Top 10 Bridal Shower Do’s and Don’ts
Paperia | August 2014
The bridal shower is a pre-wedding celebration hosted by the bridal party or relatives/close friends of the bride. The goal of the party is to shower the bride-to-be with gifts, support, and love!
Follow these tips to ensure bridal shower success:
1. DO consider the bride’s personality and style when selecting a location and/or theme. For example, if she’s an old-school romantic and world traveler, consider a Parisian cocktail party with champagne and pastries.
2. DON’T delay in shower planning. When hosts begin their planning early, they have more venue choices, more time to send invitations, and more opportunities to get creative with the decor and menu – making it an extra special affair.
3. DO remember that every guest invited to the shower should also be invited to the wedding. Check with the mothers of the bride and groom if you have any questions about the guest list. Better safe than sorry!
4. DON’T feel that you have to pull off a major surprise. Nowadays, many couples do not live in their hometowns or the town in which they will wed. Orchestrating a shower for an out of town guest can be hectic enough. Unless she explicitly stated otherwise, feel free to share the shower date with the bride, but keep all the other details under wraps. There will still be plenty of surprises for her that day!
5. DO infuse personal touches to make the shower a unique celebration for the guest of honor. A few bouquets of her favorite flower, selecting her favorite flavor of cake for dessert… these are small but important details that the bride will bask in.
6. DON’T forget to spread the word about the couple’s registry. The bride and groom have spent a lot of time identifying items they wish to have for their new life together. It’s great to pass along this information to shower guests. Acceptable ways to convey this is by word of mouth or by including a link to the couple’s wedding website on the shower invitation.
7. DO have shower games planned in advance, if this is something the bride would enjoy. Bridal shower games are a common trend, and they are a great way to include guests, allow friends from both sides of the family to meet, and generate a lighthearted, fun spirit.
8. DON’T leave the bride hanging when it comes time to open presents. Have bridesmaids form a gift-opening assembly line… one person will select a gift and remove the card, cut the ribbon, and pass it to the bride. The bride will open it and share some oohs and ahhs. Other helpers will remove the trash, record the gift and gift giver, and organize the opened gifts. This will create an orderly and expedient process for which the bride and shower guests will be most grateful.
9. DO consider having the bachelorette party on the evening of the shower if the bridal party is spread out over several locations. This will allow out-of-town guests to make the most of their trip and to get to share in both of these special pre-wedding events with the bride.
10. DO have fun! It is a party, after all. On shower day, make sure you take time to enjoy the food and fun – you’ve earned it!
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