How to Plan a Bridal Shower
Planning a bridal shower should be a fun and pleasant experience! Most likely, if you've been asked to throw a shower, you're doing this for a good friend or relative. This means you have insight into what you're loved one will want and appreciate most.
First things first. Don't be afraid to ask the bride-to-be what type of shower she will want. Some brides are shy and will say "Oh, whatever you plan will be fine". But really, you don't want to go all out, spending tons of cash on a big bash only to have the Bride shrink in horror about all the attention! Find out your Bride's comfort level. Would she like an intimate party at her home or yours? Or would she prefer it at a restaurant or banquet hall? Casual dress or cocktail? Or is she very hip and trendy and wants a Couples shower? This is the first question you need answered. Then you're on your way to planning the best event possible.
Keep in mind while planning the shower that the financial burden does not have to be yours to bear alone. If you plan up front with the Bride what it is she wants, and what you can afford, you should be able to pull off a great day for her. If her ideas are a little more lofty than your purse may allow, be honest and up front about it as soon as you can. Give her suggestions of what you were thinking, and ask if she would be okay with soliciting other family members and bridesmaids to pitch in. Even it it's just a little help with pot-lucking some food, your Bride will hopefully be willing to go to bat for you. After all, she chose you to throw her shower since she knows she can count on you. She'll understand!
Once you've gotten some direction from your Bride, you'll need her help in putting together an invite list. Sometimes events like this can get tricky, especially when there are divorced in-laws or multiple families in the mix. Get her to send you a list of all the people she'd like invited, including their most recent addresses. This way you can get an idea of how large the event could be and it will help you to plan more accordingly.
Now you're on your way! Here are a few items you'll need to think about:
1. Invitations: If you are super creative, then hand-made invites are a great personal touch. If not, don't worry, most greeting card or party planning stores have a great selection of shower invites. Pick the one that reminds you most of your Bride-to-be, or ones that might match the Bride's wedding colors. Send the invites out at least 4 weeks in advance. Ask guests to RSVP by around a week out of the event. Something new is offering RSVP via email. These days women are busy! And it saves your out-of-towners the long distance phone call. Also, as a nice thought, when selecting the invites, purchase the matching set of Thank You Notes as well. This will come in handy later on. During the shower, pass the envelopes around to each person that attended. Have them self-address the envelope, and voila! You've saved your Bride-to-be the small chore when she goes to send the Thank You's.
2. Refreshments: Once you have a general idea of the number of guests you might have, choose a time frame that will go along with the theme of your party. Will you be doing an afternoon tea? A formal luncheon? A casual afternoon get together? An evening of wine and desserts? Make a list of what type of refreshments you'll need to purchase. Also decide what cutlery you'll need - Plates, napkins, forks, spoons, knives, a cake cutting knife, glassware etc. Depending on where your shower will take place, you'll need to think about what you'll need to provide. Lists go a long way in planning a shower. Once you've bought something, check it off the list. One thing not to forget is age-appropriate drinks. Always plan on having some juice or soda available for young guests.
3. Games: Most bridal showers aren't complete without at least a few corny games. If your bride-to-be has insisted on no games, at least think about selecting #A from my list of ideas:
A. Buy some cheap plastic mardi-gras necklaces. Hand one out to each guest as they arrive. Ask them to wear it throughout the party. Let them know that the guest with the most necklaces at the end of the party wins! Then tell them, the trick is they aren't allowed to say the name of the Groom-to-be during the whole party! If another guest overhears someone say his name, they are allowed to steal a necklace! It's a fun way for all your guests to introduce each other. It ends up being a little tricky to say "Hi, I'm Irene, The Groom's Aunt" or the like. This also helps if you have pre-teen attendees. It keeps them occupied and gives them an opportunity to engage with some relatives or friends of the Bride they normally wouldn't talk to.
B. An easy and silly game is to give each guest a white paper plate and a pen. Tell them to place the plate on top of their head and with 1 minute on the clock, to draw the Brides perfect dream house on the plate. At the end, the plates are collected and given to the Bride. She must select the best drawing, but first showcase each plate to the crowd for a few laughs.
C. A popular shower game is to come up with a "How well do you know the Bride?" Quiz. Get together with your Bride at some point before the event. Ask her a series of questions. Keep the list of answers for the day of the party, and run off a bunch of photocopies of your questions. Give the guests 5-10 minutes to fill out the quiz. This is a great game to play while you take the time to ready the cake in another room. Possible quiz questions for you to consider: Bride's first boyfriend? Her favorite color? Her favorite movie? Her first job? Her favorite actor? Her first car? How many kids does she want? Her dream vacation spot? etc. Then throw in a few about her groom: His middle name? Where did they meet? How did he propose?
Games are a fun way for your guests to interact. The only thing to think about is think about your crowd before you plan any risque games. If you bride has a strictly religious Grandmother, best not plan anything too vulgar!
4. Gifts: Make sure to leave ample time for the Bride to open her gifts. Designate a bridesmaid or friend to jot down a list of gifts and who gave them. This comes in very handy when the Bride goes to write her thank you's. Designate a creative bridesmaid or friend to collect the ribbons and wrapping as the Bride opens her gifts. Give this person a paper plate with a hole cut out of the middle and some scotch tape. As the Bride opens gifts, she gives this friend something from each gift to add to the "paper bouquet". At the end of all the gift opening, you will end up with a pretty "paper and ribbon bouquet". Give this to the Bride, and she'll have something to use on the day of the wedding rehearsal.
5. Shower Favors: Most parties these days whether it's the wedding itself, or a kid's birthday party, leave guests with a small favor of thanks for attending. Bridal showers are no exception, so plan ahead what you might want to give as a small token of thanks. Some suggestions: A frosted cookie with the name of the Bride on top, wrapped in cellophane and a ribbon in the color of the Bride's wedding color; A potpourri satchel tied with a ribbon and a little card marking the Bride's name and date of the shower; A votive candle in the Bride's favorite color or scent, wrapped with a ribbon and card.
6. The Cleanup: Not always the fun part of hosting an event, but be sure to enlist the help of some of the bridesmaids or other relatives to help you clean up. You've hosted an amazing day for your Bride, you don't have to do it all yourself!
7. Go the extra mile:Tip #1:Here is a really great personal touch for you to do for the Bride. Purchase a blank scrapbook. Pre-cut out some fun and fancy 3x5 shapes on colored cards. If you can get your hands on a Polaroid camera, take a snap of each guest as they arrive. A digital camera works fine too, but the Polaroid is fun for the guests to see their image while there. Give each guest a card to fill out. Ask them to give the Bride-to-be some advice on marriage. Collect all the snaps and cards, and after the event, put together a fun scrapbook for the Bride as a wedding gift. It's also fun to put out a few disposable cameras at the party. Ask guests to take some candid shots throughout the event. Get the film developed and add some of these fun shots to the scrapbook. Your Bride will really be thankful for this fun and personal memory!
Tip#2: If you or a friend or family member have a digital video camera, entrust someone to record some of the highlights of the party. Have each guest say something for the Bride-to-be or Groom-to-be. This is a great way for the Groom's relatives to give him some love and advice since they won't get to hang out with him at his bachelor party! Record the games and cake cutting and some gift opening. It will be fun for the Bride to share some of her day with her future husband. After-all - those gifts she opens will be half his!
Just remember, Bridal showers are meant to be a celebration of the Bride. It's a day for her to relish her best girlfriends and relatives. It's a time for her to share memories and she'll always remember it as a special day. If you put a little effort and love into your planning, your event will go off without a hitch! Good Luck!
