How to Plan the Perfect Bridal Shower
This is your time to shine, maid-of-honor. It is time to plan the perfect bridal shower for your best friend. We are here to help because this can get a little overwhelming.
The basics
Remember that communication is key when it comes to the bridal shower (Unless it’s a surprise). It is important to know what the bride wants. Should you invite all women, or make it co-ed? It is also important to discuss the date with her for out-of-town guests.
Timeline
Give yourself about three months to plan. This way, you won’t rush and accidentally forget something very important. Bridal showers are typically held about two months before the wedding. However, confer with the bride so she can make sure there are no scheduling conflicts.
Location
If you live in a small, one-bedroom apartment, you don’t have to host the party. If you can’t host the shower at your house, consider asking other bridesmaids or parents if they would be willing to host it.
It is also common to hold the bridal shower at a restaurant, winery, or anywhere the bride would enjoy. If you do plan on hosting the bridal shower somewhere other than someone’s house, make the reservations as soon as possible. The last thing you want is to pick the perfect venue and find out it’s booked.
Guestlist
You don’t want to offend anyone when it comes to planning the guest list for the bridal shower, but at the same time, it is not necessary to invite every female that is coming to the wedding to the shower. You also never want to send an invite to the bridal shower if that person won’t be invited to the wedding,. This is where communicating with the bride is extremely important. It is most common to invite close friends and family of the bride, and sometimes close friends and family of the groom as well, but be sure to double check your final list against her wedding guest list before sending the invites.
Cost
Whoever plans the bridal shower is generally in charge of paying for it. However, if you are close with the other bridesmaids and decide to plan it together, you can always discuss splitting the cost. You should not ask other guests to contribute to the cost of the bridal shower. That is not their responsibility and they are bringing gifts. Keep in mind what you are comfortable spending as you plan the shower. If your Pinterest board of ideas is getting a bit too busy, narrow down your options in order to satisfy your budget. There are tons of budget friendly ways to plan a perfect bridal shower.
Now for the fun stuff!
Theme
What is the personality of the bride? Is she a bohemian queen? Consider making the bridal shower garden themed and hosting it in your backyard. Is she more traditional? Maybe a bridal shower tea party would work best for her. Or maybe she loves to travel with her fiancé, then get creative and make the theme of the shower their favorite destination. Not every bridal shower needs to have a theme, but if it does have one, make sure it is something that fits the bride’s personality.
Menu
When it comes to the food, consider the time of day the shower will be held and your budget If you are on a tight budget and the party is mid-afternoon, you may want to only serve appetizers. If you’re throwing an early evening bash, you could simply serve a spread of desserts. Be careful of hosting the party around meal times – like lunch or dinner – as guests may expect there to be a full meal, rather than snacks. Be creative and brainstorm ideas with the caterer; no one will ever question how much you spent on the food.
Decor
Just like the food, do not feel like you must spend a ton of money on the decorations. Pinterest is always helpful when it comes to finding cute, cheap ways to decorate parties. A day where all the bridesmaids get together, drink wine, and make decorations will be a fun way to bond before the wedding. However, you probably won’t want all of the decor to be DIY, as it can easily start to look crafty and tacky. We suggest sprinkling in DIY aspects alongside rented decor options. This balance creates a theme that boasts of class and elegance while satisfying your wallet.
Games
Bridal shower games can really liven up the party and they can be a great way for guests to find out more about the bride and her future husband. Remember, not all games have to have a winner or encourage competition. You can set a box out where people can write down fun date ideas for the newly married couple, words of wisdom to keep their relationship strong, or guess the number of Hershey Kisses in the jar. If you think the bride would like something more interactive and silly, check out this Blog. The more fun you have planning it, the more fun the games will be!
Favors
Finally, when everyone leaves at the end of the perfect bridal shower you just hosted, it is polite to send them off with a little gift. Party favors should be a small gesture to thank the guests for coming. It can be anything from an engraved wine glass to a cute goody bag filled with chocolates. No matter what it is, people will simply appreciate the thought.
Have fun when planning the bridal shower! This will be a day that the bride will always remember, and she will appreciate all the time and effort you put into making this day so special. If you remember to plan ahead and communicate with the bride, it will help relieve a lot of the stress that comes along with planning an event like this.
