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Here is an outline of a wedding shower checklist to get you on your way to
organizing a great shower party.
Who should host the shower?
Traditionally the maid of honour tends to plan the shower party. But today,
anything goes and it is perfectly acceptable for both family and friends to work
together to organize, host and share the cost of the wedding shower. It doesn’t
really matter who actually hosts the party as long as it is planned well in
advance and normally in consultation with the bride. If the shower is planned to
be in someone’s home, then it’s always a good idea to choose the person with the
largest home or garden.
When to have your party
Because of the busy schedule the bride and her family will have in the lead
up to her wedding, it is best to hold the shower about four to six weeks before
the wedding. A growing trend is that more wedding showers are no longer a
surprise and statistics show that 4 out of 5 brides are employed, therefore it
is necessary to include the bride in the planning when it comes to setting a
date and time. A traditional ’girl-only’ party could be a Sunday brunch, a
midweek lunch or an afternoon tea garden party.
Couples showers are best held on a weekend day or evening. The majority of
people tend to work between 9-5 Monday-Friday, therefore a weekend is a safe bet
in that most of the couples’ friends and relatives can attend. If you are having
a shower party with work colleagues, then the ideal time would be in your lunch
hour or straight after work.
Who to invite
Apart from your family members, the host should invite people you know well
whether it be friends, relatives or work colleagues. You don’t want to invite
too many people, as a large group tends to split off in small separate groups.
You want everyone to interact with each other and be a manageable size for
everybody to play the hilarious shower games and not feel left out. Taking all
this into consideration, a comfortable shower should involve about 10-20 people.
You don’t necessarily need to buy expensive shower invitations. Another
growing trend is that many brides are doing their wedding research on the
Internet. The internet has opened up many ‘cheaper’ avenues and you can now get
some great printable-wedding-shower-invitations. These invitations are
customized with your own wording and design, and are printed directly from your
own printer.
What’s your Theme?
As with the actual wedding, it is wise to choose a theme before sending out
the invitations. The theme can then be used throughout the shower and
incorporated in with the invitations, decorations, favors and refreshments.
There are literally dozens of topics for a shower party theme. The most
popular is the ‘kitchen’ theme as there are endless pieces of equipment and
accessories you can buy for the kitchen. The host knows the bride well and will
surely fit a theme around either what the bride and groom need, or their
lifestyle. For example if the happy couple are both into health and fitness,
then a fitness theme could be an option.
One good idea for a couples shower is a wine tasting theme. This is ideal for
a Saturday night party and I am sure the men will enjoy this one and easily get
into the swing of things!
Food, Favors and Games
Food: It depends on the theme and location for which type of food to prepare.
For example, if you are holding a ‘wine tasting theme’, then a finger buffet
with crackers, nuts and other nibbles goes down well with wine. If you are
holding a garden shower party, consider light finger food - cheeses, crackers,
fresh fruit, mini-quiches, blueberry cream puffs, crab dip and a bacon, egg and
cheese casserole and salads.
Favors: Some people choose not to give shower favors. It really depends on
where you live and if it is a tradition in your area or not. If you do, you
don’t have to go overboard with favors if you want to keep the expense down.
Give something small and useful like a scented candle. Most people like scented
candles and they are practical. A potpourri satchel is another welcome and
practical idea.
Games: Everyone should be included in the shower games. Shower party games
are a great ice-breaker for people to get to know each other. Games can include
bridal shower bingo as this is always a big hit as is ‘what’s in the bag (memory
game). Trivia questions about the bride and groom or making a wedding dress with
toilet paper are all fun games to be had.
Thank You Cards: Normally a simple ‘thank-you’ was enough, but today, with
showers being larger and guests busier, a personal note is the only way to make
sure that sincere appreciation is expressed.
Summary
Bridal showers are meant to be fun. They do need a lot of planning and
organization in advance, but they are worth it. The bride and groom receive
practical gifts for their home, and shower party’s are a great excuse to get
together with friends and family to have one whale of a time!
About The Author
Claire Bowes is a freelance writer and owner of the
Wedding Planning
Guide website.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claire_Bowes
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