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Planning the Perfect Bridal Shower

By: Holly Clandon. Planning a bridal shower for a friend who is getting married can be almost as overwhelming as planning a wedding. You have to draw up a guest list, send out invitations, prepare food, plan games - the list seems endless. This article will help you develop a plan to throw a successful bridal shower.

Your first task should be setting a date. Most bridal showers are held in the early afternoon on a weekend. You should give guests plenty of notice, and of course the bride as well. This is a very busy time for her so her weekends may be booked up quickly. Most bridal showers are given between three weeks and three months of the wedding.

Once the date is established, you will need to draw up a list of invitees. A sure way of getting all the information you need is to ask the bride for the wedding guest list. There are some definite rules to follow here: the maid of honor or bridesmaids usually host the shower (if there is only one), and don't ask anyone who hasn't been invited to the wedding. It would be insulting to imply that someone is good enough to bring a shower gift but not special enough to attend the wedding itself. In some cases the couple has planned a wedding to which only family will be attending. This doesn't happen often. If this is the case invite the bride's female friends and all the couple's female relatives, which is the usual etiquette for bridal showers.

Food and drink should be next on your list. Since most bridal showers are an afternoon affair, light snacks and perhaps wine would be appropriate. Asking close family to bring a small dish is fine, but do not ask all guests to bring an appetizer or dessert. Most people will be offended to not only be asked to bring a gift but food as well. Be sure to have non-alcoholic drinks on hand.

Last on your to-do list is planning some games to play. This has long been a tradition at bridal showers. Depending on the guest list, they vary from non-offensive to slightly risqu‚. The bride should be the center of attention, but be sure to involve all the guests in some way. Two or three games should be plenty to break up the monotony of watching the bride open gifts.

Be aware of a couple of additional protocol issues. The bride's mother does not plan the bridal shower so as to eliminate the appearance of being motivated by a wish to merely get as many gifts as possible. If a guest would like to bring a friend to the shower, politely decline. An explanation about how awkward the guest may feel with family and friends of the bride should be sufficient reasoning to dissuade the most persistent individual. Take plenty of pictures at the bridal shower - the bride will enjoy looking back on a scrapbook of memories of her shower, and the family and friends that gathered together to wish her well.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Holly Clandon is the webmaster for FT Bridal, a fantastic resource for information about Bridal. For more articles on Bridal why not visit: www.ftbridal.com/articles
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