Destination Wedding Shower
As the number of destination weddings rise, so do questions about how, when and where to host bridal or wedding showers. Etiquette can be tricky for any wedding event, particularly when the wedding will be held away from home. When you begin planning a wedding shower for a destination wedding, consider the guest list, distances they'd have to travel and wedding schedule.
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History
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Destination weddings typically didn't include wedding showers or other traditional wedding events because they were primarily a way for a couple to elope. Many couples would grab one or two friends to act as witnesses, or make use of witnesses provided on location.
Many couples opt for destination weddings now to take advantage of holding their wedding in a dream location, somewhere special, or to accommodate a guest list where everyone will have to travel no matter where the wedding is held. Hosting a traditional wedding away from home often includes other wedding events, such as showers.
Function
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Showers, whether for the couple or the bride, serve as a way for guests to shower them with gifts for their new home and life together. Destination wedding showers can be smaller as guests generally have to spend a lot of money to travel to the wedding. They can take place at home prior to leaving for the wedding, or at the destination location. Keep in mind that the couple will have to haul all of their gifts home if the shower is held on location. For those instances, host a themed shower utilizing recipes or something small that won't be a huge inconvenience when it comes time to return home.
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Significance
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Wedding showers are important to some couples; however, other events can take their place if the couple doesn't want to be showered with gifts. Hosting a luncheon or tea party are ideas where everyone can get together to celebrate without the gifts. It's the job of the maid of honor to host the event, and she should do so without stepping on the bride's toes.
Types
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Showers for a destination wedding can be held at home prior to the event, or a day or two before the wedding at the destination location. Either way, couples' showers or traditional bridal showers are both acceptable. If you host the shower on location, work it around the other wedding events as well as the bride's schedule. It may be difficult to plan a surprise shower on location as the couple probably have tons of last minute planning details to attend to, not to mention hair and nail appointments, alone time and sightseeing.
Considerations
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Only guests invited to the actual wedding should be invited to the shower. Guests who will be invited to a post-wedding, local reception or similar celebration can be invited to the wedding shower if they are invited to the post-wedding celebration first. This is a sticky etiquette point, since the purpose of a shower is for the guests to provide gifts. It is rude to expect a person to give a gift if they are not included in the celebration of the event.
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