How to Plane a Bridal Shower

Calling all bridesmaids- this one’s for you! One of the most important tasks that falls into bridesmaids’ hands before a wedding is in fact the bridal shower. It’s your job to throw a party that will truly wow the bride so that it becomes a memorable moment for all of you gals to share.

You want to throw her the most fabulous bridal shower possible so the key point is to remember that the celebration is all about her! If she wants ribbons and bows, give her the by the books traditional shower of her dreams. If she thinks more along the lines of flower crowns and dreamcatchers, throw her a boho picnic in a meadow. Whatever the special day may call for, start rounding the troops and figuring out all the elements that will surely make her smile.

The Theme

You definitely want your bridal shower to be special, but that doesn’t necessarily mean over the top or expensive. Now is the time to let those Pinterest-worth DIY skills shine. Find inspiration in things that your bride likes to do. For example if she’s an avid foodie, why not have a cooking class at the shower! With less traditional and more casual showers becoming more and more popular, your theme may not be so definite and may just go as far as a cohesive color scheme.

The Guest List

The guest list is an element of the shower that you’ll definitely want to clue your bride in on (unless it’s a surprise party of course.) Having her help about who she wants there and who she doesn’t will make it much less of a guessing game when addressing invitations. This will also give you a better idea of how big she wants the celebration to be. Some brides envision ten of their closest friends gathered around a dinner table, and other brides rent out large event spaces. While traditional showers are all female, don’t rule out the options to invite men. Think about if including men will make sense for your bride and the type of party she wants.

The Invitations

Proper etiquette says that shower invitations should be mailed out a month before the date. While we love the cordial act of receiving a beautifully designed invitation through snail mail, the casual nature of modern showers can allow for Evites too. While registry information shouldn’t be included on wedding invitations, it’s allowed and almost expected on bridal shower invitations.

The Celebration

Games are often a fun and engaging part of a bridal shower, however you don’t want to go overboard with how many you have planned. One to two that will get everyone excited are great, but then let guests have time to mingle. The same goes for opening gifts. While it’s also customary to see the bride open her gifts, you don’t want it to take hours and hours. Keep the process organized and remember to have someone record who gave her which present!