A Wedding Shower Checklist
Author: Claire Bowes
Bridal showers are one of many pre-wedding parties and are
great fun. They are known as parties with a purpose. The purpose
of a shower is to assist the couple in equipping their new
home or for the bride to assemble a trousseau. Not only that,
but they are a good excuse for the bride to get together with
her friends and family to play hilarious games and to enjoy
the food and wine.
Did you know that a trend has started for 'couples showers'?
This is sometimes termed as the 'Jack' and 'Jill' shower where
you shower both the bride and groom with gifts and good wishes.
Either way, if you are having a traditional shower party for
just the bride, or decide to have a couples shower, then the
planning and the checklist will invariably be the same.
Here is an outline of a wedding shower checklist to get you
on your way to organizing a great shower party.
Who should host the shower?
Traditionally the maid of honor tends to plan the shower
party. But today, anything goes and it is perfectly acceptable
for both family and friends to work together to organize,
host and share the cost of the wedding shower. It doesn't
really matter who actually hosts the party as long as it is
planned well in advance and normally in consultation with
the bride. If the shower is planned to be in someone's home,
then it's always a good idea to choose the person with the
largest home or garden.
When to have your party?
Because of the busy schedule the bride and her family will
have in the lead up to her wedding, it is best to hold the
shower about four to six weeks before the wedding. A growing
trend is that more wedding showers are no longer a surprise
and statistics show that 4 out of 5 brides are employed, therefore
it is necessary to include the bride in the planning when
it comes to setting a date and time. A traditional 'girl-only'
party could be a Sunday brunch, a midweek lunch or an afternoon
tea garden party.
Couples showers are best held on a weekend day or evening.
The majority of people tend to work between 9-5 Monday-Friday,
therefore a weekend is a safe bet in that most of the couples'
friends and relatives can attend. If you are having a shower
party with work colleagues, then the ideal time would be in
your lunch hour or straight after work.
Who to invite?
Apart from your family members, the host should invite people
you know well whether it be friends, relatives or work colleagues.
You don't want to invite too many people, as a large group
tends to split off in small separate groups. You want everyone
to interact with each other and be a manageable size for everybody
to play the hilarious shower games and not feel left out.
Taking all this into consideration, a comfortable shower should
involve about 10-20 people.
You don't necessarily need to buy expensive shower invitations.
Another growing trend is that many brides are doing their
wedding research on the Internet. The internet has opened
up many 'cheaper' avenues and you can now get some great printable-wedding-shower-invitations.
These invitations are customized with your own wording and
design, and are printed directly from your own printer.
What's your Theme?
As with the actual wedding, it is wise to choose a theme
before sending out the invitations. The theme can then be
used throughout the shower and incorporated in with the invitations,
decorations, favors and refreshments.
There are literally dozens of topics for a shower party theme.
The most popular is the 'kitchen' theme as there are endless
pieces of equipment and accessories you can buy for the kitchen.
The host knows the bride well and will surely fit a theme
around either what the bride and groom need, or their lifestyle.
For example if the happy couple are both into health and fitness,
then a fitness theme could be an option.
One good idea for a couples shower is a wine tasting theme.
This is ideal for a Saturday night party and I am sure the
men will enjoy this one and easily get into the swing of things!
Food, Favors and Games
Food: It depends on the theme and location
for which type of food to prepare. For example, if you are
holding a 'wine tasting theme', then a finger buffet with
crackers, nuts and other nibbles goes down well with wine.
If you are holding a garden shower party, consider light finger
food - cheeses, crackers, fresh fruit, mini-quiches, blueberry
cream puffs, crab dip and a bacon, egg and cheese casserole
and salads.
Favors: Some people choose not to give shower
favors. It really depends on where you live and if it is a
tradition in your area or not. If you do, you don't have to
go overboard with favors if you want to keep the expense down.
Give something small and useful like a scented candle. Most
people like scented candles and they are practical. A potpourri
satchel is another welcome and practical idea.
Games: Everyone should be included in the
shower games. Shower party games are a great ice-breaker for
people to get to know each other. Games can include bridal
shower bingo as this is always a big hit as is 'what's in
the bag (memory game). Trivia questions about the bridge and
groom or making a wedding dress with toilet paper are all
fun games to be had.
Thank You Cards: Normally a simple 'thank-you' was enough,
but today, with showers being larger and guests busier, a
personal note is the only way to make sure that sincere appreciation
is expressed.
Summary
Bridal showers are meant to be fun. They do need a lot of
planning and organization in advance, but they are worth it.
The bride and groom receive practical gifts for their home,
and shower party's are a great excuse to get together with
friends and family to have one whale of a time!
| About the author: Claire Bowes is a freelance write
and owner of 1st For Greeting Cards where
you will find further tips and advice on sending invitation cards and choosing your personalized stationery items. |
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