Are you or someone you know getting ready to tie the knot? As you plan for the big celebration, you may have heard of a ‘bridal shower’. But what is a bridal shower and why it is a part of the wedding tradition? In this blog post, we’ll explain what this fun and festive party is, who to invite, and what is included in this fun pre-wedding celebration.
Let’s get started!
The History of Bridal Showers
A bridal shower was once created to financially support the newlyweds, but has evolved into a fun and festive bash where the bride is showered with presents ahead of the wedding day.
Bridal Shower Etiquette
A shower is a pre-wedding party with the bride and her closest family and friends. The notion of a wedding shower is popular these days, a modern take on the tradition: it can include couples, or be co-ed (so it doesn’t necessarily have to include just the ladies of the family).
► Read: Bridal Shower vs Wedding Shower: What’s the Difference?
Purpose
The purpose of a bridal or wedding shower is to give gifts to the happy couple and celebrate the anticipation of the wedding day in the weeks or months ahead.
Formality and Time of Day
It is casual and low-key or formal and elegant, depending on the venue of the shower. It differs from a bachelorette party because it is held in the afternoon, typically from 12pm to 3pm or 1pm to 4pm on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and includes a luncheon.
Hosting etiquette
The couple never hosts their own shower, but rather has a party held in their honor by a family member or a friend. Sometimes, the Maid of Honor and/or bridesmaids host a bridal shower for the bride. The bridal shower host plans, pays for, and runs the duration of the party from start to finish.
Expectations
A bridal shower should include the following elements:
• Invitations
Formal invitations should be sent to guests 6 weeks before the party’s date. Most showers are held 2 to 3 months before the wedding day. In my opinion, the best place to get invites is from Minted. They offer a beautiful selection in any season, theme, color palette, and style you can imagine.
► Browse more invites here [opens in a new window].
• Venue
A bridal shower can be held anywhere: at a restaurant, a banquet hall, an event space, or in your own home.
• Tables and Chairs
Guests will enjoy a seated meal, and sit and relax, so tables and chairs or comfy couch seats for everyone is essential.
• Decorations
Some balloons, banners, party decor is a nice touch!
• Cake
Make sure you have a cake, cake plates, and forks.
• Food and Drinks
Provide a nice lunch and some drinks for your guests. Sandwiches and salad is the norm, with punch or lemonade as a beverage.
• Presents
Guests bring presents for the bride or the couple to open in front of guests. The gifts typically come from the wedding registry.
• Games and Prizes
Play a few fun and silly games to get the conversation going prior to lunch. Be sure to give out some (small) prizes to the winners. It adds a lot of fun to the event!
This scratch-off game is a popular choice and always a hit among guests! See it here.
You can get a bundle of fun games to play here.
• Favors
Give your guests take-home favors as a thank you for attending the event.
► Read: 50 Most Creative Bridal Shower Favors Of All Time [2024]
Who to Invite
It’s important to only invite guests who will also be invited to the wedding.
► Read: Here Is EXACTLY Who Gets Invited to the Bridal Shower for specifics on this etiquette rule.
Now that you know what a bridal shower includes, are you ready to plan one? The first step is to pick a theme! Everything falls right into place when you select a theme first.
Hope it helps!
xo
Emma
