A bride’s wedding is the most important day on her calendar. But a bridal shower is a crucial part of the excitement leading up to that big day. It is during bridal showers that the bride-to-be celebrates her upcoming new chapter with the most important women (sometimes with select men) in her life. Essentially, planning for a bridal shower can arguably be just as important as planning for say the reception. It’s the warm up, the pre-party, and the build-up to the main event… so planning it carefully is important!
To plan a bridal shower, you need to establish a checklist or to-do list with a timeline – ideally one to three months before the event. First, set a budget and decide on a date, venue, and theme. Then create a guest list, plan the games, food, and bar menu, playlist, decors, and party favors… phew! That was a lot. BUT DON’T WORRY, we’re not going to leave you empty handed just like that. Let’s talk about each of these!
Keep reading to learn more about how to plan a bridal shower and make the most of it! We’ll start with the first step… the budget.
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1. Decide What Your Budget Will Be
The first step in any type of planning is the budget. This is going to set the stage so that you’ll know what you can and can’t have for the party. You can’t begin planning anything for the bridal shower without a budget. It’s also important to note that traditionally the host pays for the bridal shower. So if that’s you…Congratulations?!
With that being said, it’s important to find a good middle ground between a low budget and over-splurging. Spending a lot on the bride may be tempting if you deeply care about her. But for the planning to go smoothly, make sure you stay within your means. There are plenty of other ways to make the bridal shower memorable.
The majority of people spend between $300-$1500 on a bridal shower, BUT you can spend as little or as much as you want for the event! You can find plenty of affordable bridal shower decorations that also look expensive on sites like Etsy, Amazon, even eBay and many others.
2. Set a Date for the Shower
Once you have the budget, it’s time to figure out when the party should be. Schedule the bridal shower months before the wedding, particularly between two to six months. To avoid conflicts with the bride’s timeline, consult with her first before finalizing the date. This also gives the other guests enough time in advance to make sure they have taken time off work and made any other necessary arrangements to ensure they are able to attend.
If you’re planning a surprise bridal shower, you will still need to confirm the availability of the bride and guests. This will require top-notch networking skills (and a little spying, if you will).
3. Make a Bridal Shower Checklist
Some people may think that a checklist is a waste of time or useless, but this couldn’t be further from the truth when you’re planning an event. The last thing you want when you plan a bridal shower is going all over the place with things you need to do.
That said, make sure you’re organized. Write down all actions you need to undertake, people you should contact, itineraries, and timeline you must follow. Put all this information in a single document, and mark each item once you complete them.
This also will help ensure that you don’t forget to plan or order/buy something.
We’ve also shared a bridal shower checklist at the end of this blog that you can either download or save to your Pinterest board! So make sure to check that out!
4. Get in Touch With Everyone Involved
You don’t have to plan a bridal shower on your own. You can delegate tasks to bridesmaids and connect with people who wish to be part of the planning committee. Likewise, this is also an excellent stage to know what the bride wants. You can talk to the groom, her close friends, family, and colleagues if you’re unsure about specific details.
Even though you’re the one planning it, you don’t have to do EVERYTHING on your own. It’s very common to have a couple others who are involved to help you out if needed.
5. Make a Guest List
When the budget and date are sorted out, it’s time to make the guest list. The rule of thumb is that your bridal shower guest list should also match that of the weddings. Therefore, consult the bride first. Also, keep a cap on the number of guests based on your budget. Consider only those in the bride’s inner circle if you’re dabbling with a shoestring budget.
Keep the list on you with their contact info, or consider creating a group chat through social media or SMS to making contacting them or notifying them about stuff related to the bridal shower.
6. Find a Venue or Location
Where you hold the bridal shower depends on how many guests you have as well as if you have a theme for it. A restaurant, park, pool, party hall, or private banquet are all great options if you invite 30 to 50 guests. For a simpler and closer-knit bridal shower, consider having it at your home.
Alternatively, you can pick unconventional locations that interest the bride. It could be anywhere from a spa, or botanical garden, to an aquarium or art gallery. Ask the bride about this, as you would with anything else.
7. Decide on a Theme
Themed bridal showers can be a fun way to elevate the event. All elements of the shower, such as food menus, decorations, and games, are unified by its theme. You can go for classic ones like enchanted garden, rustic, vintage pool party, parisian, country western, travel, or boho. Also, you can think outside the box and consider unusual party themes like a Star Wars party, cosplay, or astrology.
If the wedding is going to have a theme, you should probably go along with that theme. If not, consider going with something that interests the bride.
8. Send Out the Invitations
Now that all the bridal shower details have been sorted out, it’s time to send out the invitations. If you have a theme, you can tailor its design accordingly. The invitations should be distributed six weeks before the event so guests can RSVP, prepare their schedule, and select the right gift.
Remember that it might be easier to send this out in a group SMS or social media. You can also stick to be more traditional and send them out through the mail. Although this will require more effort on your end.
9. Plan the Food and Bar Menu
Food menus may vary depending on the bridal shower theme. For example, if your shower is themed after Paris, you will want to serve French foods such as macarons, yogurt parfait, spinach quiche, and croissant sandwiches. On the other hand, for a simple bridal shower, you can serve cucumber sandwiches, cupcakes, a cheeseboard, fruit skewers, etc.
You don’t need a full-blown bar for the shower – unless that’s your theme. However, setting up a cocktail station with the usuals, like margaritas, sangria, negroni, mimosa, and so on can be a lot of FUN. If you’re planning the event at home or somewhere cozier, a mimosa bar kit is an excellent choice!
10. Organize the Speeches
The bride will receive plenty of messages during her shower. But it always helps the mood and timeline of the event if you can agree on who should give these speeches, how long they must be, and how many are too many. Getting the bride’s approval can also help avoid any awkward situations. It’s also important to note that giving speeches at a bridal shower are not 100% necessary.
11. Outline the Shower Games
An ideal bridal shower celebrates the bride and ensures everyone has a good time. To do this, you’ll need a set of games on top of speeches, food, and cocktails. Of course, you can go traditional as charades, bingo, scavenger hunts, wedding trivia, and word searches. Or you can go with some more UNIQUE, such as “Who Has The Ring?”. Which is a hilarious bridal shower scratch off game (Also perfect if you are having prizes at the shower).
In addition, you can also organize a giant Jenga game, lawn sports, and other hilarious activities. Plus, set some games for older crowds. Whatever games you decide to include, find a way to relate them to the bride, guests, and the wedding.
12. Put Together a Playlist
Music can set the mood throughout the bridal shower. It also fills in those moments when the guests interact. It’s always an option to fit your playlist to the theme. Ask what type of music or vibe the bride would like to have at the party. You can also ask for any requests from the other people attending. Have it set and ready way before the event and consider downloading the playlist. This way if there are any internet issues or if the event is in a poor reception area, you can still play music.
13. Buy the Bridal Shower Decors
A week or two before the event, secure all your decorations, especially if you’re hosting a wedding shower at home. If you plan on hiring someone to arrange and decorate the venue, reconfirm the schedule, your theme, and the materials they’ll use.
If you’re buying anything online, make sure to account for any shipping days!
14. Choose Bridal Shower Favors
Giving party favors during a bridal shower is optional BUT totally a blast. But if you choose to do so, it could be a great way to wrap up the event. Pick favors that match the theme or are connected with the bride and groom. Some common ones include honey jars, personal wine bottles, customized tea candles, handmade soap bars, and hand lotions. Just make sure to stay within your original budget for the event.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is supposed to plan the bridal shower?
Bridal showers are traditionally planned and hosted by the maid of honor (MOH) with the help of the bridesmaids. After all, the MOH is usually someone closest to the bride or anyone she trusts most. However, the bride’s sister, mother, or another friend may volunteer to host the shower. And sometimes, several friends would plan the event together.
How do you plan a simple bridal shower?
For a simple bridal shower, you need to limit certain aspects of the event without compromising the fun. It may seem overwhelming, but it’s as simple as setting a realistic budget, getting a suitable location, and keeping the basics like food, drinks, and music.
Then, consider the simplest options. For example, instead of setting up a huge bar, you could go for a mimosa bar kit, which comes with banners, signs, gold strings, threading needles, straws, tags, and topping tents (An all in one kit). It’s fun, intimate, and on-brand with any bridal shower theme.
How do I plan a bridal shower checklist?
The first step to creating a checklist is knowing what needs to be done before sending the invitations, setting the venue, and deciding on bridal shower activities. These include the steps and actions mentioned above. Then, input them in an MS Word or Excell file. If you want the conventional route, write them all down on your planner.
When should a bridal shower be held?
Ideally, you should hold your bridal shower two weeks to two months before the wedding. The latest you can do this is a couple of weeks before the big event. Some can go as close as the last few days before the wedding, but this is not recommended since the bride’s schedule will become more hectic.
How long should a bridal shower be?
An average bridal shower lasts a couple of hours, depending on the activities and the number of guests. The event usually takes place during the weekend and may cover late morning brunch or afternoon. Alternatively, you can arrange for the bridal shower in the evening if that’s when the bride and her guests will be the most available.
Steps to Planning A Bridal Shower Checklist
As mentioned earlier in this blog, we’ve put this list into a quick image to reference if you want to either download it or save it to your Pinterest Board!
Key Takeaways
Planning a bridal shower, even as the maid of honor, isn’t a one-person job. Connect with the bridesmaids to help you out with the detail. Make sure all elements of the bridal shower itself are centered around celebrating the bride-to-be before her wedding. Ultimately, it’s all about everyone having a good time and fun. Start by making a list and budget and go from there!
If this article helped you, if you have some of your own suggestions on how to plan a bridal shower, or if we missed something, let us know down below in the comments!
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