The True Meaning Of Wedding Showers: A Celebration Of Love And Friendship

A wedding shower is a pre-wedding party held in celebration of one or both halves of the soon-to-be-married couple. It is a chance for family members, friends, and other guests to shower the couple with love and gifts before their big day. Wedding showers are typically held a few months before the wedding, usually in the afternoon or evening, and can take the form of a brunch, tea party, or cookout.

Wedding showers are gender-inclusive

A wedding shower is a gender-inclusive pre-wedding party that allows loved ones to celebrate with the soon-to-be newlyweds. Wedding showers are a modern invention, born of the desire for equality and joint events that both the bride and groom attend, with guests of all genders.

History of the Wedding Shower

The idea of the bridal shower dates back to the 16th century in Holland. This shower emerged as a way for the bride to build her dowry when she wasn't otherwise provided for. Historically, a bride's dowry was the money and property that she brought to the marriage. In wealthy families, the dowry would come from the family's estate.

Wedding showers are a more modern and inclusive take on the traditional bridal shower. Wedding showers are also more appropriate for same-sex marriages where there is no traditional "bride." They are a co-ed event where both men and women are invited, and the party celebrates the couple as a whole.

Gifts at Wedding Showers

Gifts are traditionally given at both wedding and bridal showers. However, gifts at a traditional bridal shower tend to be more for the bride than the groom. At a wedding shower, both individuals are pampered equally. If the bride gets a gift that's just for her, the groom is likely to receive something comparable. Nearly all the gifts will be items that the couple can use together or enjoy equally.

Activities at Wedding Showers

A bridal shower often includes games such as making wedding dresses out of toilet paper and putting on a fashion show or dividing into teams to tackle trivia about the bride. Wedding showers are more likely to take an alternative route to fun and entertainment, such as corn hole, beach volleyball, kickball, bowling, or mini-golf. They can also be a great opportunity for a trivia game about both the bride and groom, or for the couple to face off and answer trivia questions about each other.

Locations for Wedding Showers

Bridal showers often take place over brunch, lunch, or an afternoon tea party. A wedding shower will often take the form of a cookout, potluck, or dinner event. They are usually held in a more inclusive and casual location, such as a park pavilion, brewery, or restaurant.

Benefits of Gender-Inclusive Wedding Showers

In addition to promoting gender equality and inclusivity, there are several other benefits to gender-inclusive wedding showers. They can improve hygiene, as when everyone uses the same facilities, there is a greater incentive to keep them clean and well-maintained. Having both men and women in the same space can also help to reduce the risk of harassment or assault, which can sometimes occur in single-gender facilities. Gender-inclusive wedding showers also encourage socialization and the building of relationships between people of all genders.

They are a chance for family and friends to celebrate with the soon-to-be newlyweds

Wedding showers are a chance for family and friends to celebrate with the soon-to-be newlyweds before the big day. They are a great way to gather with loved ones one more time before the wedding. This pre-wedding party is gender-inclusive, allowing all guests to celebrate with the couple.

A wedding shower is a more modern and inclusive take on the traditional bridal shower. The bridal shower is an all-female gathering to celebrate the bride and offer gifts, whereas a wedding shower is co-ed and celebrates the couple as a whole. Wedding showers are also more appropriate for same-sex marriages where there is no traditional "bride".

The wedding shower is a chance for the couple to be showered with gifts for their new home and life together. Gifts are nearly always a central part of the event, with guests bringing presents that the couple can use and enjoy together. Wedding showers are often held in the months or weeks leading up to the wedding, with two to three months in advance being customary.

The wedding shower is typically hosted by the maid of honour, best man, or a group of friends who want to celebrate the couple. It is usually held in the host's home, a restaurant, brewery, or community space. The event is often themed and has an informal timeline, with games, a bar, a band, and a buffet.

The wedding shower is a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate the soon-to-be newlyweds, creating fond memories that will last a lifetime.

Gifts are expected at wedding showers

A wedding shower is a gender-inclusive pre-wedding party that allows loved ones to celebrate with the soon-to-be newlyweds before their big day. Wedding showers are a modern invention, born of the desire for equality and joint events that both the bride and groom attend with guests that include both men and women.

Gifts are traditionally given at wedding showers. While there is no required amount to spend, gifts are expected to be smaller and less expensive than wedding gifts. Bridal shower gifts are usually expected to be about one-third the price of a wedding gift. If you have a certain budget for gifts, you can divide it so that 60% is for the wedding gift, 20% for the engagement party, and the remaining 20% for the wedding shower.

If you are invited to a wedding shower, it is customary to bring a gift, even if you cannot attend. However, if you are not close to the couple, you are not expected to give a gift if you are not attending. If you are only invited to one pre-wedding event, you can divide your gift budget between the shower and the wedding.

Bridal shower gifts are usually expected to come from the registry. However, if you are very close to the couple, a small, highly personalised gift can also be appropriate. If you are giving a gift to the bride specifically, the bridal shower is the best time to do so.

Wedding showers are usually held a few months before the wedding

The wedding shower is a relatively modern invention, born out of a desire for equality and joint events that the bride and groom attend together. It's a gender-inclusive, pre-wedding party that allows loved ones to celebrate with the soon-to-be newlyweds. Wedding showers are often held two or three months before the wedding. This gives the couple enough time to think about gifts and plan their new life together, without being too far removed from the excitement of the wedding day.

The wedding shower is also a great opportunity for guests to give thoughtful gifts to the couple, to help them start their new life together. Gifts are nearly always a central part of the event, and it's considered rude not to bring one. That being said, it's becoming more common for couples to create a wedding registry, which is a great way to select gifts.

The wedding shower is typically organised by those who spend a lot of time with the couple, such as the wedding attendant closest to the couple, or a close friend or family member. The hosts will usually serve food and drinks, and there may be activities and games for guests to participate in.

The wedding shower is a chance for family members, friends, and others on the guest list to shower one or both of the soon-to-be-weds with love and support. It's a time to make fond memories and celebrate the impending union of two people in marriage.

They are often hosted by the maid of honour

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 love and gifts.

Traditionally, wedding showers were called bridal showers and were exclusively for the bride-to-be. Today, wedding showers are gender-inclusive and can be for both members of the couple. However, if the couple prefers a more traditional approach, they can opt for a bridal shower instead.

The maid of honour typically hosts the bridal shower, with help from the bridesmaids. The duties of the maid of honour include choosing a venue, sending out invitations, planning games, and selecting favours. They may also enlist the help of other bridesmaids or the bridal party to share the responsibilities and costs.

The maid of honour is expected to pay for most of the event, but they can approach the bride's family and other wedding party members for financial assistance. It is becoming more common for family members, such as the mother of the bride, to contribute to or even host the bridal shower. However, traditionally, it was considered bad etiquette for immediate family members to host as it may seem like the bride was using her relatives to solicit gifts.

The bridal shower usually takes place a few months before the wedding and can be held at a restaurant, garden, or the home of the maid of honour or a bridesmaid. It often includes activities and games, such as trivia or making wedding dresses out of toilet paper.

Frequently asked questions