Planning A Wedding Shower: Timing Is Everything

Bridal showers are typically held anywhere from two weeks to two months before a wedding. However, there is no set rule on when they have to happen. Some women like to have it the week of the wedding so that guests don't have to travel twice. Showers are commonly 1-4 months before the wedding, but it doesn’t actually matter.

Bridal shower timing

There is no set rule on when a bridal shower should take place, but it is generally held anywhere from a few weeks to a few months out from the wedding. Two to three months before the wedding is considered the perfect timing for a bridal shower. Planning two to three months ahead gives the to-be-weds enough time to set up their wedding registry after their engagement and provides bridal shower guests time to purchase gifts from the registry.

Showers are commonly 1-4 months before the wedding, but it doesn’t actually matter. Any time your aunt is able to throw it and you are able to attend is completely fine. 1-4 months just works out for a lot of people, and it can be fun to build excitement for the wedding. Remember though that anyone invited to the shower must be invited to the wedding, so it would be best to hold off until you’ve totally finalized the wedding guest list.

The engagement party, wedding outfit fittings and bach party are just a few things you'll have to consider before finalizing a date for the shower. Using a 12-month wedding planning timeline for reference, anywhere from two months or three months before the wedding is perfect timing for a bridal shower. Try to avoid having the bridal shower one month or less before the wedding so the bride isn't overwhelmed with other wedding duties.

When you first sit down to consult with the bride on her schedule, suggest the weekend approximately 8 weeks before the wedding and work your way in from there. Make a note of all potential weekends, then go over these dates with the rest of the bridal party to determine their availability. If there is not a single weekend available in that time frame, go back to 9 weeks out and work your way out from there. Just do your best to find a compromise within the three-month mark so the bridal shower does not seem too far out from the wedding.

Typically, the bridal shower is held anywhere from two weeks to two months before the wedding. While there's no set rule on when it has to happen (some women like to have it the week of the wedding so that guests don't have to travel twice), bridal showers generally occur anywhere from a few weeks to a few months out.

Aunt's availability

Showers are commonly 1-4 months before the wedding, but it doesn’t actually matter. Any time your aunt is able to throw it and you are able to attend is completely fine. 1-4 months just works out for a lot of people, and it can be fun to build excitement for the wedding. Remember though that anyone invited to the shower must be invited to the wedding, so it would be best to hold off until you’ve totally finalized the wedding guest list. A ‘wedding shower’ usually means that it is for the couple as opposed to a ‘bridal shower’ which is for the bride.

The bridal shower should take place at some point before the wedding; while there's no set rule on when it has to happen (some women like to have it the week of the wedding so that guests don't have to travel twice), bridal showers generally occur anywhere from a few weeks to a few months out.

When you first sit down to consult with the bride on her schedule, suggest the weekend approximately 8 weeks before the wedding and work your way in from there. Make a note of all potential weekends, then go over these dates with the rest of the bridal party to determine their availability. If there is not a single weekend available in that time frame, go back to 9 weeks out and work your way out from there. Just do your best to find a compromise within the three-month mark so the bridal shower does not seem too far out from the wedding.

Using a 12-month wedding planning timeline for reference, anywhere from two months or three months before the wedding is perfect timing for a bridal shower. Planning two to three months ahead gives the to-be-weds enough time to set up their wedding registry after their engagement and provides bridal shower guests time to purchase gifts from the registry. Try to avoid having the bridal shower one month or less before the wedding so the bride isn't overwhelmed with other wedding duties.

Typically, the bridal shower is held anywhere from two weeks to two months before the wedding.

Guest list finalisation

The bridal shower should take place at some point before the wedding; while there's no set rule on when it has to happen (some women like to have it the week of the wedding so that guests don't have to travel twice), bridal showers generally occur anywhere from a few weeks to a few months out.

Showers are commonly 1-4 months before the wedding, but it doesn’t actually matter. Any time your aunt is able to throw it and you are able to attend is completely fine. 1-4 months just works out for a lot of people, and it can be fun to build excitement for the wedding. Remember though that anyone invited to the shower must be invited to the wedding, so it would be best to hold off until you’ve totally finalized the wedding guest list.

Using a 12-month wedding planning timeline for reference, anywhere from two months or three months before the wedding is perfect timing for a bridal shower. Planning two to three months ahead gives the to-be-weds enough time to set up their wedding registry after their engagement and provides bridal shower guests time to purchase gifts from the registry. Try to avoid having the bridal shower one month or less before the wedding so the bride isn't overwhelmed with other wedding duties.

When you first sit down to consult with the bride on her schedule, suggest the weekend approximately 8 weeks before the wedding and work your way in from there. Make a note of all potential weekends, then go over these dates with the rest of the bridal party to determine their availability. If there is not a single weekend available in that time frame, go back to 9 weeks out and work your way out from there. Just do your best to find a compromise within the three-month mark so the bridal shower does not seem too far out from the wedding.

Typically, the bridal shower is held anywhere from two weeks to two months before the wedding.

Three-month mark

Three months before the wedding is the perfect time to host a bridal shower. This is because it gives the to-be-weds enough time to set up their wedding registry and it gives the bridal shower guests time to purchase gifts from the registry.

Planning two to three months ahead also means that the bridal shower does not seem too far out from the wedding. This is important because you want to build excitement for the wedding and a three-month mark is a good time to do that.

The engagement party, wedding outfit fittings and bach party are just a few things you'll have to consider before finalizing a date for the shower.

Showers are commonly 1-4 months before the wedding, but it doesn’t actually matter. Any time your aunt is able to throw it and you are able to attend is completely fine.

One of the first questions you’ll need to ask yourself is when should you have a bridal shower? And while there is no wrong time to host such a celebration, there certainly are some basic guidelines you’ll want to follow.

Typically, the bridal shower is held anywhere from two weeks to two months before the wedding.

Wedding registry setup

Showers are commonly 1-4 months before the wedding, but it doesn’t actually matter. Any time your aunt is able to throw it and you are able to attend is completely fine. 1-4 months just works out for a lot of people, and it can be fun to build excitement for the wedding. Remember though that anyone invited to the shower must be invited to the wedding, so it would be best to hold off until you’ve totally finalized the wedding guest list. A ‘wedding shower’ usually means that it is for the couple as opposed to a ‘bridal shower’ which is for the bride.

The engagement party, wedding outfit fittings and bach party are just a few things you'll have to consider before finalizing a date for the shower. Using a 12-month wedding planning timeline for reference, anywhere from two months or three months before the wedding is perfect timing for a bridal shower. Planning two to three months ahead gives the to-be-weds enough time to set up their wedding registry after their engagement and provides bridal shower guests time to purchase gifts from the registry. Try to avoid having the bridal shower one month or less before the wedding so the bride isn't overwhelmed with other wedding duties.

When you first sit down to consult with the bride on her schedule, suggest the weekend approximately 8 weeks before the wedding and work your way in from there. Make a note of all potential weekends, then go over these dates with the rest of the bridal party to determine their availability. If there is not a single weekend available in that time frame, go back to 9 weeks out and work your way out from there. Just do your best to find a compromise within the three-month mark so the bridal shower does not seem too far out from the wedding.

The bridal shower should take place at some point before the wedding; while there's no set rule on when it has to happen (some women like to have it the week of the wedding so that guests don't have to travel twice), bridal showers generally occur anywhere from a few weeks to a few months out. Typically, the bridal shower is held anywhere from two weeks to two months before the wedding.

The timing of the bridal shower is important, as it can help you decide the ideal date (and time) for your bridal shower. While there is no wrong time to host such a celebration, there certainly are some basic guidelines you’ll want to follow. To help you decide the ideal date (and time) for your bridal shower, we’re answering a few frequently asked questions and dishing out our top timing tips.

Frequently asked questions