Throwing a Bridal Shower
If you are planning a bridal shower for a friend who is getting married, you may be feeling overwhelmed at the amount of planning that can go into this event. Guests need to be contacted, food needs to be made, games need to be planned, this is no simple task! This article outlines the key points that must be addressed to throw a successful bridal shower.
The first essential step is to plan a date. Most bridal showers are scheduled for the early afternoon on a weekend. Give guests ample notice and coordinate your plans with the bride. The bride is probably feeling at lot of pressure during this time, so work with her to make sure she's free. Plan the shower to occur sometime between three months and three weeks prior to the wedding.
Once the date is established, you will need to draw up a list of invitees. A sure way of getting all the information you need is to ask the bride for the wedding guest list. There are some definite rules to follow here: the maid of honor or bridesmaids usually host the shower (if there is only one), and don't ask anyone who hasn't been invited to the wedding. It would be insulting to imply that someone is good enough to bring a shower gift but not special enough to attend the wedding itself. In some cases the couple has planned a wedding to which only family will be attending. This doesn't happen often. If this is the case invite the bride's female friends and all the couple's female relatives, which is the usual etiquette for bridal showers.
The next thing to plan is what you will be serving. Most showers are in the afternoon and feature light snacks, coffee, punch or some other cold non- alcoholic beverage and possibly wine. If you want other people to help with the food, ask only close family. Soliciting other guests to contribute food or drink, as well as a gift, could be considered insulting.
A traditional part of most bridal showers is to play games, usually with some correlation to the impending nuptials. This is a fun way to break the ice and get the guests involved in conversation. Typically, small prizes are offered to the "winner" of the games. There are a variety of games that can be played, everything from an innocent to the slightly naughty. Of course, selecting the appropriate type of games will be dependent in part on the guests invited and their comfort level. Usually, two or three games are enough to break up the ice and the monotony.
The mother of the bride shouldn't offer to give a shower for her daughter. The guests might view it as another way of getting more gifts. As mentioned above, the attendants generally host the bridal shower. If a shower guest asks to bring a friend (yes this happens quite often), tell her no, but do it nicely. You might offer an explanation that the guest would feel out of place. Be sure to have a camera and take lots of pictures. The bride will treasure memories of her enjoying the company of friends and family and can make a beautiful photo album.
Holly Clandon is the owner of FT Bridal, the #1 source on the internet for information about Bridal. For more articles on Bridal visit: http://www.ftbridal.com/articles
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