Source: www.1weddingsource.com
First off, unless you’re dead set on throwing a surprise shower, consult the bride before making any plans and plan early. A bridal shower should be thrown approximately 2 months before the wedding and you should give guests around 4 weeks to respond to the invitation. So work backwards on your timeline and talk to the bride about anything she had in mind about the shower. Or maybe something small or just a spa trip with the bridesmaids? Possibly just family and bridesmaids? I have also heard of some bridal showers inviting all of the female guests that are being invited to the wedding. I would like to say this is up to the planner but ideally this shower should be what the bride wants. Make sure to ask about any family consideration or traditions. Most recently my friend discovered that there is a family tradition (on her groom’s side) that the groom attends the shower. During this conversation make sure to find out where the bride and groom have registered. Try to ensure they have registered for a wide variety of gifts ranging in price.
Source: www.blisstree.com
After you get the basic thoughts from the bride, get the bridesmaids together and make some decisions. Who is going to pay for the shower? This can sometimes be split by the bridesmaids or in my case where my sister was my bridesmaid my mother and my sister picked up the tab although this is of course depending on the size of the shower. Make sure to discuss location and venue as these can be important to determine the exact date. Holding the shower in someone’s home and having the bridal power bring the food can be low cost option. Also some places have a low cost brunch/lunch menu so sometimes looking at a caterer or restaurant can still be an option even if you have a tight budget.
Source: www.projectwedding.com
Once the basics are determined, make a task list of who is bringing what, or doing what, along with a high level schedule of the event. Also make sure to order favors for each guest. These can be something that is related to a theme of the bridal shower (if you chose to do so) or something as small as a bag of candy. Unlike the wedding favors, bridal shower favors can be fun items that only women will be enjoying!
Source: www.ehow.com
Like any event bridal showers can be as formal or as relaxed as you decide. Other nice to haves are place cards, centerpieces, pictures of the bride and groom, music (if desired). After my bridal shower my friends and I decided to try some karaoke. It definitely made for a great after party!
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