words Alexa Wang
Many people are unsure about how to organize a bridal shower. No worries, we’ve put down some easy tips to host the perfect bridal shower.
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After you are engaged, many fun celebrations will lead up to your wedding day. Bridal showers, engagement parties, and bachelorette parties are all events that your family and friends host for you.
In the process of planning a wedding, many people don’t know what to do when planning a bridal shower. From finding a place to picking the shower’s decor to choose the present that the couple will cherish, this article will guide you through the process.
What is a Bridal Shower?
Before you host an amazing bridal shower, it’s crucial to know the purpose of the celebration. A bridal shower is an occasion where the guests “shower” the bride-to-be with gifts that will help her build an intimate home with her new partner. It is also a chance for family and friends to get together to celebrate the wedding day.
People bring gifts, and host games like bridal emoji Pictionary, find the guest, musical matching etc. to make the event more interesting. Everyone gets a chance to meet up with friends in a relaxed, fun setting. The most common type of party is held late in the afternoon or evening.
Instead of a formal meal, it’s typical for hosts to serve appetizers and light snacks and mimosas or champagne as well as wine and cocktails.
Who will host the wedding shower?
In the past, bridal showers were usually organized by the bride’s mother or her maid-of-honor along with the wedding guests. Nowadays, there aren’t rules to determine who hosts bridal showers.
A celebration might be planned by both the bride and groom or by friends. If you’re organizing a wedding party, a close relative of the soon-to-be-married couple may urge you to take on the role of host.
Communication is crucial when organizing a bridal shower. Therefore, keep in touch with the couple’s families and wedding party guests so that everybody is in the same boat during the days before the event.
How to Plan a Bridal Shower
● Cost of a bridal shower
Before deciding on a menu or deciding on a theme, the first step in wedding shower preparation is deciding on the budget. The host typically covers the cost of the shower, and while your initial thought might be to spend the entire day and pamper the bride, it’s best to settle an amount you can afford without breaking the bank.
● Make a plan of the event
It is best to begin planning for the bridal shower about six months in advance of the wedding. A bridal shower is expected to be held approximately two months before the wedding. Consult with the bride before you set the date to make sure it is suitable with her schedule and accommodates her family members.
● Create a bridal shower guest list
Once you’ve determined the time, the next step is to create a guest list. Ask the bride for a guest list with addresses.
Remember that everyone at the shower must be invited to the wedding, including children. Before adding visitors to the guest list, ensure they are registered with the bride.
● Choose a place
Once you’ve set the date and know an estimated guest count, you must choose where you’d like the celebration to take place. If you have the space to hold the bridal shower in your home, that’s the best option. If not, then host the bridal shower at the outdoor event, such as an exclusive banquet space or any location that reflects the bride’s passions.
The most important thing is to ensure the venue is accessible and has plenty of parking and enough room to accommodate all people you invite.
● Select a theme
Once you’ve gathered the addresses and your final guest list is approved by the bride-to-be, it’s time to decide on the bridal shower theme.
Although a theme isn’t the most important aspect of the bridal shower planning process, it is an ideal way to inject some personality into the shower by incorporating invitations, food choices, and decorations.
Whatever you choose, the theme should be appropriate to the bride’s personality as well as the interests of her day-to-day life.
● Send invitations
It is recommended to finish the purchase and send your bridal invitations for the shower approximately 6-8 weeks in advance of the date of the shower. It will allow guests ample time to unwind their schedules, purchase an item, and inform you whether they’ll be able to attend.
● Make a menu
After you’ve sent out your invitations and RSVPs begin arriving, you’ll be able to start working on the menu for the event. The best way to plan the menu is to make sure you stick with foods you’re sure that the bride will enjoy and select items that can be served easily.
Based on your budget, you could choose to arrange for a professional catering service or cook the food yourself or ask your friends and family members you’re connected with to bring a dish for the potluck.
● Find the perfect decorations
After you’ve decided on the theme for your bridal shower, now is the time to kickstart your wedding shower decorations shopping. It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money, but if you do, look for things like mylar balloons for letters, personalized poster garlands, and tassels, as well as photo backgrounds that instantly make the space appear customized to the bride.
Candles and fresh flowers are also great choices! Take a look at our WeddingWire Shop for affordable design ideas for your wedding, bridal shower favors plates, wedding favors, and many more.
● Make a plan for the game for your bridal shower
When you’re looking for decorations, it’s an excellent idea to consider the bridal shower games to keep guests entertained at the event.
Some of the most popular game ideas for bridal showers include bingo, wedding mad libs, and guessing the trivia of the bride. These games are a great method to let your guests break the ice, particularly if a lot of them have not met before.
Plan the games to end after everyone has finished eating and before the bride opens her gifts.
● Make an upbeat playlist
Although music isn’t the primary attraction of the day, it’s nice to play some background music while guests arrive talking, having a chat, and having a drink.
Make an appropriate wedding shower playlist with uplifting and appropriate songs. Bonus points if they’re related to weddings or romance!
What to Do During the Bridal Shower
● Create a station to display bridal shower presents
Contrary to engagement parties, where gifts aren’t required, guests are typically expected to bring a present at the wedding shower. There’s a time in the bridal shower when everyone is expected to sit with the bride when she opens her gifts.
To ensure there is no misplaced gift, create a space that guests can put their gifts when they arrive, like on a table or the traditional “wishing well.” It is easy to create a table with a picnic and hang some fabric or linen over it to set up your gift station. While the bride is opening every present, ensure that you note the gifts of each guest to easily write thank-you notes.
● Make a ribbon bouquet
While the bride is opening her gifts, ask one of the members of the wedding party to gather all the ribbons to make a beautiful bouquet.
It’s not just a beautiful souvenir or a reminder of how to make an itinerary for the bridal shower. It’s an expectation that the bride carries the bouquet of ribbons from her shower along the aisle at the rehearsal for the wedding.
● Make a toast to the bride
At the end of the timeline for the bridal shower, you’ll have to say a couple of sentences to thank your guests for attending. It’s also the ideal moment to officially thank the bride-to-be. Toasts don’t have to be formal or long; they just need to be simple and sweet in which you introduce yourself and say some positive words.
● Give out favors to bridal guests attending the shower
In the end, it’s always best to give a favor as a way of saying thank you. Shower favors for brides could include food items like cookies with frosting, decks of wedding-themed playing cards created with the help of custom playing card printers, and even things that can be worn, such as customized sunglasses. Many choices work with any theme for your shower, and guests will be delighted to take the favor home as well.
Bottom Line
The greatest aspect of throwing a shower is that you can enjoy all the fun activities you have planned. If you make it simple and sweet, you’re sure to throw an unforgettable bridal shower. Be sure to think of the bride when planning the design, decorations, and other activities.
