As a bride-to-be, the Bridal Shower is pretty exciting because it means you are getting pretty close to the big day and your friends and family want to help you prepare for your new life with your hubby-to-be. There are endless ways to celebrate this fun day, and chances are your Bridesmaids or Maid of Honor are pretty excited to get to plan this for you so let them make all of the plans!
Bridesmaids/Maids of Honor - if you are here because you are getting the ball rolling in planning this event you are in the right place. Lets get some pointers out there to make sure you have your bases covered.
♥ Set the Date (which means you have to make sure the bride and her family members can make it) so give yourself a lot of time for planning and for collecting all of the addresses for the invitations. Shoot for having the invitations out at least 4 weeks in advance.
♥ Choose a location - do you have a large family room or outdoor area at your home? If not try to network with other friends or family members of the bride to find a spot that works for you and the number of guests you think will be attending. See our list of venues both big and small to find a location that can accommodate you.
♥ Delegate! We all have a life outside of being an awesome bridesmaid or maid of honor so don't try to take it all on by yourself. Ask the other girls in the bridal party or family members to pitch in to ensure everything goes smoothly.
♥ Decor - Consider a theme, colors & patterns, flowers or other decorations. Although you do not have to stick to the brides wedding colors, it is nice for everyone to get a sneek peek before her big day. Incorporate interactive decor something that will create chatter to break the ice, such as large feathers, a wishing tree, a scrapbook with supplies for guests, a candy buffet etc.
♥ Food - Depending on how many guests are expected to attend you should consider selecting snacks and foods that will appease the entire group, so try to give options. Veggie, Fruit, or Meat/cheese platters go over pretty well. If the event is near the lunch or dinner hour make sure to provide a sufficient amount of food because your guests will come hungry! For a large group, catering is often your best bet because they can make sure that all of the food is prepared accordingly and kept at the right temperatures. The last thing you want to do is slave away in the kitchen and miss all of the kodak moments. Don't forget the sweets, it wouldn't be a party without cake, cupcakes or candy.
♥ Entertainment/Games - Keep your guests entertained and keep your bride happy! If the games and entertainment flows smoothly the entire event will be a hit. Offer game prizes to get people into the games, they dont have to be expensive but anything from a candle, perfume, picture frame, gift certificate etc. Now before you start planning anything too spicy just make sure everything is age appropriate so that no one is offended or feels uncomfortable (save that for the bachelorette party!)
♥ Gifts - help your bride keep track of all of the gifts that she recieves to ensure that she has no problems writing thank-you cards to all of her guests.
♥ Have Fun and know that all of your hardwork means the world to the bride, so enjoy the party!
*For some Bridal Shower game ideas check out this post with a list of fun games!