If you are planning a bridal shower for a friend who is getting married , you may be feeling overwhelmed at the amount of planning that can go into this event. Guests need to be contacted, food needs to be made, games need to be planned, this is no simple task! This article outlines the key points that must be addressed to throw a successful bridal shower.
Your first task should be setting a date. Most bridal showers are held in the early afternoon on a weekend. You should give guests plenty of notice, and of course the bride as well. This is a very busy time for her so her weekends may be booked up quickly. Most bridal showers are given between three weeks and three months of the wedding .
Next you need to determine who will be invited. The Maid of Honor and the Bridesmaids are typically the ones who host the event. The easiest way to invite guests is to ask the bride for her guest list. This way you have everyone's address and phone numbers. No one should be invited who is not invited to the wedding. Etiquette dictates that it is insulting to assume a guest is welcome to bring a gift to a bridal shower but not important enough to be invited to the wedding. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, such as if the bride and groom are having a destination wedding with only close family. Typically all female relatives on both sides of the families should be invited as well as the bride's female friends.
Planning the menu for the event is the next step. Since most bridal showers take place in the afternoon, light snacks and light drinks, such as wine, are appropriate. Its fine to ask a close friend to assist with bringing food, but it's inappropriate to ask all guests to assist with food and drinks. After all, it's quite rude to ask people to bring a gift to an event and also bring food as well. Always offer non-alcoholic drinks for those that prefer not to imbibe.
Finally, it is traditional to play games at a bridal shower. This is a fun way to get guests involved and break the ice between everyone. Most of the games center around the bride, but everyone should be able to get involved. Offering small prizes is also fun for the guests. There are many different types of games that can be played, everything from G rated to R rated. Of course use your discretion depending on who is going to be there! Two to three games is usually enough, and can be used to break up the gift opening if there are many guests to prevent them from getting too bored.
A couple of other factors to be aware of: The bride's mother should not be the one planning the bridal shower. This is viewed by many to be a "gift grab" and is typically the task of the bride's attendants. Once again, no one should be invited that is not invited to the wedding. If a guest requests to bring a friend with them (you would be surprised how often this happens), politely decline and explain that they would probably feel out of place anyways. You should also be sure to have a camera on hand. Try and take a picture of all the guests and plenty of the bride interacting with her family and friends. This will made a wonderful scrapbook later on, and leave her with the fond memories of the day.
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Holly Clandon is the chief editor for FT Bridal, a fantastic resource for information about Bridal , For more articles on Bridal why not visit: www.ftbridal.com/articles
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