The origin stories of an amazing and fun-loving wedding tradition- ‘bridal shower’ started back in the 16th century in Holland. The story of the first bridal shower was something like this. In Holland, when the father of a young girl refused to provide a dowry to a marriage he disapproved of! The whole town got together and offered various small gifts to the young girl to start her home without the dowry money! The core of this tradition somewhat helps up over the years and as the time changes, today we shower the soon-to-be-married couples with small and fun celebrations that usually pertain to the start of a new story of their new life and new home!
The rules and etiquette for all these affairs keep on changing over the course of time. Currently, if you are planning to throw a bridal shower for one of your nearest and dearest ones, trust us it is a daunting task! The person who is planning the whole bridal shower is completely responsible for celebrating the soon-to-be-bride in a spectacular way that everyone will love and won’t stop talking about it! Henceforth, it should be perfect and flawless. We know that at times it gets a bit overwhelming for the host as there is constant pressure to make everything perfect and right. But the whole motive of throwing a bridal shower is that is to shower the bride with good wishes, congratulations, and some really cool and amazing gifts. Bridal showers are only meant to be a fun way for the bride to celebrate the day with those who are closest to her! So, congratulations, if you are hosting a bridal shower for your sister or best friends, it is always an honor to host the event!
So, in case you need help to plan the best bridal shower for your bride, guests, and that also is budget-friendly, we have got you covered. We have curated a list of things that have made bridal showers a great and unforgettable experience for everyone in the past! The below-mentioned ideas and etiquettes are all pulled from real celebrations, making them feasible for you, too! All these ideas radiate a true essence of traditional bridal shower etiquette so that you feel confident about throwing a bridal shower that also meets everybody’s expectations and standards!
Before we take you to dive in with us, the first and foremost things that you need to put down in your checklist is who all will be the guests that you will be invited to the bridal showers and the second most important thing is what will be the theme of the bridal shower! Once these two primary things are decided the rest of the details like the items on the menu, activities, and decoration, will subsequently fall into the place without any concern! We are always here offering you suggestions for all the things, and will also recommend you other elements that will surely make your bridal shower soiree a stand-out and talk-of-the-town celebration! Because just like you, we also want the function you are hosting to be something that all your guests should be looking forward to and that too with great excitement and enthusiasm!
So, here are some of the important elements that you need to click through for everything that you need to plan a stunning and luxurious bridal shower to remember! From the unique location to the beautiful dress code, to the stationery, to the favors, we have got you covered in all the fields! All you have to do is just trust us! All these little things mentioned in this blog will definitely make your bridal shower a big hit!
Generally, the bridal shower is held between six months to two weeks before the wedding day. Being a host you can choose a date that is convenient for both the bride and the guests of her choice. As thinking it from the logistic perspective, whoever will be hosting the bridal shower needs enough time to budget, plan, and curate a perfect guests list, as guests need the time to RSVP, make their travel accommodations, and plan for a gift too! This will be helpful if you are planning to host something a little farther in advance (as it never hurts to be always prepared). You can also talk to your bride and ask her what time of bridal shower she will prefer. An afternoon celebration or an early evening soiree as a luncheon or a dinner party with some champagne and wine! As any time of the day is acceptable to have a bridal shower.
Here is a pro tip, try to avoid the bridal shower too close to the wedding day as there are chances that it might add some extra stress to an already existing busy and hectic schedule. So it will be a smart move to allow the easy breathing rooms between the two beautiful celebrations!
Well, if we look at this thing from a typical traditional point of view, then it is none other than the maid of honor who is responsible for throwing a bridal shower for the bride-to-be! Originally if members of the bride’s immediate family, like her mom, or sister, planned or hosted a bridal shower for her, it thought to appear as a gift-grabby moment, but that is really not a thing anymore, especially these days! With everything around us changing, this perception has also changed to some extent!
However, since the mother of the bride might be up to her ears in all the wedding details, you can always consider her as a supporting role for organizing a classic bridal shower for your bride! These days, it has really come down to who wants to throw the shower for the bride. It can be anyone. From the bride’s aunts to her in-laws, to family-friends, to college roommates, or even co-workers, everyone is allowed to throw a bridal shower for the soon-to-be bride!
Unless you are not planning to surprise your bride with the bridal shower, you can always involve the bride in the whole planning process. After all, it’s her day and you surely want everything the way she wants it and likes it! You can simply ask your bride-to-be to create a registry if she hadn’t already done that. This registry will help you get some ideas of what she is expecting from a bridal shower. From knowing the particular bridal shower theme (like the lingerie shower, a kitchen item shower, or an around-the-clock shower kinda theme) to the rough idea of the guest list, you will have all ready for yourself to throw an exciting bridal shower!
If you are planning for an informal and casual bridal shower, you can easily pick up on all the costs, but if you are thinking of something grand and luxurious then you can always ask the other bridesmaids at the very beginning of the planning process about the chipping in or splitting costs. It never harms to ask for help! Apart from financial assistance, you can always ask the wedding party to help you with the set-up, decorating, and other stuff too!
Any venue is suitable for a bridal shower. Traditionally a bridal shower takes place at the host’s location, but as we say is an ever-evolving world, so any place will work perfectly fine for a bridal shower. On second thought, if the bride lives relatively close to home, the bridal shower can take place in her hometown. But what if she lives in another state? Well, the bride can always travel to her shower if most of the bridal shower guests live locally. Though that's totally a choice that varies between the bride and her bridal shower host.
Though being a host one can always consider the popular and bride’s close to heart locations such as her favorite restaurant, park, or banquet hall! If she wants something small and intimate with just some close friends, a backyard would be the best place to have an outdoor bridal shower. Completely depending on the size of the guest list who are coming for the bridal day and the bride’s preference, bridal showers can also be hosted at a paint-your-own-poetry studio (as it will give endless opportunities for DIY themes and decorations), or even at a beauty salon, spa, or some gallery!
Well, talking about the guests to be invited to a bridal shower, being the host always makes sure that you are absolutely not inviting anyone to the bridal shower who is not being invited to the wedding. To keep away from the fuss, it’s always better to prefer the guest list that the bride has made for her wedding day! So, don’t forget to ask for a copy of the guest list from the bride, or if the shower is a surprise, always turn up to the mother or to her fiance!
A bridal shower usually includes female relatives of both the bride and the groom, along with the bridal party, and the bride’s close friends. The number of guests that are to be invited to a bridal shower depends on how large the celebration is intended to be! Though bridal shower guests are usually all women, with the changing times, today many are co-ed affairs that celebrate both the bride and the groom. This kind of bridal shower is known as the “Jack and Jill’ showers.
If you are going to keep the bridal shower a surprise for the bride, you closely need to work with the mother of the bride to come up with the guest list you both think the bridal will be happy with!
Ideally and logically, the invitation to the guests for the bridal shower should be mailed out four to six weeks before the bridal shower. You can do that either by post or email. Though a lot has changed since the COVID-19, sending out digital invitations is the new trend and the best way to reach out to all the guests on time! This way is one of the easiest and most effective ways of inviting guests for the bridal shower! Before sending out the bridal shower invitations, make sure you have mentioned the name of the bride, the date and time of the bridal shower along with the venue location of the event. You can also put snow on the registry information, a way to RSVP, and your name (as you will be hosting the shower)!
Completely depending on the taste of the bride, and being the host of the shower, you can always add some entertaining games for all the guests to play and have the best time of their lives at the celebration. Though a bridal shower is all about eating, laughing, telling and sharing stories, and opening presents (the best part of a bridal shower). For the bridal shower food menu, you can always keep simple food like the light bites, crudites, and sweets, and an elaborate themed spread that beautifully celebrates the couple!
Which bride doesn’t love the idea of opening her gift in front of all her guests (well, we don’t know any!)? While the bride opens the gifts and all the beautiful presents brought by her guests, you can consider playing some nice music in the background. Well, for a bridal shower, some fun bridal shower games are always a great way to keep the party moving. You can stick to bridal shower traditions like the gift bingo, or can include the wedding dress designing competition using the rolls of toilet paper.
A host puts a lot of effort into making everything perfect for a bridal shower. Keeping every wish and demand of the bride in mind, the hosts try to throw a wedding shower that makes the bride-to-be extremely happy! In return for this sweet and incredible gesture, a nice, handwritten thank you note from the bride would be perfectly acceptable and cherished by the host. Though brides these days choose to show their appreciation and gratitude with a small gift, like a beautiful and charming flower arrangement, a box of treats, or a lunch out in the town at the favorite restaurant of the host!
Well, if a bride does not want to have a fancy bridal shower, being the maid of honor or somebody very close to the bride, it’s your job to be there for the bride and listens to all her wishes and then act accordingly! Before you go ahead and cancel the bridal shower make sure that the bride is really sure about nixing the shower. So, in place of throwing a lavish or some fancy bridal shower for your bride-to-be, you can take her for mani-pedis, or on drinks and dinners, or a fun brunch for the two of you as you both celebrate without all the pomp and circumstances!
So, if you are in charge of hosting a flawless and memorable bridal shower for your bride-to-be, read and follow this blog. This blog is a handy guide that will answer all your etiquette questions and planning concerns for a perfect bridal shower!
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