Bridal Shower Celebration- Throwing a Great One

The tradition of giving the soon-to-be bride a shower has been around for a long time. Originally, the whole idea came about as the remedy to a couple’s poverty as they were first starting out with no help from relatives who disapproved of their union. Friends and neighbors from the village in which the couple lived saved the day by “showering” the couple with enough gifts, food, and money to get the couple off to a healthy, happy start in their newly married state.

Showers Then & Now

Nowadays, the shower can and does still serve the purpose in many instances of providing material possessions truly needed by newlyweds, particularly if the pair are young and haven’t had much time (or money!) to accumulate belongings. But showers are also hosted for brides who are older, more monied, and really don’t need household things; these types of showers are done mostly as a show of affection for the couple and to let them know their circle of friends, family, and co-workers wish them much happiness and goodwill.

In our new age of just-about-anything-goes, even prospective grooms are commonly invited to wedding showers, along with men friends and husbands of the bride’s female acquaintances. The reasoning lies that today’s husbands contribute (or at least, should!) as much to running the household as does the wife and should therefore be party to receiving gifts given at events such as wedding showers.

Invitations

The first step in hosting a successful shower is to make sure you include everyone near and dear to the couple. Forgetting great-Aunt Agnes could possibly cause a rift in a future family that might not heal for years! Ensure all important info is included in the invitation (including a map to the party location), and get the invitations sent off in plenty of time for the party recipients to respond in a timely fashion.

Keep It Simple & Relaxed

To throw a good wedding shower, probably the most important aspect is to make everyone feel relaxed and at ease. Make sure seating is plentiful and that it’s comfortable. Provide background music, even outdoors if possible, but keep the decibel level low enough so that people can speak in moderate tones without shouting. Make sure there’s plenty of food (most shower hosts just go with finger foods, eschewing elaborately planned menus for other, more formal events) and drinks.

Serving alcohol is optional, but soft drinks (tea, coffee, sodas) are a must. Bottled water can also be offered as a beverage. Even though games are highly touted, don’t feel they are a necessity. Some view them as great icebreakers, but some people just don’t feel like participating in games, opting instead to simply sit back and relax, enjoying the conversation and watching the bride (and/or groom) open gifts.

With these tips in mind, it’s also important that you, as the host, set the mood by coming across as cool, calm, and collected. As you greet your guests, your smiling demeanor and pleasant disposition will start the party off right from the beginning. So relax, the hard part’s done! Now it’s time for you to kick back and enjoy the party!