One of the most beloved traditions around nuptials is the wedding shower, which has its roots in 16th century Holland. The story relates to a father who denied the marriage of his young daughter and refused to take a dowry for her. As a result, the townspeople gathered gifts and presents to help the newlyweds start their own home without the dowry money.
As a celebration of early marriage, it offers the chance for the soon-to-be bride’s family and friends to express their love and support by sending her gifts for her new home. In this article, we give you all the essential information about this beautiful part of a wedding.
The Host
In a traditional wedding shower, the maid of honor is responsible for planning the event with the help of her bridesmaids. However, modern-day moms and sisters now often host the shower, and the bride gets to choose whoever she wants to handle the planning. Sometimes, especially when a bride has a large family or a wide network of friends, she can have multiple wedding showers.
The Guests
Since this is a pre-wedding event, you don’t have to invite everyone. So, the guest list should be limited to those who are close to the bride (they should also be invited to the wedding). You can take a look at the guest list to ascertain who should be included in the wedding shower. As far as possible, keep the list to a manageable size and avoid adding anyone who is not invited to the wedding itself. The bride doesn’t have to know who’s coming, but be sure that they are people she approves of. Having a surprise visit from grandmother isn’t a bad idea either, if the pair are close.
The Timing
Most of the time, wedding shower planning takes place about two to six months before the big day. So, it’s best to choose a date that works both for the spouse-to-be and her guests. Whether this means hosting something ahead of time or making it work as a mini-reunion with family and friends, it is typically done some time before the actual wedding.
The Budget
Since a wedding shower focuses on helping the bride prepare for the next chapter of her life, the event is often paid for by the host, along with the bridesmaids, close friends, and relatives. Sometimes even the bride’s parents contribute to the expenses to help ease the financial burden of the party. Keep in mind that you should not solicit contributions from guests because they will be bringing gifts for the bride.
The Theme
A wedding shower is about making the bride feel special, so keep the focus on her preferences. There’s nothing wrong with asking her opinion when needed, but consider incorporating some surprises, too. Make things both practical and exciting. Some of our favorite themes include a wedding tea party, a spa day, and even a Disney-themed shower.
Additionally, you can create a unique theme to fit the bride’s preferences by incorporating decor elements. To keep it within the budget reach and still curate a beautiful theme, try to go DIY. For example, to set the ambience you can include wedding draping DIY for backdrops, maybe opt for a digital design and print out themed invitations, create fun personalized items, etc.
The Location
Wedding shower planning needs to include the location. Normally, a pre-wedding event is held at the host’s home. Having said that, there really are no rules in terms of the destination. It could be a great idea to rent a private property, such as a resort or a country club to make things more intimate and inviting. Just don’t forget to book a place that is easily accessible to all attendees. You don’t want to cause unnecessary stress to anyone by renting a place 5 hours drive away from everyone.
Dress Code
There really are no rules when it comes to outfitting. You have the option to make this either a formal or a casual affair, but be sure to give everyone some idea of what they should wear. Dressing up is always recommended, but if you don’t plan on making it a formal event, ask the guests to come as they are. Also, if you want to make your photos memorable, you could wear matching colors, which will make your snapshots a little bit more cohesive.
Children
A wedding shower is typically designed for grown-ups, but the bride has the freedom to decide on who comes and who doesn’t. So if she wants to have some children at the party, grant her a request. Just be sure to have people to look after any attending toddlers and keep them safe.
A wedding shower is a great way to make the bride feel special. Besides DIY wedding drapery there are many other ideas that can help make the planning process much more effortless. Need more wedding planning advice and tips visit Ship Our Wedding.
