If you’ve never hosted a bridal shower before or want some fresh ideas, today’s blog post is worth a read. Bridal showers generally happen a few weeks before the wedding and are a fun part of the wedding process. Not only will the bride get showered with gifts but female guests for the wedding from both the bride and groom’s side get a chance to mingle and get to know one another. It can be a great pre- wedding icebreaker.
How are bridal showers generally structured?
- Welcome
- game playing
- food
- gift opening
- cake and coffee/ tea
Any shower, be it bridal or baby, should have great food to serve the guests. You can have it catered or prepare it yourself and you can also make it a bit of a pot luck affair where close friends of the bride chip in to help. Traditionally, the maid / matron of honour and the brides maids help. The mothers (of the bride and groom) may also lend a hand.
Here are some tips for a great bridal shower :
- If you’re having it at the bride’s house, consider having people who bring food, bring it in/on a brand new serving platter and make that part of their gift to the bride. If that’s the case, be sure it’s recorded for appropriate thank you notes.
- Online party favor shops can help you with decor and party favors and you can personalize and theme the shower to the bride and groom’s colors, etc.
- Consider buying the bride a buffet server as a gift to leave for her. This helps keep hot food hot
- You can often rent large coffee carafes from your local grocery store
- Don’t forget to buy some sponges and carpet cleaning solution to keep on hand in case of spills
- There are some great bridal shower games to play and some even involve the shower food
- Be sure there is enough food variety in case of dietary restrictions such as allergies, Celiac disease, for vegetarians, etc.
What about the men?
This is absolutely optional but many family weddings ensure there is something organized for the men to do while women are at the bridal shower. Since all the ladies in the two families will be together for an afternoon, if possible, set up a location for the men to congregate. They can have refreshments and hang out at someone’s home or something can be set up at a restaurant or sports bar where many of the men can socialize during the shower. Many people also opt for jack and jill showers today where the bride and groom are showered with gifts together.
Tags: bridal shower food, bridal shower games, bridal shower planning, bridal shower tips, Bridal Showers, jack and jill showers
Leave a Reply