Bridal Shower Timeline and Itinerary

This blog post is all about the order of events for a bridal shower.

It’s tea time! Or maybe mimosa time! Either way, it is time to celebrate the bride-to-be and lavish her with thoughtful and practical gifts.

But what about the timeline? What are the things to consider for a bridal shower?

If you need a guide for a fabulous affair, here is a standard bridal shower itinerary.

It doesn’t matter if you are the maid of honor or a member of the bridal party, this itinerary will help you plan your event with ease.

HOW LONG SHOULD A BRIDAL SHOWER BE?

A bridal shower should last two to three hours, depending on the number of guests. Three hours may be the perfect amount of time for a bridal shower.

You will have an understanding of what happens at a bridal shower, the sequence, and how long each part lasts.

Here’s a sample itinerary that you can use as a guide:

Keep in mind that the bridal shower is for the bride, but it is important that the guests are entertained and occupied.

As the host, you want to keep things moving along so that guests do not get bored. You want to make sure their attention stays on the bride and her upcoming wedding.

WHAT IS THE BEST BRIDAL SHOWER TIMELINE?

There should be a time designated for eating, playing games, and opening gifts. There are some extra things to add for entertainment purposes like cake cutting and advice/speeches.

In this blog post, you will learn how to host a bridal shower from start to finish. You will have an understanding of what happens at a bridal shower, the sequence, and how long each aspect lasts.

Before the Shower

You should start bridal shower planning at least four to six weeks prior to the wedding.

A bridal shower is usually thrown about two months before the ceremony, so make sure the date and times work for the bride-to-be, her family members, and her friends.

The bridal shower guest list should consist of family and friends that were invited to the wedding.

Send bridal shower invitations as soon as possible and give a deadline for RSVP.

Bridal Shower Timeline

Now it’s time to get this party started. Here is the element you will need to make a bridal shower as efficient and useful as possible.

Keep in mind that the bridal shower is for the bride, but it is important that the guests are entertained and occupied.

As the host, you want to keep things moving along so that guests do not get bored.

You want to make sure their attention stays on the bride and her upcoming wedding.

Arrival and Welcome

Arrivals should last about 15– 20 minutes. allow guests to take a seat and say their hellos to fellow guests and to the bride-to-be.

This is a good time for the guests to place gifts on the gift table and admire the bridal shower decorations.

This is when guests arrive and are greeted by the host. 

Offer drinks and light snacks to keep everyone relaxed and comfortable. 

Meal Time

The meal will take up a large chunk of time. Depending on the serving style, allow at least one hour for guests to get their food and eat.

This is a good time to talk and get to know the guests and their relation to the bride. The host should float around to make sure the guests are okay and enjoying their food.

Games

The games depend on the tone of the bridal shower. It is the host’s job to figure out the audience.

For example, if the crowd is getting quiet during the meal, play He Said, She Said, that way guests are occupied.

If the crowd is more active you may want to play the Toilet Paper Dress game for some movement.

For a complete list of the bridal shower, games see this post HERE

Open Gifts

This is the time for the bride-to-be to open her bridal shower gifts and express her gratitude to her guests. 

The bride should begin opening her gifts. This should last about 30-45 minutes.

Someone should be available to assist the bride with opening gifts and setting gifts aside.

Having an extra set of hands will make things go buy quicker. One way to keep the part interesting is by playing bridal shower Bingo.

Be sure that someone is writing down the gifts and who they came from.

Make sure to have a designated table for the gifts, and have someone in charge of keeping track of who gave what.

Cut Cake

Time to cut the cake! This is good practice for cutting the wedding cake.

This part should be quick. There should be enough time for people could take pictures of the cake and the bride.

Once the bride is done with her photo of the cake, someone should take over parceling out the cake to the guests.

While guests eat their cake, the bride should get front and center and begin opening her gifts.

Speech

Speeches should last no longer than a half hour, this turns into informal conversations or it could be a formal speech style.

This is an opportunity for the bride’s friends and family to share stories and express their love and support for her. 

Encourage everyone to raise a glass and give a toast to the happy couple.

Here are some bridal shower speech examples.

Goodbyes and Pictures

This is the end of the bridal shower say goodbyes and thank the guests for coming.

Give away any bridal shower favors you may have and begin the clean-up process. Remember to help the bride pack her gifts up and put them in her car.

Conclusion

Here is the perfect bridal shower timeline. Feel free to tweak this timeline to your liking. You have a baseline of what to do at a bridal shower and how much time each part takes. Remember to follow me @bridalshower101

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