How To Plan A Bridal Shower For Your Friend

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Group of friends gathered together for a bridal shower. Complete with food, presents and games.

Marriage is one of the most important phases in a person’s life, which is why friends and family would often prepare a bridal shower for the soon-to-be bride. Generally, a bridal shower is a gift-giving party that aims to provide several goods and financial assistance to the couple to ensure that the wedding will actually happen.  

Bridal showers can be fun, but planning for one can be challenging. When you decide on organizing a bridal shower for your friend, you’ll have a lot of things on your plate as you’ll have to look for a schedule that suits the guests, provide bridal shower gifts, decorate the venue, prepare a program, and ensure that the foods to be served are enough for the guests.  

To make this process easier for you, here’s how you can plan a bridal shower for your friend:

  1. Decide On A Bridal Shower Budget 

Receiving an invitation to your friend’s wedding can be very exciting – too exciting that you’ll immediately choose a theme and pick a menu for their bridal shower. However, these tasks shouldn’t be the first ones in your to-do list. For you to plan a successful bridal shower for your friend, you should start by deciding on a budget first.  

Ideally, the host of the bridal shower is expected to pay for the expenses. Sure, this might mean that you’ll have full control over how much to spend, but it’s best if you host a bridal party that will not require you to break the bank.

2. Set A Date For The Bridal Shower 

The bride will usually have a lot of things on her plate as she has to meet suppliers, budget expenses, pick a wedding location, and try out her gown prior to the wedding. When setting a date for the bridal shower, make sure to consult the bride first to ensure that the date won’t clash with any of her appointments. You should also reach out to the family members of the bride so you’ll know which date fits their schedule.  

The bridal shower should be planned at least six weeks before the event, and must take place about two months before the wedding.  

3. Come Up With A Guest List 

All of your efforts to plan a bridal shower will be useless if the bride’s closest friends and family members will not be present. How can you have a program if none of the expected guests will show up?  Do you think the bride can actually have fun if this is the case? 

Once you’ve determined the bride’s schedule for the bridal shower, work with her to create a guest list. The bridal shower should be participated by 30 to 50 guests, depending on the venue of the event.  

Depending on the program you’ve lined up, be careful when inviting kids to the bridal shower as some games might not be appropriate for them.  

4. Pick A Location 

Picking the location for your friend’s bridal shower is vital to the success of the event. Choosing the right location will allow you to play different kinds of games, and ensure that all of the guests stay comfortable.  

After determining the number of guests expected for the bridal shower, you can start looking for venues. If your home is spacious enough to host the event, you can decide to have the bridal shower there. If not, you can consider the home of the bride’s family or close relative for the venue. If none of these works, you can host the bridal shower in a restaurant, a private banquet room, or any other venue that suits the interest of the bride, like a spa or art gallery. When in doubt, ask the bride for suggestions.  

Aside from making sure that the venue can accommodate the expected number of guests, you should also consider the convenience of getting in and going out of the location. The location should also provide ample parking to the guests.  

5. Pick A Bridal Shower Theme 

Although some hosts would disregard picking a theme for an upcoming bridal shower, you should not make the same mistake as this is an important task when planning a bridal shower. Having a theme allows the personality of the bride to stand out, and this can also help you narrow down your options when picking decorations.  

With the number of decorative pieces available today, you’ll likely see yourself clueless on what to buy. This can result in a cluttered venue as different colors and designs will fill up the space.  

When picking a theme for the bridal shower, always consider the personality or interest of the bride. Does the bride love the color pink?  Send out pink invitations to the guests and decorate the venue with pink balloons. Do sunflowers make the bride happy?  Add sunflowers to the invitations and make sure to design the venue with sunflowers as well.  

Considering the bride’s preferences will help you pick the right theme and ensure that the décor of the bridal shower truly speaks for the bride’s uniqueness! 

6. Plan Out The Bridal Shower Games 

Games are one of the reasons why bridal showers are fun and interesting. If you’re planning a bridal shower for the first time, use the Internet to look for games appropriate for the said event. Some of the most common options you’ll have are bridal bingo, guessing trivia about the bride, and wedding Mad Libs.  

When deciding what games to include in the program, consider the guests who are invited. Some guests might be reluctant to participate in games because they aren’t familiar with the other guests present during the event  

Furthermore, start the games when everyone has finished eating or before the bride opens gifts. Playing games during this period will ensure that all of the guests remain focused and entertained.  

Start ASAP 

Planning a bridal shower can be tough, but it can always be done. Along with the tips presented in this article, make sure to start working on the bridal shower as soon as possible. It’ll be easy for you to ward off stress when planning if time is on your hands. 

 

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