Bridal Shower Ideas & Tips
If you've been entrusted with organizing the bridal shower, then you have an important role. The key tip to remember is that you are trying to organize a party that the bride will enjoy and forever cherish. But even though it's tempting, keep communication with her to a minimum. The bride is already organizing a wedding and doesn't need the extra stress.
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Date and Time
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Try to organize the bridal shower for roughly eight weeks before the wedding day, though anywhere from two months to two weeks before the wedding is acceptable. Host the party on a weekday evening or on the weekend if most of the guests work.
Invitations and Guests
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Send out the invitations around three weeks before the bridal shower. Invite the guests by phone if this is an informal shower or by written invitation for a more formal affair. Traditionally these showers were for women only, but it's acceptable these days for men to come along. Adapt themes, decorations and games so they are suitable for both men and woman if the party is co-ed. Also try and keep the guest list below 20 people, as a bridal shower should be an intimate gathering where everyone has a chance to spend time with the bride. Check with the bride and groom who they would like to invite too. Since the guests may know the bride through different circles, such as old friends, current friends, through the groom or work colleagues, you could provide each person with a nametag stating her name and how she knows the bride. For example, "Kylie: I went to college with Michelle." This will give the guests something to talk to each other about and help to break the ice.
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Theme and Decorations
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If your party is indoors consider candles as centerpieces, rose petals scattered over the tables and heart-shaped balloons. Balloons can still work for outside parties, just tie them to a tree branch, chairs or a fence. Replace the candles with Christmas lights or small lanterns for outside parties. If all of this seems a little too formal for the bride, then consider a theme for the party. If the wedding has a theme you could try and match it with the bridal shower decorations. For example if the couples are having a beach wedding in Hawaii the bridal shower could be a luau, with Hawaiian music, Hawaiian food and guests dressed in aloha shirts or grass skirts. The important thing is that the theme is personal to the bride and based on her personality or things she likes so try and make a theme around her favorite film, song, a hobby or her career.
Food and Drink
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For an informal snack or finger food menu provide food like chips and dips, small sandwiches and chicken wings. Have a range of alcoholic and soft drinks for the guests. If you are looking for something a bit more formal and your budget allows for it, then book caterers for the shower. Ask people close to the bride, such as the groom and her parents, what her favorite foods are and make sure some of these are available at the shower. After all, the party is all about the bride.
Party Games
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Plan two games for a large guest list and four games for a small guest list since the more people playing will mean the games last longer. One idea is to pass around an old photo of the bride from different parts of her life. Ask each guest to guess the year the picture was taken, whoever gets it right wins. Then play the next round with a new photo. Another game is for each guest to write down a tip for a long and happy marriage on a piece of paper and drop it into a bowl. Someone reads out the anonymous tips and the other guests have to guess who wrote it. Games are traditional at bridal showers, but not required.
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