How to Divide the Duties for a Bridal Shower

Don't let the bride know how much planning went into her party.

With a wedding approaching, many members of the bridal party are incredibly busy. However, this also marks the time for a bridal shower, which can result in many stressed-out bridesmaids. The way to avoid getting yourself in over your head is to delegate some of the wedding shower duties to other members of the bridal party. The maid of honor is the woman in charge of the shower, and so she should be the one who requests the assistance of others.

Instructions

1. Make a list of all the shower-related tasks to be accomplished. Based on your list, the bridesmaids will be able to select tasks based on their personal skills, connections and talents. If tasks still remain, though, you may need to delegate further. Usually, these tasks will be accomplished by the people in and close to the bridal party, such as the bridesmaids and the mothers of the bride and groom.

2. Discuss and decide on a theme. The person in charge of the decorations and favors should stick to the theme to give the party a uniformed, professional look. She should also discuss her decorating ideas with the other bridesmaids to ensure that they will not clash with the location or stationery selection.

3. Decide who is going to hire a caterer. The person who takes this on must either be familiar with a catering company or have enough time to test the cuisine before the party date.

4. Determine who will act as secretary. As the bride opens her gifts, the secretary's job will be to write down each gift and its sender so the bride can send the appropriate thank you note after the day ends. The maid of honor usually announces the sender as she hands the gift to the bride, making the secretary's job easier.

5. Ask someone to create the wedding rehearsal bouquet. During the bridal shower, the ribbons and bows from the bride's gifts can be attached to a paper plate to make a keepsake bouquet for the bride to carry. The bridesmaid in charge of this must be responsible for the bouquet after the shower ends because she will be put in charge of bringing it to the rehearsal.

Tips & Warnings

• As the host of the party, the maid of honor is in charge of finding a location, discussing the guest list with the bride --- if it's not a surprise --- and mailing the invitations.

References

• The Maid of Honor Guide
• Perfect Wedding Day: Bridal Party Duties and Responsibilities
• Arbridal: Delegation of Duties
• Mother of the Bride: Mother of the Bride Duties in Detail
• The Knot: Maid of Honor - Her Duties in Detail

Resources

• Maid of Honor Advice: How to Plan a Bridal Shower