This blog post is about everything you need to know about hosting a bridal shower.
Congratulations! You’ve got a lot of planning for you so let’s get right to it. In this blog post, you will find an index to all things bridal showers.
We will provide the who, what, when, and where on this topic. We’ve been blogging about bridal showers for quite some time and we’ve picked up some of the best practices and tips we’ve come across.
Some of the most frequently asked questions regarding how to host a bridal shower will be answered here so be sure to bookmark, pin or share this post on social media.
We will provide links to several helpful posts on our site where we explore the topic more in-depth. There you will find detailed answers to some of the questions.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A BRIDAL SHOWER?
The purpose of a bridal shower is to celebrate the bride to be on her upcoming wedding. It is a traditional event where women get together and offer the bride gifts and well wishes.
Bridal showers were once a time where women share marriage tips and recipes with the bride. They have come a long way and nowadays they are WAY more entertaining.
If you want a general overview of what happens during a bridal shower, then we wrote an entire post Four main things that happen at a bridal shower.
WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AT A BRIDAL SHOWER?
Now that you know the reason why you should host a bridal shower, let’s get into the specifics. There is a general timeline you should follow. That way you could keep things organized and scheduled for this event.
The party starts with the arrival of friends and family, then typically some sort of meal is provided. Then there are some games and the bride cuts her cake. The longest part is the bride opening gifts and speeches.
For a complete overview of a Bridal Shower, Timeline click here for more information. There we have a printable timeline you could use as a reference.
When to have a bridal shower?
The host should have the bridal shower approximately 2 months before the wedding.
They usually take place during the day in the morning or afternoon. Brunch time is a popular time to host this event. That is why mimosas are a popular beverage.
Who throws the bridal shower?
The maid of honor is usually the one responsible for hosting the bridal shower. She plans this pre-wedding event with the bridal party. Other people who host are the mother of the bride/groom or the sister of the bride.
The bride should have little to do with the planning process. All she has to do is show up and celebrate her upcoming big day.
If you need more on the maid of honor duties check out our Ultimate Maid of Honor Planner.
Who pays for the bridal shower?
The host is primarily responsible for the bridal shower expenses. The host could get help from the bridal party as well because they will be contributing to the event.
Most groups split the costs evenly between each other to make sure the bride does not come out of pocket. We wrote a detailed blog post on this HERE.
Who to invite to a bridal shower?
Invite close friends of the bride or family members to a bridal shower. This guest list should be pre-approved by the bride unless it is a surprise.
Guests are primarily women who were invited to the wedding unless you are hosting a wedding shower. Wedding showers are similar to engagement parties, but the couple opens gifts in front of guests.
When to send out invitations?
Bridal shower invitations should be received after the wedding invitations. So they should be sent out 6 weeks before the shower. We wrote all about invitation etiquette and how to address bridal shower invitations.
Where are the best places to have a bridal shower?
The best place depends on the number of bridal shower guests. Feel free to have one at home, church, a venue, park, or any other fun place you could think of.
As long it accommodates the number of guests you are expecting then it will work. We’ve listed all 15 of the best places to have a bridal shower in this post HERE.
What is the difference between a bridal shower vs. a bachelorette party?
The difference between the two is the size and guests. The bridal shower is often larger than a bachelorette party.
The bridal shower pleases the mothers and grannies while the bachelorette party pleases the bride’s close friends. We review the pros and cons of each in this post HERE.
If you are wondering if you should have one over the other, then we recommend having the bridal shower because the bride-to-be could get some nice gifts before the wedding.
Or you could blend them together and do a bachelorette weekend. Have the shower during the day and the bride and her crew could take off that night to their bach weekend destination.
What do you buy for a bridal shower?
There are many popular gift ideas for this event. Most people buy gifts for the bride based on her wedding registry. Some other gifts could include kitchen items, lingerie, home decor and so much more.
Gift baskets are also great gifts, especially for someone who couldn’t make it, but wanted to send a gift. And if you are the host, then you may need a quick and unique gift to get her. We’ve made a post on last-minute bridal shower gifts.
What to wear to a bridal shower?
A bridal shower is considered a formal event and may partake in some photos you’d want to look your best. You don’t need to dress as formally as you would for a wedding. But you’d want to casually dress up.
If you are a woman a nice dress or shirt and pants will look nice. Men should wear something like khakis and a collared shirt.
Bridal Shower 101- steps to planning a bridal brunch
Plan an amazing bridal shower with these 7 easy steps.
Create a budget
Figure out the amount of money that will be spent on the shower. It all depends on who is planning it and who is pitching in. Remember, the bride does NOT pay for anything in regards to the shower.
If you are a bridesmaid, you should meet with the ladies of the wedding party to see how much they are willing to pitch in. If you are the mother of the bride, you may want to see if the mother of the groom or their sisters would like to contribute.
Pick a date and place
Pick a date where everyone, especially is the bride, is available. Do not pick a day when some of the bridesmaids are working or has an appointment or something. Once you’ve confirmed the date with the main people, then you are good to go.
Determine guest list and theme
The guest list should be determined by the budget. But make sure all close friends and family are invited. It may be too much to invite EVERY woman invited to the wedding unless you have a bigger budget. We find that a comfortable size for a bridal shower is about 30-40 people.
There are bridal shower themes you could choose for a bridal shower. In fact, we have a whole category of this blog for some popular wedding shower themes. Keep scrolling for a list of our most popular themes.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S- This theme is from the popular TV show. It will be a lot of bright purple decor and the yellow peephole and lobster decals. This is a great theme if you want props for a photo booth.
Tea Party- This is a classic, fancy and sophisticated theme for an extravagant bride. Be sure to include hats, gloves and fancy pearls.
Harry Potter- The best theme for book loves and Hogwarts fans. There are some must haves for this theme like a Quiddich table and the Harry Potter edition of the Who Has The Groom game.
Sunflower/Rustic- Beautiful them for summer and fall. Sunflowers represent happiness and this is a very happy time for so many people.
Lemon- She found her main squeeze and it is time to celebrate with this sweet and bitter theme. Lemons make cute decorations and you could incorporate a lot of things for this theme like lemonade, lemon chicken or lemon pound cake.
Bride-to-Bee- This is such a bold, bright and geometric theme. This the is filled with honey and bumble bee decor to congratulate the queen bee (the bride).
Send invitations
Send invitations out approximately 1 month before the event. If there are people traveling or long distances, you may want to let them know ASAP.
Create menu
The most popular bridal shower menu items are hors d’oeuvres and finger food. Baked goods and desserts are also good food ideas.
Shop for decorations
Balloon garland, cupcake toppers, floral and so many other decor items you could use for this event. But don’t go too crazy, because you’ll need to pick up bridal shower favors and gifts as well.
Organize activities and games
A very fun interactive activity/ game is the Toilet Paper dress game. Another fun game is the bridal jeopardy game.
More Ideas- Our Greatest Hits
17 FREE Printable Bridal Shower Games
Bridal Shower Advice Cards and What to Write in Them
Bridal Shower Instagram Captions
Letter to Bride From Bridesmaid
This blog post was all about bridal shower etiquette.