1. Because the Maid of Honor is many times the sister of the bride and it is the Maid of Honor who hosts the Bridal Shower, it has become acceptable for other family members to host as well. If the Bride's family is not hosting they can offer their house for the location or share party supply costs.
2. Immediate female family members of both the bride & groom's family should be invited as well as close friends of the bride and the wedding party. It is best to consult with the bride when making up the invitation list.
3. A co-ed shower is usually more a party than a shower. Barbecues are popular for co-ed parties. Guys will definitely give it a different atmosphere and won't ooh and aah over the gifts. But most shower games work with co-eds. All you have to do is invite the guys to a "co-ed shower party" and prepare for the inevitable double-takes and jokes --"It sounds like good clean fun to me! I'll bring my soap-on-a-rope."
4. Shower invitations give you a lot of latitude to reflect the spirit of the bride.
Include: the guest of honor's name
shower date and time
hostess' name and phone number
address of shower
map of shower location (optional)
RSVP date and phone number
shower theme information (if applicable)
couple's decorating colors for future home
These should be mailed to out-of-town guests about 3-6 weeks prior to the shower and about 2-4 weeks prior for local guests.
5. You may be planning a "surprise" bridal shower. But a bride may assume she will have a shower and approach you with the idea. If you do decide to host a surprise shower, be sure to contact the bride & groom's mother to find out what family members to invite. You may choose to surprise the bride with a second shower with only her closest of friends. Perhaps the wedding party and family.
6. A theme for this party might suggest itself as you discuss the couple's situation. The theme for bridal showers usually centers around and influences the kind of gifts.
7. Consider selecting a weekday night for the shower instead of a weekend when people are trying to cram important errands, recreation, family outings, or much needed house maintenance. A weekday night could be a fun "pick-me-up" for the working folks.
8. A typical bridal shower schedule:
Greet Guests - serve light appetizers
Each guest introduces themselves and identifies how they know the bride.
Play 2-4 Shower Games as ice-breakers.
Let everyone serve themselves at a buffet and be seated.
The bride can begin to open her gifts. Have someone write down each gift and who it is from. It will make sending thank-you notes a lot easier.
People chat and usually leave a few at a time.
The bride should have an opportunity to say goodbye to everyone and to thank the hostess.
If the hostess has shower favors, these are given to the departing guests.
Theme Ideas:
Wine, Wine, Wine!
A great shower theme, especially for the bride who already has everything, is a fine wine and champagne shower. Guests bring a bottle of wine to help build the new couple's wine collection.
ABC's
On the invitation each guest is assigned a letter of the alphabet. The guest must bring a gift starting with that letter. The letter "L" prompts the guest to bring lingerie. Also, the letters assigned could spell the bride's name.
Specialty Wedding Items:
Engraved Champagne glasses
Personalized wedding guest book
Fountain pen for guest book
Engraved cake cutter with ribbons to match wedding colors
A silver Tussy Mussy for the bride to carry flowers in
Bride and Groom hats and t-shirts for the day after
Almost any engraved item for the reception
The Clueless Gourmet:
Cuisine's the theme. Guests bring a recipe along with some of the equipment to prepare it. For example, give a cookie recipe along with a backing set, or instructions for making frozen drinks with a blender. Once the bride opens the gifts put the recipes in a box she'll keep.
The Big Picture:
Everyone brings a photograph for the bride and/or groom with a caption. Display the photos on a board for everyone to view for the couple to keep. Appropriate presents: A damask covered photo album, frames for wedding pictures, camera equipment, a VCR. Use small picture frames as place cards and favors.
Kitchen Shower:
All the household staples are welcome - gadgets, dish towels, spice rack, canisters, trivets, cookware. Party favors might include a wooden spoon or refrigerator magnets.
Fitness:
Equip the health-conscious couple with gifts to help them stay in shape. Host the shower at a health club or decorate in a sports theme. Set up a juice bar and buffet with raw vegetables, salads and a big fruit platter. Gift ideas: a bathroom scale, George Foreman grill, nonstick skillets, a popcorn maker, hand-held weights, or other exercise gear.
Entertainment Shower:
Guests bring gifts for hobbies and entertainment, including theatre, movie, or sports tickets, videos, or sporting equipment. Guests can also pool their resources for a big gift like a camcorder, barbeque or television.
Home Office:
Print out invitations on computer paper for a home-office shower. Circulate a leather-bound address book and ask guests to add their names. Other fit ideas: a telephone answering machine, desk lamp, stationery, computer accessories. Personalize pens and pencils with "Marlena's Shower" and the date. Give a set to each guest.
Gourmet Shower:
Do the bride and groom love to cook and entertain? Gather for a fabulous special meal and bring gift certificates for fine dining, cookbooks, a subscription to a cooking magazine, kitchen gadgets, china, glassware, expresso maker, or a gift certificate to a cooking course.
Comfort Zone:
Shower the bride with gifts to help her feel relaxed, pampered and beautiful. Suggestions: a certificate for a day of beauty, a foot massager, yoga videos. Hire a masseuse to give everyone a 10 minute back rub. Serve up spa fare, fresh fruit, grilled vegetables, mineral water, herbal tea. Play soothing classical music or new age smooth jazz.
Handyman Shower:
At this service shower bring a hammer, nails, buckets of paint, and whatever is needed to spruce up the couple's house or apartment. Gifts might include tools, materials, a gift certificate to a hardware store, or the services of a professional painter, plumber, electrician, or craftsman.
Bar Shower:
Stock the couple's bar with glassware, tongs, ice bucket, corkscrew, napkins with silly messages, wine rack, fine wines or boutique beers.
Romance:
Every gift centers around the honeymoon--satin sheets, massage oils, scented candles. Fill vases with red roses and serve the foods of love: oysters, lobster, caviar, strawberries and cream, champagne, and a heart-shaped cake. Wrap Hershey kisses in tulle and tie with a red ribbon to give as favors. Things could get steamy! It's your choice if you want to dare make this a coed shower.
Thanks-for-the-Memories Shower:
A great party for close friends and family of the bride. Everyone is asked to bring old photographs of the bride from her childhood or teenage years. Write a poem or letter to her recalling the happy times spent together with good wishes for the future. As each guest shares a memory, the letters and photographs are placed in an heirloom scrapbook for the bride to keep.
Room of the House Shower:
Assign each guest a room of the house. They bring a gift that is appropriate for that room.
