- Ericka Renee'
How To Host the Perfect Bridal Shower
You have accepted the tasked to host the bridal shower, now what?
Let’s start with the basics…. What is a bridal shower?
Way back when in the 16th-century Hollands, a young girl's father flat-out refused to provide a dowry because he disapproved of the marriage. So, the towns people gathered and presented small gifts to help her start her new home without the dowry money. The spirit of this tradition has transformed over the years, and today, we typically shower couples with monetary gifts or gifts for their home. This pre-wedding celebration is usually a daytime event for women only… sorry boys!
You will start by creating a realistic budget and picking a date. Easy right? Then you will move on to creating a guests list, this is also a wonderful time to research trends, ideas or hire a decorator. Next you will need to find the perfect venue, a few great options are club houses, hotel banquet rooms, museums, indoor gardens anywhere that has natural beauty and windows. This will help you save money on decorations. Ask the bride what type of food and activities she wants to include. If the bride is planning a themed wedding, the shower should have the same theme or wedding colors.
EXAMPLE: Bridal Shower Invitation Verbiage: Please join us for a bridal shower honoring (brides name)
"Help us shower (bride’s name) with love."
"Come celebrate [bride’s name] before she ties the knot."
"A toast to the soon-to-be Mrs."
Decorations
Décor should include an eye-catching focal piece, centerpieces for each table, fresh floral arrangements, photos of the bride to be and the couple, acrylic plastic plate setting, candles, premium tablecloths, and chairs. I love Amazon Facebook Market place as it is the one-stop shop for small décor needs! You can also grab supplies for Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Party City, efavormart.com or your favorite party/craft store. Amazon features an easy d.i.y balloon garland you can assemble yourself without any prior experience. If all else fail just hire Color Me Fancy Events, LLC to decorate! Hahaha, joking… well kinda. If you plan the perfect shower and decide you do not want to deal with the design or decorating, you can bring in a professional team to oversee that part.
Food Next, select the type of food you would like to serve the guests. Since this is a day party you can opt for finger foods and a lighter menu with fun beverages. Consider the theme, what’s in-season and include options for guests with food restrictions. You cannot go wrong with bottomless mimosas and breakfast and light lunch options.
Activities Personally,
I love the idea of everyone introducing themselves and sharing their favorite funny memory, of bride -to be. Personalized bridal scratch off, a few rounds of how ell do you know the bride, put a ring on it, cute and can be played in the background and my all-time favorite. a round of “dirty minds riddles” Music
This is not the time to turn up, keep the music soft, something that granny can tolerate. Music is not always necessary, but I am a fan of background music as they help mask the awkward silence moments.
Have Fun!
TIPS:
Schedule the shower 3 months before the I- Do’s sending out the beautifully designed invitations out 3-4 weeks in advance.
Make a day of it and help the bride put their wedding registry together before the invitations go out. Consider the age group of the attendees when selecting the bridal shower games.
