Bridal shower tips.

Whether you are planning your first bridal shower or it’s been ages since you’ve planned one, you probably have tons of questions and ideas running through your head.


Who hosts it? Who helps with the planning? Where should it be held? Who should be invited?

In an effort to help you throw the best bridal shower possible, here are answers to these questions, and more.

Follow this advice and you will throw the bride a shower that will leave her blushing with joy.

Who Hosts It?

Traditionally, the maid of honor assumes the role as the hostess; however, this isn’t set in stone.

If there is a member of the bride’s family, like her mother, or someone else who would like to host it or co-host it, which is perfectly fine.

Alternatively, if there are family members who want to be involved in the planning process, but they don’t want to be the formal hostesses, they can assist with the planning, but attend the shower simply as guests.

Who Pays for the Shower?

If you are keeping with traditional rules of etiquette, the maid-of-honor and the bridesmaids should cover the expenses.

To figure out how much is owed, keep a tally of all of the costs and divide them.

However, like all things with modern weddings, this rule-of-thumb doesn’t have to be.

Relatives can pitch in for the shower, too.

There is one thing that should never, ever happen, though; neither the guests nor the bride should ever be expected to pay anything

When Should the Shower Take Place?

Trying to figure out when to host the shower can be confusing.

If your bride is having a long engagement, you may be tempted to have the shower well in advance of her wedding; for example.

However, having it way before the Big Day is a big no-no.

Wait to host the shower one to three months before the wedding date. Having the shower any sooner really doesn’t make much sense.

Think about it: A shower is a fantastic way to get the bride and the guests excited about the wedding.

Holding it too far in advance of the wedding can build up the anticipation, and then cause that anticipation to deflate.

On the other hand, you don’t want to wait to hold the shower until the last minute.

Any less than a month before the wedding is cutting it too close.

The bride and bridal party will be busy taking care of final preparations during the month before the wedding.

Adding a shower into the mix can just make things stressful.

Where to Have the Shower?

There are dozens of locations that would be considered appropriate for a bridal shower.

Customarily, it is held at the home of one of the bridesmaids or at the mother-of-the bride’s home. However, any place that you think the bride would enjoy would be acceptable.

If she has a favorite restaurant, for instance, you could hold the shower there.

Perhaps she is a beach babe and is having a beach-themed wedding; then a beach would be the ideal venue.

If she’s really into crafting, consider holding it at a paint studio; this venue could create a very interactive shower, as all guests could be involved in creating a painting.

 Who should be invited?

If the shower isn’t a surprise, ask the bride for a guest list; however, if it is a surprise, you could ask her mother and her fiancé for a guest list.

Either way, it is crucial not to invite anyone who will not be invited to the wedding.

However, this is not to say that everyone who is invited to the wedding should be invited to the shower.

Control the size of the shower and the costs by sticking to immediate family members and close relatives and friends.

The bride and groom’s first cousins should receive an invitation, but third cousins who haven’t been seen in years don’t necessarily need to be invited.

What’s the Itinerary?

Typically, the majority of a bridal shower is spent eating, talking and opening gifts.

This itinerary is perfectly fine, but if you want to step it up, you can certainly add more activities.

Games are a great way to break the ice and get the conversations flowing.

You could also include a craft activity, such as having guests create something to be used in the bride’s home (decorate coasters, vases, mugs, etc).

You could also consider adding a cooking or baking activity, in which everyone participates in creating a dish or a confection to be sampled at the shower.