If the bride-to-be is addicted to the Food Network and has a pile of Gourmet magazines sitting by the door, a kitchen-themed bridal shower might be right up her alley.

Some ideas to get you going:

The invitations:
Use a cooking themed invitation or modify recipe cards with the time, address, and instructions. See below for gift theme suggestions you can include with the invitations.

The gifts:
How about giving your guests a theme for their gifts? Ask groups of guests to bring either a favorite kitchen gadget, cookbook or gourmet ingredients. Or have every guest bring their favorite recipe and create a collection of them for the bride. Just make sure that if you are asking for themed gifts, you make it clear on the invitations.

The food:
In keeping with the theme, I think that providing appetizers and desserts that require a bit of interaction are interesting (and keeps you out of the kitchen all day!). Try fondue, a hamburger slider bar or decorate-your-own sugar cookies.

For the cocktails:
The focus of this party is most definitely the menu so bring on the cocktails! Go retro with gin and tonics or old-fashioneds. Or spice it up with a margarita bar!

Photo Credits:
Newlywed cookbook: PaperFoxling
Utensil tabletop: Hostess with the Mostess
Invitation: Lashina
Gadgets and gifts: Schmiford
Towel cake with kitchen gadgets: Ninjanna