There are so many festivities surrounding the marriage celebration: wedding showers, bachelor parties, the rehearsal dinner, the reception ... With so many parties, it can be hard to keep each one unique. And as Anja Winikka of wedding planning website The Knot soundly states, just having "marriage" as the theme for the wedding shower is boring and burnt out. In an age of endless internet resources and quarantined guests with a lot of time on their hands, there is no excuse to plan anything less than an exceptional wedding shower. Here are some fun ideas to celebrate the engagement and make your shower a special day.

In an article on Martha Stewart, contributor Emily Patt acknowledges that there is a history of tradition and etiquette to consider, but the host should also think outside the box to celebrate the bride-to-be in a memorable way. From the basics such as the menu, guest list and decorations to more complicated matters such as fun activities, games and a unified theme, it's imperative to plan a party that your guests will look forward to (because there is no shortage of dull/awkward wedding showers). Samantha Iacia, for Wedding Wire, stresses one simple fact: The wedding shower is a party to spoil the bride, and this can only work if there are no hiccups in the party or contrary guests. With this in mind, if you are going to throw a fun themed party (more on this later) or go outside the box, make sure that all your proposed guests will be on board. Keeping the party details secret provides a fun surprise, but Iacia strongly recommends consulting the bride for the guest list.

Throwing a wedding shower with a theme is paramount, and hosts can decide if they want the theme to be purely decorative or integrated into the activities. In separate articles on The Knot, selected columnists compile lists of their favorite wedding shower ideas. Some are simple, such as '50s throwback, homemade-crafts-only, pajama party or beach-themed, but others were more involved, including cooking classes, wine tastings, full-blown posh tea parties or destination showers. Most of this will be dictated by your budget, but at the end of the day, Winikka stresses that the bride's interests/hobbies and a true "wow factor" should guide the theme decision; the rest of the planning/decorating will come easily.

In addition to setting a theme, freelance wedding specialist Nina Callaway from The Spruce advises hosts to incorporate their chosen theme into the food and games of the party! Wedding planner Jaimie Mackey, writing for the website Brides, recommends brunches (stock up on mimosa materials!), tasting menus or even a full dinner party, all focused on your theme. However, Mackey suggests clearing all your guests' food allergies/restrictions beforehand. Callaway also proposes putting out ample appetizers and sweets so that your guests don't get too hungry when playing bride-to-be trivia, The Newlywed Game (if the groom is present) or Gossip (where the host of the party and the bride write a gossipy question about every guest on index cards, and when guests arrive, they each draw an index card and have a set period of time to sleuth the answer out of the other guests).

But no matter what, ensure that the host, guests and bride all communicate beforehand. Set a fun theme, and keep people active and fed. From there on, don't be afraid to push the envelope and get creative; just ask yourself, "Would I be excited if I found out my friends were planning this for me?"