before. The artist is also open to complete customization, so each placket on the sign can say whatever you like and you can even request a different font or colors to correspond with your bride.

Now this one is totally up my alley. Cute graphics and a great color combination that’s muted yet modern, plus lovely unique typography. It’s totally perfect for Miami in particular, what with its Florida Deco vibe.

Beach party a bit out of reach? You can still cool off with a summer pool party. This invite can be customized for a bridal shower. I love the typography and the ikat print, especially the bold red mixed with pale blues and that pop of emerald. It’s fresh and cool, just like your shower.

Planning a couples shower? Check out this adorable lake house-themed option, complete with Chinese lanterns, cattails and a cute little duck. The seller, Paige Burton Designs, also has a similar beach invite for couples showers. The colors and lines are striking and whimsical without being too cutesy. Love it!