Wedding Shower Etiquette – Ideas on How to Throw the Perfect Shower

Been asked to throw a bridal shower for a friend ?

If you’re hoping to throw the perfect bridal shower that will leave guests with only positive things to say about it, then you’ll surely want to make sure you’ve considered everything.

But how do you know what’s appropriate these days?

Just follow this basic outline for planning and throwing a wedding shower and you’ll be well on your way to hosting an enjoyable afternoon for all of your guests. 

Planning the Perfect Wedding Shower

The guest list

Ensure that no friends, relatives, or co-workers have been left off the invitee list. There’s nothing worse than an offended guest that wasn’t even a guest. It’s a good idea to ask the bride to review the list against her wedding invitation list to ensure that everyone invited to the wedding was also considered for the wedding shower. As well, ask both mother-in-laws. After all, they know best.  

The invitations

While the technological age may seem to make things easier, it is still appropriate to send a real invitation card to guests. Make sure they are personalized with each guests’ name, and include all details about the party. Including a small map to the location is usually quite helpful to your guests as well.  

The location

Choose a venue that is accessible and pleasant for all of your guests. Consider anyone with special needs such as wheelchairs and make plans ahead of time to accommodate them. Church halls work well for larger groups. But you might choose to hold a quaint gathering in your own home. (And if it is at your own home, consider whether any pets, children or husbands may need to make alternate plans for the afternoon to ensure that you can focus 100% on your guests).  

The decorations

While you don’t need to go all out on decorations, it is expected that you will have some wedding-specific decorations. Fresh flowers, balloons and even a banner make the wedding shower seem that much more intimate. Make sure there is ample seating and if you would like certain people to sit together (such as mothers or bridesmaids), then be sure to direct them to their special spot upon arrival. 

Greeting guests

Make sure that each guest is greeted when they arrive. Offer to take their coat, show them where the restroom is, and invite them to make themselves at home. If you are unavailable to do this for every guest, assign a helper who can. You need to make every guest feel welcomed and appreciated for coming.  

The food

It’s always nice to have a few munchies and drinks available to guests as they arrive. A tray of cookies, crackers or chocolates as well as a hot pot of coffee and tea will help guests to settle in as they wait for the other guests to arrive. 

Starting off the party

You’ll need to make a small speech once all guests have arrived. Thank them for coming and for sharing in the bride’s special day. Let them know what they can expect to happen throughout the afternoon. It’s also a good idea to use nametags or an icebreaker at the beginning of the party so that all guests are familiar with each other.  

The games

Make sure that you choose tasteful games that won’t offend anyone or leave them feeling uncomfortable. Have plenty of small prizes available for the winners. And be prepared for each game so your guests don’t have to wait.  

The gifts for the bride to be

Ensure that all guests have delivered their gifts to a designated gift area when they arrive so that no gift is lost or forgotten. Ask one of the bridesmaids to gather each card and jot down the contents of the gift from that person on the back of their card.  

A bride’s thank-you

Once all gifts are opened, give the bride an opportunity to thank all of her guests. This can be short and sweet, but it’s up to you to make sure that she thanks the guests for coming and bringing guests.  

Cake and coffee

Once again, it’s appropriate to end a bridal shower with a personalized cake for the bride and some tea and coffee. Allow guests to take pictures of the cake and the bride before cutting it up. And make sure that you’ve got milk, sugar and creamers for guests.  

Seeing guests off

You’ll need to see each guest out as they leave, finding their coat and other belongings. Thank them again for coming.  The bride should be one of the last guests to leave, so you should have time to help her bring gifts to her vehicle once other guests have left.  

It’s only a few hours of your day, but it takes a lot of planning to throw the perfect wedding shower.

Ensure you’ve considered all of these aspects of the day and it will surely turn out to be a most memorable day.