KissMeGoodnight
eRomance Series:
Throwing a Bridal Shower
Planning
a Bridal Shower From Start to Finish
Your bridal shower is meant to be your special
time during which you get together with your family and friends
to celebrate your upcoming nuptials. But, planning a bridal
shower can become somewhat overwhelming, especially if you
have never been involved in planning one before. Just remember,
a bridal shower is meant to be a fun and enjoyable experience.
Don’t get so caught up in the planning that you forget to enjoy
yourself!
Create a Guest List
Traditionally, the maid of honor is responsible for throwing
the bridal shower. This does not, however, mean that the bride-to-be
is not involved in the planning. In fact, the bride-to-be has
a great number of responsibilities when it comes to planning
the bridal shower. The first of these jobs is to sit down with
the hostess of the bridal shower and determine a guest list.
This list should always include the bride’s mother, her future
mother-in-law, her female siblings, the bridesmaids and, of
course, the maid of honor. It should also include other close
family members and friends. Co-workers can also be included
on the list if the bride desires.
Before making the list, determine the budget for the bridal
shower. This should help you decide how many guests you can
invite. Also, keep in mind that those you invite to your bridal
shower should also be invited to the wedding itself.
If you are planning a bridal shower for someone and you want
the shower to be a surprise, you will have to consult with
the groom-to-be and with the bride’s mother to make sure you
create an accurate guest list.
Set a Date
After you have created your bridal shower guest list, it is
time to set a date for the celebration. Typically, the bridal
shower should be as long as two months before the wedding date
and no less than two weeks. If the bridal shower is to be a
surprise, discuss possible dates with the groom (you will likely
need his help in more ways than one to ensure the shower is
a surprise, anyway!). Otherwise, the bride-to-be should work
closely with the bridal shower hostess to determine the best
date. Sundays are a popular choice for bridal showers because
most people are off from work on this day.
Choose a Theme
Picking a theme for your shower can help make it more fun
for both the bride-to-be and the guests. In addition, a bridal
shower theme often makes the rest of the shower planning easier
because invitations, decorations, and favors can all be coordinated
to fit the theme. Some popular bridal shower themes include
household gifts, wine, lingerie, and romantic gifts.
Select and Send Invitations
Now that you have set a date and determined a theme for the
bridal shower, it should be much easier to find the perfect
invitations. If you can’t find the right invitations, however,
you can make your own. No matter which way you choose to go,
be sure to mail out your bridal shower invitations at least
two weeks before the shower. This will give your guests plenty
of time to make arrangements to attend. Unless you are sending
invitations to guests who will need to travel a long distance
to attend the bridal shower, you shouldn’t send the invitations
out more than a month in advance. Otherwise, you risk having
your guests forget about the celebration.
When sending out bridal shower invitations, be sure to include
all of the vital information. This information includes the
shower theme, the time and date of the shower, the location
of the shower, and where the couple is registered. With both
a theme and a registry to guide them, your bridal shower guests
should have no problem finding the right gift. You should also
include an RSVP date to help you with making the final plans
for the bridal shower.
Purchase Decorations and Favors
The decorations at a bridal shower are very important, particularly
if it will be themed. The favors, which serve as small mementos
for each of your party guests, should also fit the theme. In
fact, every part of the bridal shower should follow the theme
as much as possible – even the food! A nicely decorated bridal
shower will help set the tone for the rest of the shower.
Create a Menu
It is traditional to feed the guests who attend a bridal shower.
Exactly what you decide to serve may vary depending on your
theme. It is acceptable to serve either a full lunch or dinner
or to provide light snacks. In either case, there should be
a cake and it should certainly match the theme.
Select the Entertainment
Usually, the entertainment at bridal showers consists of games.
You can have music at a bridal shower, but it should serve
as background music rather than music for your guests to dance
to. Games help get everyone talking and getting to know each
other. Be sure to include prizes for those who win at the games.
If possible, the prizes should match the theme as well. Otherwise,
prizes such as candy, candles, and journals make good substitutes.
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KissMeGoodnight.com
: 2006
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