Planning A Wedding Shower During A Pandemic: A Guide

Planning a wedding shower during the COVID-19 pandemic requires some adjustments to be made to ensure the safety of guests, but it is still possible to have a fun and memorable event. From virtual bridal showers to outdoor celebrations, there are several ways to adapt traditional bridal shower activities to fit the current circumstances. This includes incorporating social distancing, sending gifts ahead of time, and decorating cars for a drive-by celebration.

Virtual bridal showers

While many weddings and pre-wedding events have been dramatically altered, postponed, or cancelled due to the COVID pandemic, it is still possible to have a successful bridal shower. If you're planning a virtual bridal shower, the first step is to choose a platform to host the celebration, such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype. Next, make sure you know how many people can be live at once, and for how long.

There are ways to incorporate traditional bridal shower games into a virtual setting. You can use sites like Kahoot, Jackbox.tv, or Google Forms to create an interactive celebration. Games such as "Bride vs. Groom Trivia", "He Said, She Said", and "Mad Libs" are all within reach. You can also have guests send gifts ahead of time to limit physical interactions. Instead of sending the presents directly to the bride, choose one designated person to be the receiver. Give the guest list a link to the bride's registry and the gift handler's address. That way, one person can deliver everything to the bride and keep the element of surprise. To make the day extra meaningful, ask guests to write a card or note to the bride so that she can feel their presence as she reads them.

If you're planning an outdoor bridal shower, you can set a specific time during the party for guests who don't feel comfortable attending to drive by. Guests can decorate their cars to make the bride feel extra special. You can also decorate the yard, play music, have food and cake, and give out goodie bags to help make the party feel "normal".

Drive-by bridal showers

Firstly, choose a location that is easily accessible by car. This could be the bride's home or a nearby venue with ample parking space. Decorate the location with balloons, streamers, and other festive decorations to create a celebratory atmosphere. You can even suggest that guests decorate their cars to make the event more fun and memorable.

For gifts, you can suggest that guests send them ahead of time to a designated person, who will then deliver them to the bride. This way, the bride will still experience the joy of opening gifts without physical contact. Alternatively, you can organise a drive-by gift drop-off, where guests arrive by car and deliver their gifts through the window.

To make the event more interactive, you can plan some games or activities that can be done from a distance. For example, you could have a trivia game about the bride and groom, with guests submitting their answers via text or an online platform. You could also organise a car parade, with guests driving by one by one to greet the bride and offer their well-wishes.

Finally, don't forget to provide guests with a small token of appreciation for attending. This could be a customised photo calendar, a special keychain, or even a hand sanitiser bottle, which is both practical and themed to the event.

Outdoor bridal showers

If you're planning an outdoor bridal shower during the COVID pandemic, there are a few things you can do to make sure it's a success. Firstly, the guest of honour and hosts (usually bridesmaids and/or family members) should have an open and honest discussion about what everyone is comfortable with before starting to plan.

If you're going ahead with an in-person event, you can decorate the yard with balloons and streamers, play music, and serve food and cake. Guests can decorate their cars and drive by to deliver gifts through the window, and you can give them return gifts such as customised photo calendars, wine glasses, key chains and hand sanitiser bottles. To limit physical interactions, you can ask guests to send gifts ahead of time to a designated person, who can then deliver them to the bride.

If you'd prefer to keep the event virtual, you can host it on Zoom, Google Meet or Skype. You can still play traditional bridal shower games, using sites like Kahoot, Jackbox.tv, or Google Forms to create an interactive celebration. Games such as "Bride vs. Groom Trivia", "He Said, She Said", and "Mad Libs" are all within reach.

Whatever you decide to do, it's important to follow social distancing rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Gifts and cards

If you're planning a wedding shower during Covid, you'll need to think about gifts and cards. You could ask guests to send gifts ahead of time to limit physical interactions. Choose one person to be the receiver and give the guest list a link to the bride's registry and the gift handler's address. That way, one person can deliver everything to the bride and keep the element of surprise. You could also ask guests to write a card or note to the bride so that she can feel their presence as she reads them. If you're having a drive-by bridal shower, guests can deliver gifts through the window of their car. You can also arrange a return gift for the guests, such as customised photo calendars, wine glasses, special key chains and hand sanitiser bottles.

Relevant sources also suggest that you can use sites like Kahoot, Jackbox.tv, or Google Forms to create an interactive celebration. Games such as “Bride vs. Groom Trivia,” “He Said, She Said,” and “Mad Libs” are all within reach.

Games

If you're hosting an in-person wedding shower, there are a few safety measures you'll need to include, but traditional bridal shower games are still possible. Guests can decorate their cars and drive by the bride's home to deliver gifts through the window. You can also set a specific time during the party for guests who don't feel comfortable attending to drive by.

For outdoor bridal showers, you can play most traditional bridal shower games with a few minor adjustments. Games such as opening gifts, enjoying food and drink, and more are all possible. The guest of honour and hosts (usually bridesmaids and/or family members) should have an open and honest discussion before starting to plan an outdoor bridal shower to ensure everyone is comfortable with the activities.

Frequently asked questions