Bridal Shower Ideas For Bridesmaids To Plan And Enjoy

The bridal shower is a pre-wedding event that is usually hosted by the maid of honour, bridesmaids, or close friends and family of the bride. It is a celebration in honour of the bride-to-be, during which guests play games, offer advice, and gift essentials to prepare her for married life. While attendance at pre-wedding events is not mandatory, it is considered an important occasion for the bride's nearest and dearest to celebrate with her.

Who pays for the bridal shower?

The person or people hosting the bridal shower are usually responsible for covering the costs. This is usually the maid of honour, but the couple's relatives, friends, or even the couple themselves can also contribute.

According to standard etiquette, the host pays for the bridal shower. However, in modern times, it is becoming more common for the costs to be shared between the bridal party, the mother of the bride, and even the bride herself.

The average cost of a bridal shower can vary depending on the type of event. If you're throwing a celebration in a restaurant or someone's home, the number of guests, and the amount of food you plan to serve, will all impact the overall costs.

The bride's parents: It is not uncommon for the bride's mother or both parents to take responsibility for the cost, especially as they often don't attend the bachelorette or bachelor parties.

The bridal party: Although the bridal party usually pays for other pre-wedding events like the bachelorette party, sometimes they also contribute to the bridal shower, especially if they are hosting.

Members of both families: It is becoming more common for the mother of the bride to plan the bridal shower with the bride's future in-laws, and for the costs to be shared between the two families.

The happy couple: Some couples choose to throw tradition to the wind and host a joint celebration or wedding shower, where they can both be congratulated by their loved ones.

The cost of a bridal shower can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the venue, number of guests, type of food and drink, and decorations.

Who hosts the bridal shower?

The host of a bridal shower will usually pay for it or at least contribute to some of the costs. While it's most common for the maid of honour to host (and therefore pay for) a bridal shower, there are many other people who can host and pay for it, including the couple's relatives, friends, or even the couple themselves.

Who hosts a bridal shower?

Traditionally, a bridal shower was hosted by the maid of honour and bridesmaids, rather than the mother of the bride or her future mother-in-law. This is because an event hosted by the bride's family could be seen as asking for gifts. However, this tradition has changed over time, and nowadays, anyone close to the bride can host. This includes the mother of the bride, the maid of honour, the bridal party, close family members, or friends.

Who pays for a bridal shower?

The host of a bridal shower will usually pay for it or at least contribute to some of the costs. While it's most common for the maid of honour to host (and therefore pay for) a bridal shower, there are many other people who can host and pay for it, including the couple's relatives, friends, or even the couple themselves.

How to split the costs of a bridal shower

If you're hosting a bridal shower, you can ask other members of the bridal party, or close friends and family to contribute financially. Alternatively, you can ask them to help with non-financial tasks, such as sending out invitations, setting up the food, decorating the space, and cleaning up.

What happens at a bridal shower?

A bridal shower is a party thrown in honour of the bride-to-be, usually held a few weeks or months before the wedding. It's a chance for the bride's nearest and dearest female friends and family to gather and celebrate, as well as to offer advice and gift the bride-to-be with essentials for married life.

The bridal shower is usually hosted by the maid of honour, bridesmaids, mother of the bride, or a close friend. The host is also responsible for covering the costs of the bridal shower, although it's becoming increasingly common for the bridal party, mother-of-the-bride, and even the bride herself to chip in.

The guest list for a bridal shower typically includes the bridal party, close family, and friends of the couple. It's considered good etiquette to only invite people to the bridal shower who are also invited to the wedding.

The bridal shower usually involves food, drinks, games, and an opportunity for the bride to open gifts from her guests. Games might include bridal shower traditions like gift bingo or designing wedding dresses out of toilet paper, or activities like a spa day or a calligraphy lesson.

The groom may also make a brief appearance towards the end of the shower, greeting the guests and helping the bride with her gifts.

When should a bridal shower take place?

The bridal shower should take place at some point before the wedding, but there is no set rule on how long before. It can be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months out. If you're hosting, choose a date that is convenient for the bride and the most important guests. To accommodate everyone's schedules, you might want to host the bridal shower further in advance or plan it to coincide with a trip home or another get-together, such as a bachelorette party in the evening following an afternoon shower.

Some brides like to have the bridal shower close to the wedding, so guests don't have to travel twice. However, this is not a requirement, and the bridal shower can be held at any time that works for the bride and her guests. It is important to give guests enough notice, usually four to six weeks before the event, so they can attend and purchase gifts.

The bridal shower is a special moment for the bride, bringing together an intimate group of close family and friends. It is one of the few pre-wedding events where the bride can simply relax and enjoy the celebration. The bridal shower is generally hosted by the maid of honour, but it is becoming more common for the bridal party, mother of the bride, or even the bride herself to contribute to the planning and expenses.

Who gets invited to a bridal shower?

A bridal shower is a party thrown in honour of the bride-to-be, usually held a few weeks or months before the wedding. The guest list typically includes the bridal party, close family members, and friends of the couple. It is important to note that only individuals invited to the wedding should be invited to the bridal shower. The number of people invited depends on the desired size of the event.

Traditionally, the bridal shower was hosted by the maid of honour and bridesmaids, but nowadays, anyone close to the bride, including her mother, sister, cousin, grandmother, future mother-in-law, or even the bride herself, can host the event. If the bridal shower is a surprise, the maid of honour and the bride's mother usually collaborate on the guest list. Otherwise, the bride can assist with creating the guest list and keep the rest of the planning a secret.

The host or hosts of the bridal shower typically cover the costs of the event, although it is becoming more common for the bridal party, mother of the bride, or even the bride herself to contribute financially, depending on their budget.

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