Planning the Perfect Bridal Shower

If you are planning a bridal shower for a friend who is getting married, you may be feeling overwhelmed at the amount of planning that can go into this event. Guests need to be contacted, food needs to be made, games need to be planned, this is no simple task! This article outlines the key points that must be addressed to throw a successful bridal shower.

Bridal showers are typically held anytime between three weeks and three months before the wedding. You need to set a date, keeping in mind how busy the bride will be from now on. Guests need enough notice as well, since most people are busy these days.

Once the date is established, you will need to draw up a list of invitees. A sure way of getting all the information you need is to ask the bride for the wedding guest list. There are some definite rules to follow here: the maid of honor or bridesmaids usually host the shower (if there is only one), and don't ask anyone who hasn't been invited to the wedding. It would be insulting to imply that someone is good enough to bring a shower gift but not special enough to attend the wedding itself. In some cases the couple has planned a wedding to which only family will be attending. This doesn't happen often. If this is the case invite the bride's female friends and all the couple's female relatives, which is the usual etiquette for bridal showers.

Food and drink should be next on your list. Since most bridal showers are an afternoon affair, light snacks and perhaps wine would be appropriate. Asking close family to bring a small dish is fine, but do not ask all guests to bring an appetizer or dessert. Most people will be offended to not only be asked to bring a gift but food as well. Be sure to have non-alcoholic drinks on hand.

Last on your to-do list is planning some games to play. This has long been a tradition at bridal showers. Depending on the guest list, they vary from non-offensive to slightly risqu‚. The bride should be the center of attention, but be sure to involve all the guests in some way. Two or three games should be plenty to break up the monotony of watching the bride open gifts.

A couple of other factors to be aware of: The bride’s mother should not be the one planning the bridal shower. This is viewed by many to be a "gift grab" and is typically the task of the bride’s attendants. Once again, no one should be invited that is not invited to the wedding. If a guest requests to bring a friend with them (you would be surprised how often this happens), politely decline and explain that they would probably feel out of place anyways. You should also be sure to have a camera on hand. Try and take a picture of all the guests and plenty of the bride interacting with her family and friends. This will made a wonderful scrapbook later on, and leave her with the fond memories of the day.

Article Source: http://www.christiannotepad.com

Holly Clandon is the owner and operator of FT Bridal, a fantastic resource for information about Bridal. For more articles on Bridal why not visit: www.ftbridal.com/articles
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