Your best friend is getting married, and you’ve been assigned the job of throwing the bridal shower. You want to make the day perfect, a real party to remember–but where do you even start? And how do you ensure your bride is happy with the festivities?
Here, we’re sharing a few key pieces of advice on how to plan a bridal shower, and covering the basics of what you need to check off your to-do list before the big day!
A bridal shower is kind of like a combination of a bachelorette party and a baby shower but without the baby! Typically held during the day for friends and family members, the bridal shower is a chance for the bride (or the couple) to mingle with their loved ones and receive well-wishes for their marriage. The bridal shower is also a nice time to give gifts, sometimes instead of bringing a gift to the wedding itself.
Bridal showers should be fun, upbeat, and themed to match the bride’s personality and taste. Think of it as a mini wedding reception, and a chance to pamper the bride with all of her favorite things.
Ideally, the bridal shower should be between 2-4 months ahead of the wedding date, giving everyone plenty of time between the two events to prepare, but not so much time that their anticipation will start to dwindle.
Part of choosing a date is choosing a location. If you plan to have a shower at your home or the home of a close friend or family member, your date will be more flexible. If you choose to rent an event space, you’ll need to choose a date that fits with the company’s calendar.
A nice roomy living room, a flower-filled garden space, or the bride’s favorite restaurant are all lovely locations for holding a bridal shower, but the options are endless, so feel free to be creative!
Whether you want to choose a silly, costume-worthy theme (like Halloween in July or Bridgerton, perhaps?), or go for something simple and classy like a rosé themed party, a theme helps to unify the look and vibe of the whole event. A theme not only makes decorating for a bridal shower way easier for you but also inspires guests struggling to choose what to wear.
Once you’ve chosen a location, you can create a rough estimate of how many guests can be added to the guest list. Chat with the bride and her spouse-to-be about who needs to be there, and gather their contact information.
We recommend inviting close friends and family, but not everyone who will be coming to the wedding. Members of the wedding party, immediate family, and friends in the area are all must-haves on the guest list, so make sure you have room before you start inviting extra people.
Most bridal showers are between 2 and 4 hours and can be as simple as a whimsical tea party, or include tons of activities and games. When deciding what to do during the shower, consider who will be attending.
If it will be a younger crowd or kids will be invited, you may want to feature more games. If it will be a quieter affair with grandparents and immediate family, you may want to focus the bulk of the time on eating good food and enjoying gifts and company.
No event, big or small, is complete without a delicious menu. Feature some of the bride-to-be’s favorite foods, or a selection of small dishes that fit with the theme. To take some pressure off of yourself, consider catering or ordering at least a portion of the food.
If your bride-to-be loves to cook, you could even turn the meal portion of the shower into a mini-cooking class! Hire a local chef to lead guests in creating their own dishes, and keep everyone entertained with a hands-on activity.
No matter what kind of food you choose to serve at your best friend’s bridal shower, make sure you also have a few refreshing beverages and festive cocktails on hand for guests to sip on.
While the point of a bridal shower is to celebrate the bride-to-be and her spouse, it’s always nice to show guests how important they are with a little end-of-party gift. A simple party favor like a matching piece of jewelry for everyone that attends is a lovely gesture and can help cap off an already amazing memory.
Finally, and most importantly, have fun with your bestie! The people at the party are what make it great, so don’t let the planning stress you out and stop you from having a great time. No matter how smoothly the event goes, be sure to focus on your BFF and enjoy the celebration to the fullest.
Did these bridal shower planning tips help you? Show us your perfect party on Instagram @lulus using #lovelulus and head to our Wedding Guest Shop for options to wear to all wedding season!
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