A Tropical Garden Bridal Shower

Hot pink and turquoise, flamingos, retro table settings and a beckoning swimming pool make for an ideal Florida shower.

By: Felicia Feaster

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Photo By: Image courtesy of Courtney Ortiz

Succulent Favors

Each guest at this Florida bridal shower for HGTVGardens community manager Mallory Colliflower took home their own miniature succulent. The bride's sisters spray painted miniature terra-cotta pots with metallic gold paint and added hot pink aquarium rocks for a punch of color. The shower was hosted by the bride's sister, professional photographer Courtney Ortiz.

Fiesta!

The bride's mother donated her colorful collection of Fiestaware pitchers to serve as vases for equally vibrant flowers.

A Bamboo Room

Privacy fencing made from overgrown bamboo cleared from the yard creates a charming outdoor room made more so with a vintage couch covered with a tropical print and a Fifties-style table.

Punchy Pergola

Clever, inexpensive touches helped set the mood. The party host stapled a white bed sheet to this pergola to create a canopy effect and provide relief from the Florida sun.

Flamingo Road

Those classic front yard lawn ornaments, pink flamingos, helped give the party its retro-cool ambiance. The same gold paint used on the succulent pots was used on several flamingos to continue the design motif.

A Bright Spot

Guests kept the festive color scheme going with brightly-hued dresses. The bride's sisters served a refreshing warm-weather friendly buffet of fresh fruits and veggies on skewers to keep things light. Watermelons cut in half make great holders for fresh fruit skewers and lend the proper retro mood.

Pink Flamingo

The tropical theme continues at the entrance to the party where a vintage vase is filled with flowers and a folk art flamingo offers a Florida welcome.

Hard to Resist

Even the food continued the bright-color theme. The bride's niece enjoys the irresistible fruit skewers perfect for one-hand eating and mingling.

A Vibrant Welcome

Party host and sister of the bride, photographer Courtney Ortiz spray-painted a few pink flamingos gold for a little glam factor. The festive flamingos welcomed guests to the party.

Pick a Pop of Posies

The organizers of this DIY bridal shower used roses and Fuji chrysanthemums in eye-popping colors from a local Florida floral shop to make their own arrangements.

Lantern Parade

Miniature paper lanterns were hung between the palm trees to echo the fun colors of the flowers, Fiestaware and tropical fabric prints that gave this outdoor shower its old Florida charm.

Festive Feast

The party spread included homemade meatball sliders with Sriracha ketchup and horseradish mayo, vegetable crudite, mini Cuban sandwiches and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus.

Sip's Up

The shower drink station included plastic flamingo cups that guests could take home, fun striped straws and mimosa add-ons, all served up in a tropical Florida backyard.

Ice, Ice Baby

A pretty glass decanter filled with lemon slices and cold water kept the Florida heat at bay.

Orange Crush

A punchy turquoise tub filled with ice kept the color scheme on point and the drinks cold.

Rocking the Retro

When planning an outdoor party, think of what you or friends might have on hand rather than breaking the bank buying coordinated store-bought decor. A retro theme can be easy to pull off and gives your outdoor party a sense of fun. Vintage napkins make stylish table coverings at this bridal shower and the Sixties-era ceramic candy dish continues the vintage theme.

Girl Talk

The bride-to-be and her niece and flower girl, 4-year-old Stella, share some downtime before the bridal shower gets underway.

Tea Towel for Two

The groom-to-be's mother made needlepoint tea towels featuring the bride, the groom and their beloved dog.

Fashion Show

Shower guests created and modeled toilet paper wedding dresses as one of the party games.

Pool Party

It's hard to deny the allure of a beautiful backyard swimming pool. A refreshing dip was the perfect ending to the day.

Do Me a Favor

Each guest took home their own miniature succulent as a party favor and a living souvenir of the event.

Guessing Game

For this party game, quotes from the bride and groom were read aloud, and guests had to guess who said which quote and hold up the corresponding wand. Crown = bride, mustache = groom.

Bright Spot

Brightly colored flowers combined with Fiestaware provide a perky contrast to the natural backyard setting.