Congratulations! Hosting a bridal shower can be a fantastic experience for creating unforgettable memories with the bride-to-be before her special day. If this is the first time you’ve been tasked with such a special occasion, you may be wondering how you should be going around with making sure that every detail is perfect. Here we share with you some helpful tips for planning the perfect bridal shower without breaking a sweat.
Talk to the Bride First!
Before starting to plan anything for the bridal shower, you must be on the same page as the bride-to-be to either organize a full-blown celebration or go with a budget-friendly, small party. Party planning can be started once you get the green light, but if you want to keep most details secret to surprise her, you can organize with the bridesmaids or ask the fiancé for the guest lists to know whom to invite. What’s important here is that the bridal shower should be arranged around the likes and dislikes of the bride-to-be to ensure that she will be comfortable and have a time of her life.
Set a Date and Send out the Invitations
The rule of thumb for the bridal shower date is to set it between 2 months and two weeks before the big date. That way, the bride-to-be will get a chance to relax before the ceremony while getting the excitement built up for the big day. Planning the bridal shower with months of anticipation also allows the lady guests to confirm ahead. It’s up to the organizer to decide whether to choose digital invitations or send them through postal services. However, they should include the date, time, location, address, the host’s name, and the email or phone where guests can RSVP. Additional details and cute phrases can add a unique tone to the letter, so don’t be afraid of letting your creativity shine! Sending them between 4 to 6 weeks in advance of the date is also an excellent time reference to allow everyone to save the date on their calendar.
Choose a Location and Theme
You may already know the bride-to-be’s preferences and tastes. While it’s not mandatory to have a theme for planning a bridal shower, it’s undoubtedly the perfect way to add personality and creativity to the event with the decor, invitations, and food options. Whether the bride-to-be prefers a tea party, wine tasting, brunch, or even cooking classes, you should sit down with the bridesmaids and the bride’s mother to browse for bridal shower decoration ideas and settle for items that suit the theme. As a starting suggestion, backdrops and banners are an excellent addition to memorable photos for the bride and her guests.
You should always have the budget in mind while shopping, even if sometimes costs are evenly split between the maid of honor and the bridesmaids. Fortunately, most shops can take orders ahead for special occasions and can arrange special prices. Select a basic color palette, set down the theme, and start browsing!
Don’t Forget the Food
The bridal shower is all about the bride-to-be, but this doesn’t mean that the guests will go hungry. On the contrary, the bridal shower menu should mind the party’s theme, the bride’s preferences, and even the season. If your budget allows for it, organizing a catered meal from her favorite restaurant could be an excellent way to lift the weight off yourself from keeping an eye on the food for the day. Otherwise, a dips-only menu combined with small cocktail plates will guarantee that guests can serve themselves what they please without going overboard with the food. Make sure to offer non-alcoholic beverages options and a variety of sweet treats for the guests, in addition to the bride’s favorite drinks and foods. It should also be imperative to ask everyone on the guest list if they have any food allergies to consider them on the menu options.
Don’t forget that at the end of the day everyone should have fun and relax as the big wedding day approaches. While there may be stressful, unexpected moments that may put a strain on your back, it’s important to remind yourself that the bridal shower will be a fantastic opportunity to celebrate her and spoil her with gifts. With fun activities and games, your duty to organize the perfect bridal shower will go smoothly if you plan everything and use checklists to make sure that you leave no detail up to chance. The tips provided here are bound to help you make this unforgettable even exactly as it should be.