 The
Bridal Shower
Hosted by the Maid of Honor, Matron of Honor or a
friend of the family, The Bridal Shower is an old custom started centuries ago with family
and friends "Showering" the bride and groom with gifts since the couple usually
did not have much to begin their new lives together. It is customary to have at least one
bridal shower but many times a bride may have multiple bridal showers hosted by different
friends. Furthermore, some couples today have co-ed showers, including the groom and his
friends.
Shower Gifts are customary to bring although traditionally they are not
as large of a gift as the Wedding Gift. The shower gift is usually something practical and
small, such as some of the more small items off of the wedding directory. Check out some
of the most popular wedding directories on our Resource Page.
If you are planning the bridal shower it is
important to work with the bride in who she wants to attend. If there are multiple
showers, many times different people that are going to the wedding attend the different
showers with some overlap. It is customary for the guests of any of the showers to be
attending the wedding unless they are co-workers. As for the rest of the planning, it is
sometimes nice to get a general idea of what the bride would like, although it is nice to
plan many surprises (i.e., themes, games, etc) in which the bride has no idea.
Bridesmaid 101 has listed some of the more important
planning information which is hopefully helpful in planning the party:
Location:
There are many great places to have a bridal shower.
Traditionally, the shower was held in a home of the Maid of Honor, although now they are
held in places such as restaurants, bars, hotels, halls, and country clubs. Regardless on
where you have it, make sure it is convenient for most the guests.
Time:
Bridal Showers usually take place a few weeks prior to
the wedding. It is important to check out availability with the Bride, Groom and their
families. In addition, it is important to take season and hour of day into consideration
(i.e, Is it during the rainy or windy season which would make you have an indoor party).
Themes:
Although traditionally there were no themes of Bridal
Showers, recent times have shown different. Themes have become more popular with some
ideas including:
Lingerie Shower: Have the girls come over in P.J.'s or
their nightime clothes and decorate the party as a "sleepover" Have the gifts of
the bride consist of "bed and bath", lingerie, bikinis or anything sexy that her
and the groom will enjoy!
Recipe Shower: Have all the guests do a pot luck,
serving their greatest meal while also bringing the recipes. Guests can either give
kitchen items as gifts or serve the food in the bride and grooms gift (i.e., pot/pan,
bowls, cups, utensils). This is a great way to feed the party as well as give reasonable
gifts for the bride and groom.
Multi-Cultural Shower- Have all the guests bring their
favorite cultural dish "in" the bride and groom's bridal shower gift. Whether it
is egg rolls and suschi on japanese plates (gift) or pasta fresh from a pasta maker (gift)
it is a great way to give the bride and groom unique gifts. Decorate the party with
decorations from different cultures. For other Theme ideas, visit our Resource
Page under Themes.
Be sure to purchase your
bridal shower themes and favors,
bridal shower invitation themes and
bachelorette party
supplies as early as possible.
Wedding Flowers - Seasonal Recommendations
When you are planning on what flowers to use for the
bridal dresses or wedding dress as well as the wedding itself, we
have listed the top choices for each season. These are the flowers
that seem to work the best:
Fall - Celosia, Chinese Lantern, Chrysanthemum,
Crosnia, Dahlia, Statice, Yarrow. Note that in the Western US, most
flowers are available this season.
Winter - Amaryllis, Casablanca Lily, Freesia,
Gerber Daisy, Heather, Holly, Narcissus, Poinsettia, Rose, Stephanotis.
Summer - Anemone, Azalea, Calla Lily, Camellia,
Daffodil, French Tulip, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Jasmine, Lilac, Lily of the
Valley, Mimosa, Pansy, Peony, Primrose, Ranunculus, Sweet Pea, Tulip,
Violet.
Year Around - Baby's Breath, Carnation, Cattleman,
Chrysanthemum, Cymbidium, Orchid, Daisy, Dendroblum Orchid, Freesia,
Gardenia, Gerber Daisy, Gladiolus, Iris, Lilies, Protea, Roses,
September Aster, Snapdragon, Stephanotis, Tuberoses.
Let us know if you have any other flowers you
would recommend.
CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF OUR BRIDAL SHOWER GUEST
LIST
CLICK
HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION OF OUR GIFT CHECKLIST
If you have your own ideas, email us at |
