Fabulous Bridal Showers!

 What do you think of when you hear “Bridal Shower?” Guests shrouded in toilet paper dresses and a bouquet of ribbons made on a paper plate? Cake and a big pile of presents? That’s exactly what most of us expect, and it’s certainly a nice enough tradition.

But what does the bride think of for her bridal shower? That’s where you need to begin.

 The frequently told background of the bridal shower is that it was an opportunity for the village to provide a dowry for a woman whose family either could not afford a proper dowry or refused to approve of her choice of husband. Showers still have a tendency to be very focused on the gifts presented to the bride, and what kind of shower you throw may be determined by what the bride needs. 

Find out what the bride thinks would make a fabulous shower. If she wants the traditional afternoon affair with cake and punch and silly games, so be it. If so, you’re in luck, because that may be the easiest type to provide. However, if she and her fiancée are hoping for a couples shower because they’re the couple that does everything together, that’s a very different event to pull together. Has her mother been planning every detail of the wedding – including the shower – since the bride was an infant? You’ll help bring that vision to life.

Tradition dictates the maid of honor and the bridesmaids provide the shower. It’s tough to balance what you can afford, what the bride wants, and what her mother expects, but it’s worth the effort to have a fabulous event. The food is generally the most expensive part of the event, and it is not okay to require guests to pay for their meals. So stick to what the wedding party can afford. If you can’t buy everyone lunch, have an afternoon party with cake, punch, and finger sandwiches. If you can’t afford to have the shower at a restaurant, have it in someone’s home (traditionally not an immediate family member of the bride!), and you and the bridesmaids can prepare appropriate refreshments yourselves. The mother of the bride may or may not offer to help with the costs of the shower, but if she gives you a long list of names of her friends she wants invited, she should be prepared to help pay for the event!

For more great ideas and money saving suggestions, or to share something you learned, please visit the Showers section of the Maid of Honor Forum!

Next........To Theme or Not to Theme

Are you looking for great invites for your bridal shower or bachelorette party? Check out our great items in our maidofhonor.com store!