So your BFF is getting married and you’re thrilled for her! If you happen to be the maid of honour or a bridesmaid (or the mother of the bride or groom, or sister of the bride), it may be your responsibility to organize a bridal shower. Here are some smart tips on how to pull off a special and memorable bridal shower to make the bride-to-be feel extra special.
So where can you find inspo for throwing the best bridal shower ever? Right here. The good news is it doesn’t have to traditional. Most of us tend to picture ribbons and bows attached to hats, wedding dresses made out of toilet paper, white gloves, etc. Not really so inspiring. This is really just about celebrating with her girlfriends before her big day.
One trend now is making an experience out of the party—in other words, doing an activity as a group, like makeup lessons, an art class, or a weekend getaway at a relaxing spa/hotel. A shared day out together( instead of sitting around sipping tea) can be a lot more fun and appealing.
Bridal showers are becoming less traditional in other ways, too—you can even host a couple’s shower, rather than just one for the bride. Both men and women would be welcome, obviously.
Whichever way you go, here are some essentials for organizing a fun and memorable bridal shower.
The guest list
The guest list generally includes people who have a close personal relationship with the bride. If the shower is women-only, it’s customary to invite the bride and groom’s mother, grandmothers, aunts, the bride’s closest friends, and, if the shower is a larger event, you may extend the invitation to a few work friends or girlfriends of the men involved in the wedding party.
However, you should keep one very important rule in mind when planning the guest list for the bridal shower. “It’s inappropriate to invite someone who will not be receiving an invitation to the wedding,” Catherine warns.
The invitations
Bridal shower invitations have gotten so much nicer! It’s pretty common to send an email invite to friends where guests can RSVP, comment and ask you questions. Easy peasy! Some people still prefer to mail invitations, though, and if you’re one of them, check out these beautiful bridal shower invitations from the Etsy store LewisDesignCo.
Remember: send out the invitations about a month before the bridal shower so people can make room in their busy calendars!
The theme
Try to base the theme around something the bride (or both bride and groom) love to do, like an outdoorsy theme, a reading/books theme, or a travelling theme.
Colour themes are getting popular—try blues, greens, golds, or something more subdued, like pink and white. Try to tie in the colour into the invites, decor, flowers, drinks and dessert. How about asking everyone to come dressed in the themed shower colours?
The menu
Cupcakes are a always a hit, and pretty, perfect crustless sandwiches are vintage feeling. You can even create a theme around the food, like a British tea party, or a wine and cheese event. You can ask each guest to bring a bottle of wine or champagne for the couple.
The games
Does anyone really enjoy wedding shower games? Doubtful. Wedding shower games, such as those where the bride tries to guess what the groom’s answers to certain questions are, are passé, but you might think of some new, modern games to try.
Bridal shower planning dos and don’ts!
- Don’t ask anyone to pay. Just FYI, the cost of the shower is always on the organizers. You can invite just a few friends, so the shower’s not too expensive.
- Don’t go overboard. Keep it simple, elegant and fuss-free. Sometimes all you need is some fresh flowers and good food.
- Do have a plan in place. Make sure you know what’s happening, when, and that things flow along nicely with your gentle coordination.
- Don’t invite people to the bridal shower who won’t be invited to the wedding. Major faux pas.
- Do make her feel special! The whole point of the bridal shower is for close friends to come together and celebrate the bride. Have fun and make her feel special.
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