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A
Wedding Shower Checklist
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Bridal
showers are one of many pre-wedding parties and are great fun. They are
known as parties with a purpose. The purpose of a shower is to assist
the couple in equipping their new home or for the bride to assemble a
trousseau. Not only that, but they are a good excuse for the bride to
get together with her friends and family to play hilarious games and to
enjoy the food and wine. Did
you know that a trend has started for ‘couples showers’? This is
sometimes termed as the ‘Jack’ and ‘Jill’ shower where you
shower both the bride and groom with gifts and good wishes. Either way,
if you are having a traditional shower party for just the bride, or
decide to have a couples shower, then the planning and the checklist
will invariably be the same. Here
is an outline of a wedding shower checklist to get you on your way to
organising 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 bridge
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!
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