How to Plan a Successful Bridal Shower
It used to be that the Maid of Honor was the one who threw the shower. It was considered to be in “poor taste” for a relative of the bride-to-be to do it. That was the “rule of etiquette.” Today, however, anything goes as actually any female family member or friend can host it.
Since the majority of women work outside their homes nowadays, it’s also common for a female co-worker to host an additional bridal shower for the bride-to-be’s close coworkers to attend.
If you want to plan a successful bridal shower, the first item on the agenda is to plan when the party will be. You’ll need to send out the invitations about four to six weeks ahead of time. You can’t please everyone, so don’t even try to work around everyone’s schedule. The most important thing is to choose a date and a time when the bride-to-be can attend.
Next, decide where the bridal shower will be held. You can hold it at your house, at someone else’s house, at a public hall, at a park pavilion, and so on.
The second thing to do is make up the guest list. It’s a rule of etiquette, and just plain common sense, that you should invite ladies who are also invited to the wedding. Can you imagine how you would feel being invited to the shower but being excluded from the wedding day festivities?
Typically, you should invite the mothers of the bride and groom. “Mothers” includes birth and step mothers. Don’t forget the grandmothers, step grandmothers, great grandmothers, and even great-great grandmothers if there are any. Then there are the aunts of the bride and groom and the girl cousins. Their sisters, step sisters, half sisters, and sister-in-laws should be invited too.
Next, you’ll need to find out who the bride’s close girlfriends are so you can send them an invitation. And finally, don’t forget the maid of honor, the bridesmaids, and any other female adults that are going to take part in the wedding.
Don’t leave someone off the guest list just because they live out-of-town. People travel! One of my girlfriends recently drove two hours one-way just to attend a baby shower! Just be sure to include detailed directions and/or a map in out-of-towners’ invitations.
Now that the invitations have been written out and sent, it’s time to finish up the plan for a successful bridal shower. You’ll need to plan out the events of the bridal shower in order for it to be successful. What are your guests going to do for the couple of hours they’ll be at your bridal shower? You’ll also need to plan your menu.
Let’s start with the events. After the ladies arrive for the bridal shower, it’s a good idea to go around the room and introduce everyone. Then, you can have a short “chat time”. Or, you can start right off with an event. Playing a few bridal shower games is a good way to get the party rolling. After the games are over, that would be a good time to serve the food. Then, the bride-to-be can open her gifts. Afterwards, you can have another “chat time” before you wrap the shower up.
Note: Be sure to write down who-gave-what-gifts to the bride so she can send thank you notes later.
As for the menu, you can provide the food yourself. Finger sandwiches or sloppy joes or chicken salad sandwiches plus chips, pretzels, pasta salads, and the like are some good choices. Add cake for dessert, coffee, and punch or soda, and your menu is complete. (Remember to supply paper plates, napkins, hot and cold cups, and plastic silverware.)
Or, if you choose, you can plan a “potluck” bridal shower. That means that everyone brings a dish to share. All you supply are the paper products, the drinks, and a dessert.
And finally, don’t forget to have someone who’s handy with a camera to take pictures of the event. You’ll also want to buy and put up decorations, and party favors are always appreciated by the guests.
Now that you have your successful bridal shower planned, relax, and have a good time!
