Are you planning on throwing your bestie or family friend or relative a bridal shower? Congrats! It’s such a fun opportunity to literally shower the bride with love before her big day! But what’s involved and how (and when) should you do everything? We’ve come up with a simple timeline to help you figure out how to organize a bridal shower that everybody will enjoy!
Two to Three Months Before:
Pick a Date:
Bridal showers are typically held a month of two before the wedding date. If it’s not a surprise, talk to the bride to see what date might work best for her and close family and friends, and if the bride wants any particular theme or type of bridal shower (IE: a luncheon or tea party; or maybe cocktails and apps are her favorite bar). Or if it’s a surprise, talk to her mom and/or bridesmaids about a potential plan.
SEE MORE: Who Hosts the Bridal Shower?
Come up with a Guest List:
You and any additional hosts should decide how many people they can accommodate budget-wise before picking a location, so connect with the bride and/or her family (most likely her mother, maid of honor, sisters, future mother-in-law, etc.) to see who she would like to invite. Just remember that whoever is invited to the shower must also be invited to the wedding. As soon as you confirm the guest list you should begin compiling address information for guests. TIP: Bridal showers are meant to be small, intimate gatherings. This is what a typical guest list might look like:
- Bride and Groom’s Mom
- Grandmothers
- Bridesmaids/Maid of Honor
- Sisters of the bride
- Aunts/Cousins
- Close friends of the bride
If you want to include the bride’s future spouse as well, you would just add their guest list into the mix as well.
Book a Venue:
Whether you throw a bridal shower at your house, a hotel or restaurant, you should reserve your table, room, or catering/rental companies at this point.
Send an E-mail Save the Date
Before you send the invites you’ll want to consider sending an e-mail Save the Date and/or calling guests who have to travel from out of town so you can be sure everybody has enough time to make arrangements.
One Month Before:
Find Out Where to Bride is Registered:
Ask the bride for her registry information, or if you are throwing a certain bridal shower theme (IE: a lingerie shower) you’ll want to get any sizing information that might be relevant to include on the invites. It’s best to stick to no more than two stores to list on the invite.
Buy/Mail Bridal Shower Invites
Search for the perfect bridal shower invites on sites like Minted.com and be sure to include where the bride is registered, or include specific information on gifts if the theme requires you to go off-registry.
Here’s a couple examples:
THEMED BRIDAL SHOWER:
Let’s shower the bride-to-be with love (and lingerie)!
Please join us for a bridal shower celebrating Alicia May
Saturday, October 14, 2017, at 12 p.m. at the Peony Tea Room
1112 Ridgemont Place
Louisville, KY 23232
Bride’s Sizes: M/34B
Please RSVP by October 1 to aliciabridalshower@gmail.com or call 444-444-4444
Hosted by Carrie, Marsha, and Teresa
SEE MORE: Need help with invitation wording? Our wedding invitation wording generator is AHHMAZING.
TRADITIONAL BRIDAL SHOWER:
We’re all grown up
but still giggling with glee
as we gather to honor
the sweet bride-to-be
Please join us for a bridal shower celebrating Alicia May
Saturday, October 14, 2017, at 12 p.m. at the Peony Tea Room
1112 Ridgemont Place
Louisville, KY 23232
Alicia May and Tom Richards are registered at Zola and Wayfair
Please RSVP by October 1 to aliciabridalshower@gmail.com or call 444-444-4444
Hosted by Carrie, Marsha, and Teresa
SEE MORE: 10 Bridal Shower Ideas Everybody Will Love
Confirm Menu and Any Activities
Whether you’re having a pot-luck dessert party, a catered cocktail hour at your house, or lunch at a great hotel, you’ll want to confirm the menu and make sure everything is booked. That includes any additional vendors you might have hired such as musicians OR anything else fun.
Two-Three Weeks Before
Shop for Favors and Other Decor
Once you have the final guest list in you can start shopping for decor and favors now, if not sooner. You’ll also want to book your flower or balloon order if your venue is not supplying.
Buy Your Gift
Don’t forget to get your own bridal shower gift ready for the bride!
One Week Before
Confirm EVERYTHING
Make sure every vendor is on track and that if any other guests are planning on bringing items that they are on schedule and have everything they need as well.
Wrapping Party
Wrap gifts and favors for the party so you’re not running around doing this at the last minute!
Organize Games
Bridal shower games are always fun! See our favorite bridal shower games here!
Buy Groceries
If y0u’re making any dishes or treats, now is the time to start shopping for those.
Assign Roles
It’s always a good idea to select somebody to write down who gave the bride what (make sure you have a notebook ready for this) as well as somebody who can help get the gifts back to the bride after the party. Talking about that ahead of time will help the bride (and you) have one less thing to worry about on the day of the bridal shower.
Day Before
Start Setting Up
If you’re having the party at somebody’s house, do as much setting up now as possible. If a venue will let you drop stuff off early, that is always helpful as well. Make sure you have an area to open gifts and/or a gift table.
Day Of
Check In
Get to the venue early and make sure if everything is on track.
Have a blast!
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