Bridal
shower Q&A
Who
should host the bridal shower?
The shower can be hosted by any close
friend of the bride. Traditionally,
the maid of honour hosts the shower
and can organize the shower with the
help of the bridesmaids.
How many people should
be invited?
Guests range anywhere from 5-20 but
can be more or less. The amount of
guests depend on how many people want
to celebrate the bride to be.
Who
should be invited?
Immediate female members of both the
bride & groom's family should
be invited as well as close friends
of the bride. Anyone that is invited
to the wedding however everyone invited
to the wedding does not have to be
invited to the shower.
When
should the shower take place?
A good time for the shower
would be 1-2 months before the wedding.
However you might want to check with
the bride about the date as this will
be a very busy time for her.
Where should the shower
be held?
Put together the list of who will
be invited before you decide where
the shower will be held. This will
help you work out whether you will
need a large space such as a hall
or restaurant or if you can just use
your home to hold it. This is entirely
up to the host.
What about the invitations?
Shower invitations do not have to
be as elaborate as the wedding invitations.
If you are having a themed shower
you can design your cards around it.
Or you could make your own in various
designs.
What information should
be included in the invitations?
Bride's name
hostess' name and phone number
address where shower
will be held
shower date and time
map of shower location
RSVP date and phone number
if you are having a shower theme then
details should be provided
gift list (optional)
additional information such as; couples
preferred colour, dress size if buying
clothes, etc..
When
should the invitations be sent out?
Send the invites out 4-6
weeks prior to the date for out of
town guests and 2-3 weeks for local
guests.
When should guests RSVP
by?
A good guideline for the RSVP deadline
should be 2 weeks before the shower.
Always be prepared for guests that
RSVP late or not at all.
What order should events
happen at the shower?
There are many variations on showers,
but we have devised a general "schedule"
for bridal showers. You can add/remove
any part and re-order it to your liking.
Greet Guests - serve light appetizers
After all or almost all guests have
arrived, go around the room and have
each guest introduce themselves and
identify how they know the bride.
Play 2-4 Shower Games. It is good
to play games at the beginning as
ice-breakers. Remember some guests
may not know *anyone* but the bride.
Let everyone go get whatever food
may be available and then once everyone
has been served, the bride can begin
to open her gifts. Be sure to have
someone write down each gift and who
it is from. It will make sending thank-you
notes a lot easier.
People chat and usually leave a few
at a time. Make sure the bride gets
to say goodbye to everyone and the
hostess thanks the person for attending.
If the hostess has shower favours,
they should give this to the guest
now.
How long should the
shower last?
Two hours is a good estimate. Things
may wind down early or they may likely
continue on as guests chat together.
Does a shower have to
have games?
No, there do not have to be games.
If the bride is older or just not
into games, you may choose to have
a nice dinner or tea at a restaurant
or at your home. The key is to find
out what the bride would like and
go with that.
What food should be
served at the shower?
Typically there is a not a meal served
at a shower, but simply finger-foods.
Chips, pretzels, ice cream, pie, cake...just
typical snack or dessert foods. A
fruit or vegetable tray would be a
good alternative for the health conscious.
There should be coffee & punch
available for the guests. You may
also choose to have soft drinks or
other beverages available. The type
of food also varies with theme. It
is not uncommon to have formal teas
or barbecues for example.
Are shower favours
for guests necessary?
Shower favours are not a tradition
in all areas. In some regions, it
is unheard of give favours (they came
to shower the bride, not vice-versa).
Yet in other regions, it is a must
(it is rude not to acknowledge their
presence with a favour). It's best
to base your decision on what you
have experienced at showers you have
attended locally or ask close friends
and find out what they think. If you
do have favours, some ideas are potpourri
satchel, scented candles, or candies
wrapped in tulle.
