Spring is just around the corner, which means bridal shower season is about to begin. I’m always on the search for a beautiful, thoughtful and unique gift that will suit the bride to be. Every bride has her own style, so the gift I pick out has to reflect her individuality.
If it’s warm, there’ll be cute bouquets and plants outside. When you first walk in, the aroma of fresh flowers welcomes you. The upstairs is filled with plants, beautiful flowers and the ever-so-popular terrariums. They also carry Library of Flowers and Tokyomilk, which make great gift add-ons. Downstairs is filled with hidden gems; there’s sure to be something for your bride. The owner, John Mackel, takes great pride in picking out the products that line the shelves, including candles, vases, décor and more. A fun gift idea would to pick out a gorgeous vase and fill it with fresh flowers.
If your bride bakes, this place is your golden ticket to the perfect gift. Their shelves are lined with unique cookbooks, including their own Duchess Bake Shop Cookbook. Picking up this cookbook, along with one of their macaron kits, is a safe bet. They have an amazing collection of fresh, high quality baking ingredients, including candied rose petals and Callebaut chocolate chips. One of my favourite items to give is a beautiful cake stand. They come in a variety of sizes and colours, and are not only great for displaying delicious treats, but look pretty holding trinkets on your table.
The Pan Tree is an amazing kitchen shop situated in Sherwood Park. They carry an assortment of high quality cookware, gadgets and kitchen tools. If you want to give the bride a timeless, lasting, classic gift, pick up a piece from the Le Creuset collection. Le Creuset cast-iron cookware has been around for nearly a century. They are a little on the pricier side, so you might want to go in on this gift with a friend. The Pan Tree also offers culinary lessons by professional chefs, which would be a unique and lasting gift for the bride.
My sweet Nana first introduced me to this funky shop, tucked away in Little Italy. In honour of their name, which means “courtyard,” they have a beautiful indoor courtyard, where you can enjoy lunch from their café. Treat yourself to a latte while you browse for that ideal bridal shower gift. They have a vast selection of neat gifts, including gurgle pots. Another classic gift you could pick up from Zocalo’s is a Brown Betty teapot. The teapot comes from England, and its design helps give the tea more freedom to swirl around, making the tea more flavourful.
The AGA gift shop is the perfect place to find gifts for artistic brides. It’s cool how they carry so works from Canadian artisans, including 21 based in Alberta. There are many great ideas here for bridal shower gifts: gorgeous hand crafted wood cutting boards, colourful candle holders, inspiring coffee table books and glass-fused coasters. I’m also obsessed with their beautiful textiles, such as tea towels. If you want to give an extravagant gift, I suggest purchasing a duo AGA membership, a gift certificate to the in-house restaurant Zinc and a couple of fun adult colouring books from the shop.
My mom first told me about this hidden gem, located on the east end of Whyte Avenue. It’s a beautifully curated store filled with home goods, antiques and vintage goodies. I love that you can find a gift here that is one-of -a-kind. They always have an assortment of pretty glassware in stock. A fun gift idea is to pick a vintage tray, a set of cocktail glasses, a decanter and the ingredients for the bride’s favourite cocktail. Maven and Grace also carries an assortment of household goods, including Woodlot, Sydney Hale Co., Coral & Tusk, and Rifle Paper Co.