Well this week is flying by! Like I have mentioned any and all tips that I have shared this week can be used for bridesmaids and Maid/Matron's of Honor. I think when you are asked to be apart of the bridal party you should do your best but sometimes we just don't know what to do. Don't stress! These tips and reminders are to help you. So far we have covered finances involved with being in a wedding here and a checklist of tips for playing the part here.
Today I wanted to discuss throwing the best wedding shower ever. When being the maid of honor, your responsibility is to host the wedding shower. You can always have close friends of the bride and the other bridesmaids help with hosting but you are in charge. Grab your clipboard, make a game plan, hand out responsibilities and get your wedding shower face on. It's time to plan!
The wedding shower should leave the bride with fabulous gifts and a lots of fun memories. With these type of expectations, where do you begin? First, try to decide what type of event the bride would enjoy most. What type of bridal shower fits her personality plus the needs of the bride (as in the gifts she needs)? For example, if the bride is really into cooking, hosting a pounding or a kitchen themed shower is where to start. It doesn't have to be the same ol' boring shower. You can make any theme fun and creative!
Second, location, location, location. Their is nothing wrong with hosting the shower at your house or a friends home but make sure that the potential number of guests will be accommodated for. You want guests to have plenty of space to park and move around in your home. If you have pets, even though they will not be making an appearance at the shower, make sure that the bride and guests are aware of pets. Some are highly allergic to pets even if fluffy is the cutest dog ever!
If you are wanting to host the shower somewhere else here are a few ideas. You can try a historic landmark building if you live near a neat one or even an old estate. Old estate homes are perfect and full of southern goodness. How about a boat? Yes it is extravagant and daring but I think it is such a fun idea! You can try an art gallery or the rooftop of a building in your downtown. Regardless of the venue you chose you need to make sure you follow a few rules of thumb.
1. Never book a place you haven't toured. You want to make sure the place is just right and the Internet may not be a good judge of character.
2. If you choose a restaurant, make sure you sample the food if you choose their catering. With some restaurants, if you do not choose their catering it can be more expensive to bring someone in to do the food.
3. Make sure you get privacy at your venue. Plus know exactly where your party will be in the venue. You do not want to have a shower right in the entrance of the restaurant and have onlookers watching the bride open gifts. Awkward!
4. Make sure if at a restaurant that you have your own wait staff. This is important no matter the size of the shower. Also, if their is a final bill, make sure they discuss it with you discretely.
Now that you have your theme and location, let's cover a few other things that are important!
1. Guest Lists - Before you pick the venue, already have an idea of how many guests are on the bride's list. Even though everyone will not attend make sure you can accommodate everyone. Also have an idea of possible guests because if it includes around 50 people, dinner at the brides favorite restaurant may be out of the budget.
2. Who pays? If you are hosting the shower, you pay. If 10 women decide to help host, split the costs 10 ways. This helps so much! Even though you are all contributing financially to the shower, you still needs to give a gift either individually or as a group. Have the hosts keep their receipts and crunch numbers once the guests have left the shower.
3. How long should the party last? You do not want to watch the bride open gifts for hours so set a scheduled time and include that on the shower invitation. Most showers are two to three hours long.
4. How do we decide on the theme of the shower? Theme is very important. To help decide the theme, coordinate with the type of shower the bride needs. When deciding the theme, remember to think of a few things. What type of wedding the bride is planning? If she is planning a fun and quirky wedding, the wedding shower theme should correspond. What is the personality of the bride? If she is really shy, embarrassing games are not appropriate for her shower. How did she meet the groom? You can always incorporate how they met with the location and theme.
5. Timeline of sending out the invitations - You should send invitations four weeks prior to the event. A written invitation by mail allows guests to see the theme plus RSVP. It is also is a great keepsake for the bride. Designate one person to handle RSVP's. Most invitations include a number or email address. Your invitation should also include the words "wedding shower" somewhere on it, the location, bride, time, date by which to RSVP and the host names are optional. Some people say it is bad etiquette to include where the bride is registered but it is up to the hosts.
6. Make sure you set things in stone. Things that need to be finalized are location, theme, hosts, menu, gift from hosts or yourself, time, invitations, cake, guests lists plus RSVP's and decorations.
7. Have fun! Make sure to enjoy this time. With planning in advance and organization, their is no reason you shouldn't enjoy your time with the bride!
These tips are just a few for planning the perfect wedding shower! Feel free to include any other tips or advice for brides, bridesmaids and the maid of honor!
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