Guest Author - Victoria

By: Jennifer Mark

The purpose of a bridal shower is to help the happy couple collect those much-needed items for their new household, along with some advice and wisdom from those that has been in the bride’s shoes.

Showers are usually given 2-6 weeks before the wedding, or the most convenient time for the bride, as this will be a busy time for her. So be sure to check with her on the schedule, and make sure the date and time works for her. Traditionally, the Maid/Matron of Honor gives bridal showers and/or the Bridesmaids also join in hosting the shower. But realistically, showers are also being given by the mother of the bride, mother of the groom, or even a few family members or close friends that joined together to organize and host the special event. This is a great and practical way to throw a bridal shower. With a few people to help plan, there will be less stress and less cost individually. A good idea is for the MOH or the person who’s home the shower is being held at, to be in charge of delegating the duties to the other co-hosts. This way, you’re less likely to forget some small, important details.

The recent trend is to hold a theme bridal shower. Bath and Body Showers, Honeymoon Showers, Basket Showers, Naughty and Nice Showers, and Room of the House Showers are just a few ideas. A popular idea for couples that already live together and have almost everything they need, is the Honeymoon Shower. If honeymooning somewhere tropical, guests can give gifts such as beach towels, a gift certificate for a new swim-suit or a basket full of the small items that are essential for travel, such as film, sun-block, sunglasses, toiletries and more! Serve foods unique to the destination of the honeymoon. If honeymooning in Hawaii, you might have a Luau!

“Room of the House” showers are a fun way to give the bride a variety of items for each room in the house. When addressing the invitations, assign each guest a different room in the house, bathroom, bedroom kitchen, etc. Guests can choose gifts that coordinate with their subject.

There’s also the “Naughty and Nice” shower for something a little more risqué and fun! Guests will bring a “Nice” gift such as candles or bath stuff, as well as a “Naughty” gift for the honeymoon, such as lingerie, lotions or maybe a Polaroid Camera! Use your imaginations! But you might want to steer clear of this theme if you have guests attending that are a little more on the conservative side. You don’t want to risk offending anyone and embarrassing the bride.

Always send out Thank-You cards to guests for attending and bringing gifts. Include in your thank-you note, the gift that the guest brought to the shower, this way, you will show them that you sincerely appreciate them, instead of sending out a generic card with the same note to every guest. A creative idea for sending thank-you cards is to have your guests enter a drawing for a prize, have them fill out the envelopes with their name and address as they arrive, then the winner is drawn by the bride at the end of the shower. This way, the envelopes to the thank-you cards are already filled out, and the bride won’t have to worry about writing an incorrect address and it will help her get them out faster!