- A bridal shower is a gathering of family, friends and coworkers in honor of an impending marriage ceremony. This typically all-girl celebration allows loved-ones to shower the bride with gifts, but without a checklist, your shower may be doomed to fail before it starts. To stay on budget and create a memorable bridal shower, use a detailed checklist to plan the perfect event.
Meet With the Bride and Important Family Members
- While the bridesmaids or maid of honor may host the bridal shower, don't leave the bride's family out of the planning process. According to The Knot's website, "the mother of the bride will probably want to pitch in or have family friends or siblings who'd like to contribute." Include the bride in the beginning planning stages to determine her wishes concerning color schemes and guest list preferences.
Determine the Theme & Guest List
- Are you having a tea party, lingerie shower or kitchen shower? Determine the best theme for the bride's personality and the guests' overall enjoyment. The invitations, décor, food and gifts should reflect the bridal shower theme. Gather a list of the bride's friends, family members or coworkers for the final guest list.
Choose Date, Location & Budget
- "Emily Post's Etiquette" recommends that the wedding shower be held from two weeks to two months prior to the wedding. If you cannot have the event at the mother of the bride's home or at one of the bridesmaid's residences, choose a restaurant or rent an apartment complex clubhouse for the event. Create a budget for the shower to include the cost to rent a facility, decorations, food, cake, games, party favors. Ask the bridesmaids and others close to the bride to contribute a small monetary contribution to the overall bridal shower budget.
Send Invitations, Select Décor and Food
- Purchase decorations for the bridal shower that reflect the overall theme. For example, if you are planning a Mexican fiesta shower, send red, green or yellow invitations to the guests. Serve Mexican-style food such as chips and queso or salsa, and serve drinks like mojitos or non-alcoholic sangria at the bridal shower. Include a wedding bell-shaped piñata for the shower guests along with Mexican-themed décor like cacti. Serve flan for desert along with a festive cake.
Plan Games and Purchase Gifts
- For a two-hour bridal shower, select a minimum of 5 party games for the guests. Sample bridal shower games may include: Bridal Shower Bingo, Toilet Paper Wedding Dress and How Well Does the Bride Know the Groom? Create a schedule to include a light lunch, times for playing games and opening gifts. Ask the bridesmaids if they would like to pool their money together to buy a joint gift for the bride, or they may prefer buying individual gifts that represent the bridal shower theme.If you can find something here, you can always google it. enjoy
