By Aubrey Omen

He popped the question. The date is set. Now it’s time to plan the biggest bash of the season (besides the wedding, of course): the bridal shower. These intimate gatherings grant close family members and friends time to dote upon the bride, to really “shower” her with compliments, encouragement, support and gifts. Hosting the bridal shower outside of
your home will not only give you the stress-free atmosphere you deserve, but will
also broaden your creative ideas. Utah Weddings highlighted two venues
that might be the perfect spot for your upcoming party.

It’s time to rock – Hard Rock Café style. Suited for groups of five to 100 people, this is much more than your traditional restaurant. Their bridal showers feel like “more of a get-together,” said Kami Day, sales and marketing manager for Salt Lake City’s Hard Rock Café. “It’s more relaxing to be able to get together with your close friends and celebrate your wedding in not such a stressed out atmosphere.”
While gathering around several appetizers, use the time for the bride to open her presents from family and friends.

To add to that pile of gifts, various venues provide their own gift to the bride-to-be. Hard Rock Café’s gift basket (catered to each girl) is filled with restaurant souvenirs such as a veil, glassware, bubbles, a shirt or their signature pins.

Day suggested the bridal party signs the shirt before giving it to the bride. “[Brides-to-be] love taking something away from them wherever they go and getting that special attention,” she said.

Even with the bridesmaids in charge of the traditional gift exchange, venues enjoy giving the bride-to-be their own special condolences. At Hard Rock Café, those girls are the center of the restaurant’s attention.

“Normally we try to embarrass the bride to be and bring out one of our hot fudge sundaes and do what we do for birthdays – have them stand up on their chair and have everyone wish them a good marriage,” Day said.
And along with that rich dessert, popular menu items for a gathering of gals at Hard Rock Café include chicken wings, potato skins, nachos, onion rings and salads.


SQUATTERS

Let loose and let go of your wedding stress — Squatters Pub Brewery’s parties feel more like a cocktail hour than a formal evening. Built from what used to be the Boston Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City, Squatters provides fine dining as well as your venue for bridal showers, rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions. To preserve the old hotel appearance, they kept the exposed brick and wood while opening the inside with high ceilings and glass walls that overlook the brewery and patio.
Squatters’ main event room (best known as the Potting Shed and lined with a concrete wall featuring large blown-up images such as various beer bottles) seats up to 85 people and cocktails up to 100 people. Smaller groups can also be accommodated in the Potting Shed, restaurant or patio.

Even though Squatters’ reputation centers on their popular alcoholic beverages, they accommodate all drinking preferences.

“I’ve done weddings here where the majority here was non-drinkers,” said Daniel Ogden, banquet and sales manager. “I’ve had people who just come here and party it up. It ranges from so many people.”

He recommended bridal showers earlier in the day for a quieter gathering and after 6 p.m. “if you’re a more boisterous crowd. The restaurant’s going to be roaring.”

With that late-night energy, expect a casual evening, “a place where you don’t necessarily have to worry too much … about all of the little details because we take care of them,” Ogden said. “And we have the best beer in Utah.”

Along with their well-known beverages, choose from a variety of appetizers, including crisp wontons and Chesapeake crab cakes, or entrées such as tequila lime chicken and oven-brazed Morgan Valley lamb ribs.

Planning the bridal shower should be a cinch compared to the big day. Let yourself relax. And remember, it’s all about showering, or pampering, the bride.

Items to consider when planning your bridal shower:
• Size — Are you inviting old college roommates and that aunt you haven’t seen in five years or just your best friends and closest family members?
• Budget — How does the bridal shower fit into your wedding budget? Who foots the bill — the bride, the maid of honor, all of the bridesmaids, the bride’s parents or the groom’s parents? (Traditionally the maid of honor throws the bridal shower; however, a more modern approach is to divide financial responsibilities equally between both parties.)
• Venue — Does your palette crave guacamole cheeseburgers and chocolate shakes or grilled salmon and strawberry cheesecake? Do you want your guests to dress up or come in casual attire?

Contact Information:
Hard Rock Café: 500 S. 600 E.. Salt Lake City; (801) 532-7625; www.hardrock.com
Squatters Pub Brewery: 147 W. Broadway, Salt Lake City; (801) 363-2739; www.squatters.com
*Both facilities accommodate various group sizes. Reservations are required for private banquet rooms at Squatters; reservations are recommended at Hard Rock Café for smaller groups and highly encouraged for larger groups.