Bridal Shower

A bridal shower is a great way to celebrate a bride's upcoming wedding. It is similar to a baby shower in that friends and relatives shower the bride with gifts and attention before her "big day."

Bridal Shower Overview
Weddings are a time for fun and celebration. The wedding itself is usually one big party, filled with friends and family of the bride and groom. However, before the wedding, there are usually other celebrations – well, rather, parties - that are held to build up the anticipation for the upcoming ceremony. Perhaps one of the more important – and most fun – celebrations is that of a bridal shower.

A bridal shower should not be confused with a bachelorette party. It is a wedding shower that is traditionally meant to celebrate the upcoming nuptials in a fun way, and it is meant to “shower” the bride with the household necessities she will need after she is married. Whereas a bachelorette party provides the bride with a commencement from being single by celebrating the single life, the wedding shower provides the bride with a celebration into marriage by preparing the bride for married life. There are food, games, decorations, and fun!

Planning a Bridal Shower
Planning a bridal shower is actually a simple task to do. The wedding shower is usually the responsibility of the matron of honor, but it makes sense for the matron of honor to consult the other bridesmaids, the bride’s mother, and even the bride. Generally, it is held about four weeks before the wedding. Each family and culture has their own general opinion of a traditional bridal shower, but they tend to be quite similar in custom and design.

Usually, bridal showers tend to be on the weekend, more often on Saturday. Luncheons are very popular, although some have opted to celebrate a wedding shower with a brunch or even a dinner. The type of bridal shower that is held will definitely depend on the budget and the efforts of the matron of honor.

With all the many factors to consider when planning a bridal shower, it is best to start early. A wedding shower needs to have a theme, a guest list, invitations need to be sent approximately a month before, a location needs to be found, food needs to be ordered, decorations need to be planned, and games and party favors need to be created. Regardless of how small an event the bridal shower is, there are still many different aspects that require careful time and planning.

Themes
The main idea for a wedding shower is a theme. It provides a basis for the design for the invitations, the decorations, the location, and even the food. It is possible to have a bridal shower without a theme, but a theme allows for more creativity with the planning of the shower.

There are so many different ideas for themes that it can be difficult to narrow it down. The best place to start is to keep with the theme of the wedding. Obviously, if the bride and groom put in a lot of effort and creativity into creating a theme for their wedding, it makes sense to carry it over into the bridal shower. However, not all weddings have a theme.

Another way to create a theme for a wedding shower is to focus on the time of year that the shower will be held. If the wedding is planned for summer, then a summer themed bridal shower is a great idea. If the wedding is held around the holidays, then focus on a holiday theme. For a springtime wedding, a wedding shower with a garden theme is another creative idea.

If, after careful thought and consideration, no creative and interesting themes can be thought of, consider a more simple or generic theme. A basic color combination can provide an easy theme. A luncheon bridal shower can also easily be converted into a tea party, and an evening shower can be a dessert party.

Invitations
Creating and sending out the invitations can be one of the most difficult tasks associated with planning a wedding shower. There is the guest list to fret over, the design to coordinate, and the planning of when to send them out. It is a tedious task that requires attention to detail.

When sending out invitations, first and foremost consider the guest list. Usually, the bridal shower is for women only, but more modern traditions allow for both men and women. This decision is usually left up to the bride. Ultimately, the guest list depends on the budget. For larger weddings, the guest list of the wedding shower is usually larger, as well. The bridal party should all be invited, as well as all the immediate female family members of both the bride and groom. Friends should also be invited as the budget allows.

When choosing the design for the invitation for the bridal shower, the theme sets the guidelines. If there is no theme, then choose a basic color palette and stick with it for the invitation. The invitation for the wedding shower should be creative and noticeable, but it should not be more so than the invitation for the wedding. It also should not be too simple, because it may get tossed out.

Invitations can get expensive, so make sure to research different invitation providers well before they need to be sent out. For a smaller guest list, it may be possible to make the invitations by hand. Many party stores sell invitation kits in batches of twenty-five or fifty. For a larger guest list, ordering them is more practical.

After finalizing on a design, it is time to send out the invitations. If the invitations for the bridal shower are going to be sent out in bulk mail through the post office, be sure to send them out five to six weeks beforehand. If they are to be stamped by hand and sent out via regular delivery, make sure to mail them four to five weeks before the shower. This allows for plenty of time for the guests to RSVP.

Setting and Location
When it comes to choosing a location for the wedding shower, it may not be the most difficult task, but it certainly is one of the most frustrating. A limited budget may only allow for a small selection, whereas a larger budget generally provides for more options. The guest list should also be factored in when considering location.

Many larger bridal showers are held at halls or banquet facilities. Although these are quite expensive for evening functions, the price is considerably less for a morning brunch or a luncheon, especially since alcohol is usually not included. For smaller wedding showers on a higher budget, these may also still be a great choice, as they allow for more space.

For bridal showers with a smaller budget, a great option is a family home. If the shower is to be held during a warmer season with good weather, a yard setting provides a great location. However, if space is limited or the weather is not cooperating, then a recreation center or even a party room at a local restaurant makes a great choice.

Decorations
Once again, the theme is the way to go when it comes to decorations. The theme provides the basic palate for decorating the wedding shower. It is easy to create shower decorations, if the general setting of the shower has already been determined.

However, if there is no theme, or if the theme is slightly more difficult to decorate, then a little creativity and effort might come in handy. The saying “less is more” is definitely relevant to decorating a bridal shower. Let the location be the guide with decorations.

If the bridal shower is going to be held outside, then very little needs to be considered with decorations. Tables and chairs should all coordinate nicely, and some simple tablecloths should be used to help provide a little more color. Do not worry about balloons or streamers, since they will just take away from the natural beauty of the outdoors.

If the wedding shower is to be indoors, then a little more effort is required. Flowers, tablecloths, and possibly some wall decorations should all be considered. However, many banquet halls provide decorations in a variety of color options, which makes decorating relatively easy.

Games
Bridal shower games allow for more fun and, yes, more creativity. They are a way to help the bride relieve some stress before the big day, and allow those who planned the shower to have a little more fun, as well. There are so many different shower games that it can be difficult to choose.

To begin, start with a set number of games that will be played. This helps narrow down choices drastically, since there is usually only a small window of time that allows for games. The magic number is usually three, meaning three games are quite common, and allows for just enough without going overboard.

The guest list needs to be taken into consideration when choosing games for the wedding shower. The toilet paper game, where teams compete to decorate a “bride” with toilet paper in a short amount of time, is better for a larger guest list. Games where individuals answer questions about the bride to see who knows her best are better for a smaller guest list.

The bride should definitely be asked what games she would like to have at her bridal shower. She may already have a few ideas. However, if she has no preferred games, then there are always books that can help.

Party Favors
There are so many different options for party favors for a bridal shower. If the budget allows for it, party favors can be custom ordered. However, it is more common for party favors to be hand-made by the matron of honor and the rest of the bridal party.

For larger budget parties where the favors are custom ordered, there are so many different options. Candy bars can be ordered with the wrapper printed to read the bride’s name and the date of her shower, or some other special saying. Favors could be ordered that are personalized for the guests, but that is more practical for a smaller guest list.

For smaller budget parties, favors can easily be made or purchased for a meager expense. The easy way out is dinner mints wrapped in tulle and tied with ribbon. For a little more effort and creativity, a great gift for a larger wedding shower on a smaller budget is cookie cutters paired with a recipe card, where one side is a recipe, and the other is a poem or inspirational message about marriage. For a smaller guest list on a smaller budget, scented candles and even small plants make a great party favor.

Bridal Shower Gift Ideas
The wedding shower is meant to provide the bride with all the items she will need to “make house.” Although the tradition is old-fashioned and may seem sexist, it makes sense. Couples who are just starting out need all those household items that are traditionally given as gifts at a bridal shower, which include bedding, dishware, and even small appliances.

Some may say that the best gift to give at a bridal shower is money. However, that is not exactly a thoughtful gift. Money is usually the gift that is given at the wedding. If a gift of money is given at the wedding shower, then – although it is appreciated – it is usually assumed that not much effort was put into choosing the gift.

The bride and groom usually register at select retailers before the shower to make it easy to buy gifts. This gives gift-givers an idea of what they need and like. If after looking through the registry and a gift of money is still being considered, opt for a gift card instead. This shows that more thought was put forth, and the bride and groom can choose something from a store that they really need and will definitely enjoy.


Local Articles
Weddings
Home