How to Plan and Host a Bridal Shower from Beginning to End

The bridal shower is one of the events that herald your big day. If there’s a shower, it means that the wedding is close and sure to happen. So you want to make it count. But there are many things to do at a bridal shower, especially for first-timers. You’re looking at venues, entertainment, feeding, funding, and more. So if you’re looking for bridal shower ideas as a newbie or needing inspiration as a seasoned planner, we’ve got some tips. Learn how to plan a bridal shower from beginning to end with this post.

Gift her a Bride box 

The first gift your girl should is a bride box immediately after the marriage proposal. Bridal box subscriptions are affordable Silent planners that will guide brides from the engagement until the honeymoon. One of such services is the miss to mrs bridal box with its nine-themed box collection and four plans. The misstomrs themed boxes are curated to suit each Wedding stage. Whereas the four wedding plans match the timeline you have to plan the wedding. So you see? Misstomrs thinks of everything. These boxes contain carefully curated items like beauty and Spa essentials, décor, and makeup items. Other goodies include robes, custom jackets, jewelry, fitness gear, tips, guides, inspiration, and more. The best part thing about the wedding subscription box is the hands-on community guide and planning, discount shop, and tailored collections. Miss to Mrs bridal box includes all women and the delivery is swift. So give your girl a seamless transition from missioners with this box.

Handle the food and drinks

The bridal shower food and drinks are as important as picking a venue and date. Choose meals that are easy to prepare, and eat, and also the bride’s favorites. Hire professionals to do the meal and drinks, especially if you’re using a restaurant. You can also handle or delegate if it’s not too much work.

Pick a date

Consult with the bride to ensure the bridal shower schedule suits her. However, start thinking of the party date at least six months before the wedding day. This gesture will give you ample time to plan. If you’re short on time, make sure a date is set four months before the wedding. You should also have the bridal shower done and over with, two months before the wedding. This is because as the time draws closer, the bride would get busy with more important aspects of wedding planning.

Set the budget

When planning a bridal shower, having a realistic budget is one of the most important steps. Bridal showers may sound easy, but they could gulp good money depending on your taste. So, normally, whoever hosts the event pays for it. But guests, your group of friends, family, or anyone else could chip in. The catch is that you host within your means even if you’re tempted to go all out. Remember, you’d still buy wedding gifts, dress, accessories, and maybe fly to the destination.

Pick a shower venue

The next step is to pick a location. It’s always good to do this before the guest list if you’re the kind that loves inviting everyone. The venue would restrict you to its capacity. Check with the bride on what location suits her best. Perhaps your house, that of a relative, a restaurant, or even a hall. While hosting it in your home is the traditional method, who says you must go with it? You can even have the wedding showers at the club. 

Choose a unique theme  

If you want to learn how to throw a bridal shower, think about themes. Choosing a unique theme would streamline your vision, and it never fails. While themes may not be mandatory for bridal showers, it is a way to incorporate some fun, personality, and cohesion. There are many themes to try like Gothic, rustic, sassy, bohemian, and more. But please, can you not be too formal? It’s a time for fun, yes?

Sort out the guest list

One thing you must remember is that the guests attending the bridal shower must also get a wedding invitation. Hence, consult the bride on mandatory guests for the event. In the end, it’s about the bride and she wants to see people who mean the world to her. After she gives you her list, you can add yours and then narrow them down. The number of guests at a wedding shower can be up to thirty people, but never more than fifty people. So whatever you do, stick with this number.

Send out invites

The invites would go out after the guest list is curated and vetoed by the bride. The best time to send the invitations is at least two weeks before the event. Guests will have enough time to clear or match their schedule into the bridal shower timeline. Create stylish invites or adopt a paperless method if you’re eco-friendly. 

Shop the decor 

The decor is the first thing that excites the guests once they walk it. So you want to go all out and make your venue a stunner. Get props that suit your theme, a photo booth or backdrops, Mylar letter balloons, custom posters, tassels, wreaths, and garlands. Other things that could spice up your space include beautiful floral arrangements, variations of candles, lighting, and more. Of course, we can’t exhaust all your needs here. That’s why you should get the bride box for helpful tips.

Curate the games

What do you do at a bridal shower? You have fun, meet people, play games and make the bride happy. These are the reasons why you must curate games that will entertain the guests. Some of the most popular games include a Scavenger hunt, Jenga, bride guessing trivia, bridal bingo, and wedding mad libs. If you have a lot of people around whom you’ve never met, these games will help break the ice. But first, make sure they’ve eaten and presented the bride with her gifts.

If you’re the maid of honor, friend, or sister of the bride, you have to host the bridal shower. So here’s a comprehensive guide to planning the event from beginning to end. You’ll learn when and how to check each task without breaking a sweat while making the bride happy. Have seamless planning like a pro.

Author: Kate Motina
Kate heads the Wedding Forward content department. She’s an expert on wedding showers, honeymoon plans, destination weddings, photography, videos, and themes. Give her a wedding vision and she will give you a perfect wedding plan from her fingertips. She also has her unique articles on the site. She is a health and fitness enthusiast, and she’s crazy about photography!