Bridal Shower Tips and Considerations
Aside from the actual wedding day, the bridal shower is one of the most important, most looked forward to events for any bride, her family, and her friends. The bridal shower sets the tone for wedding, brings friends (old and new) together, and is the perfect day to remind the bride just how much you love her. More relaxed than the wedding day, the bridal shower really gives the bride a chance to relax and enjoy the final stretch of her engagement.
Whether you are the mother-of-the-bride, the maid-of-honor, or just a stellar bridesmaid, here are eight things that are not to be overlooked in the planning of the perfect bridal shower.
1. The Invitation. The invitation does so much more than give the who, what, when, and where of the bridal shower. The invitation sets the tone and the mood for the event. A well-thought out, beautiful invitation helps to build anticipation and lets guests know what to expect. Not overlooking a thing on the invitation (gift themes, dress code, etc.) will ensure that the shower goes off just as you planned it.
2. The Theme. While not a requirement, a general theme can help get the creative juices flowing and bring a cohesiveness to the event. Creating a theme for the bridal shower will help you and your guests plan the rest of the details seamlessly.
3. The Venue. An obviously important part of the bridal shower, the venue can be more than just a necessity. Choosing a venue that adds to the overall theme of your shower can make other elements of planning easier. For example, if you want a garden party theme, find a venue that is in a garden, rather than trying to take an industrial space and transform it into a garden.
4. The Food. Like any well-planned event, the food is more than an afterthought. Planning what will be served and how it will be served will help with the rest of the planning. Will it be finger foods or a full meal? Whatever you decide will dictate the setup of the venue, tables, etc.
5. The Entertainment. Bridal shower games are expected, if not somewhat dreaded. If your bride isn’t interested in wrapping herself in a toilet paper dress, then consider some other options, like getting a florist to teach a flower arranging class or having an easy DIY craft for everyone to do.
6. The Favors. It’s important to have “Thank You” gifts for everyone that comes to the shower. These don’t have to be extravagant, but they should definitely be thoughtful. If you have a definite theme behind the shower, having the gifts reflect the theme is a nice way to help guests remember the day. Better yet, make the gifts something that are actually useful (like a tote bag, bottle of wine, seeds to plant, etc.)
7. The Little Details. It’s the little things that count, right? It doesn’t take much to push your shower from good to great. Some of the best little details are the most thoughtful, like asking everyone to bring a recipe they love and creating a recipe box for the bride. Or displaying pictures of the bride when she was little or photographs of the mother-of-the-bride and grandmother-of-the-bride on their wedding days.
8. The Bride. Above all, do not forget the bride. What would she want? What does she like? Just because you saw a cute idea on Pinterest doesn’t mean that the bride would actually want it. Make sure that whatever you plan is exactly what your bride wants. Even if she says she will be happy with anything, don’t use that as an excuse to not be thoughtful. You know her. Make it perfect!
Mitzuyan Kosher Catering has extensive kosher food menus to choose from for your special simcha.