The Intimate Art Of A Personal Wedding Shower

A wedding shower is a pre-wedding party that allows loved ones to celebrate with the soon-to-be newlyweds. It is a chance for family members, friends, and other guests to shower the couple with gifts, love, and well-wishes before the wedding. Wedding showers are often held a few weeks or months before the wedding and can take the form of a brunch, tea party, or evening event. The purpose of a wedding shower is to bring together the couple's closest relatives and friends to celebrate and shower them with gifts and best wishes.

Who hosts a personal wedding shower?

Hosting a bridal shower is usually the responsibility of the maid of honour, who will plan the event and cover most of the costs. However, this role can also be taken on by the bridesmaids, the mother of the bride, the mother-in-law, or a combination of these people.

Traditionally, it was considered poor etiquette for close family members to host a bridal shower, as it could be seen as a direct plea for gifts. However, this rule has become more relaxed in recent years, and it is now common for mothers or other relatives to host.

If no one has offered to host a bridal shower, it is acceptable for the bride to ask someone to do so, but this should be done carefully and considerately. It is also acceptable for the bride to turn down an offer to host, as long as this is done politely.

What are some gift ideas?

A wedding shower is a gift-giving party held for a couple before their wedding. While the couple may already be living together, the shower is an opportunity for their closest relatives and friends to meet and celebrate before the wedding. The gifts received at a wedding shower are usually items that the couple can use and enjoy together, such as household items, linens, or gifts that reflect their interests.

• Honeymoon fund
• Luggage set
• Picnic basket for two
• Heavy-duty cooler
• Portable Bluetooth speaker
• Smart indoor garden
• Multipurpose pan
• Glass food storage containers
• Cake serving set
• Tinted wine glasses
• Couple's coasters
• Recipe book
• Cookbook
• Honeymoon-themed gifts, e.g. travel accessories
• Home essentials, e.g. small kitchen appliances, cookware sets, tableware
• Wedding-themed gifts, e.g. decorative items for the home
• Personalised gifts, e.g. monogrammed items, custom artwork
• Practical gifts, e.g. packing cubes, luggage tags, travel accessories
• Sentimental gifts, e.g. framed photos, scrapbooks, memory books
• Self-care gifts, e.g. bathrobes, bath caddy, slippers, silk pyjamas, candle sets, jewellery
• Experience gifts, e.g. wine tasting, cooking class, spa services

What are some fun activities?

A wedding shower is a pre-wedding event that is an opportunity for the couple's closest relatives and friends to meet and celebrate. It is also a chance for guests to "'shower' the couple with gifts, well-wishes, and love before their wedding day.

• Recipe sharing: Guests bring a favourite recipe and an ingredient from their recipe, especially if it's an obscure one.
• Cocktail competition: Provide a variety of cocktail ingredients and have guests try their hand at mixology, competing to create the best signature drink for the couple.
• Art class: Set up a simple art class where guests paint their best portrait of the spouse-to-be. The honoree then gets to pick the winner.
• Memory game: Ask guests to write down one of their favourite memories with the couple. The couple then reads the memories out loud and guess who wrote it.
• Wedding tune trivia: Create a playlist of popular wedding songs and split the guests into teams. Play short clips of each song and see which team can guess the most tunes.
• Ring hunt: Hide plastic rings around the venue and provide guests with a time limit to find as many as they can. The guest with the most rings wins.
• Couple's trivia: Prepare a quiz about the couple, including questions such as "Where was their first kiss?" or "What's her go-to coffee order?".
• Wedding movie charades: Write down the names of wedding-themed movies on cards and have guests act out the movie without speaking, while their teammates try to guess the film.
• "Where in the World is the Couple?: Dig up photos of the couple at different locations, print them, and hang them up. Guests then guess the locations, and the one with the most correct answers wins.
• Wedding dress-making: Divide guests into teams and provide them with toilet paper and decorations like markers, stickers, or glitter. Set a timer and have each team create a wedding dress. The honoree chooses the best dress.
• Bridal shower bingo: Provide guests with blank bingo cards and have them fill in the squares with gifts they think the couple will receive. During gift-opening, guests mark off their cards, and the first one with five in a row wins.

What food and drink should be served?

Food is an important part of any bridal shower, but it doesn't have to be a formal, sit-down meal. Spreads of appetizers, hors d'oeuvres and finger foods are usually sufficient, and they're also less expensive than a formal meal.

Food

• Charcuterie boards with cured meats, gourmet cheeses, crackers, grapes and other fruits
• Finger sandwiches, such as cucumber sandwiches, pinwheel sandwiches, and tea sandwiches
• Flatbread pizzas with various toppings, such as mozzarella and balsamic, goat cheese and peaches, or aged cheddar, pancetta and apple slices
• Mini quiches or sous vide bites with various fillings, such as meat and veggies
• Seasonal skewers, such as fruit skewers for spring, Hawaiian kebabs for summer, or a Mediterranean veggie medley for fall
• Lobster rolls
• Mac and cheese station with various toppings, such as breadcrumbs, chives, hot sauce, veggies, and bacon
• Brunch foods, such as pancakes, waffles, scones, fruit, pastries, and mimosas
• Sushi, served as an appetizer or the main meal
• Dumplings with soy sauce droppers
• Seafood, such as a raw bar with oysters, clams, shrimp, and lobster tails, or a salad with shrimp, mango, and cucumbers
• Salads, such as a spinach-strawberry salad or a citrus salad with maple candied walnuts and orange-dijon dressing
• Chicken salad-stuffed croissants
• Deviled eggs with fun seasonings, such as sumac and Aleppo pepper
• Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus with raspberry sauce
• Crab cakes, served in mini size or with a salad for a brunch or lunch entrée
• Pulled chicken nachos
• Pizza

Drinks

• Bubbly champagne punch
• Sparkling cider sangria
• Mimosas
• Bellinis
• Boozy iced coffee
• Wine
• Spritzers
• Champagne
• Mocktails, such as virgin mojitos or apple iced tea

What is the dress code?

The dress code for a wedding shower is usually more relaxed than the wedding itself. It is important to remember that the wedding shower is about the couple and not about you, so nothing too extravagant or flashy. It is also important to avoid wearing white, as this is usually reserved for the bride or couple.

If the wedding shower is held during the day, a nice brunch or luncheon outfit is appropriate. This could include short, midi or maxi dresses, jumpsuits, or dressy separates. If the shower is held in the evening, a fancier outfit is more suitable, such as a midi dress or a pantsuit. However, it is important not to go overboard and choose something that is still comfortable and fun.

The location of the wedding shower should also be considered when choosing an outfit. For example, if the shower is held outdoors, comfortable clothing and flat shoes are recommended. The weather and season should also be taken into account, with lighter fabrics and colours for warmer months and thicker materials for colder months.

If there is a specified dress code, such as cocktail attire or boho chic, it is important to adhere to this. Cocktail attire usually means a knee-length or midi-length dress with heels and understated jewellery. For boho chic, a casual maxi dress and espadrilles or wedges are a good choice.

It is also important to consider the bride's preferences and the theme of the shower. If there is a particular colour or style that the bride wants the guests to adhere to, this should be respected.

Frequently asked questions