Bridal Shower Etiquette

Bridal shower etiquette has been traditionally about the maid of honor hosting a party that helps the bride get ready to take the step into marriage. It has changed...

It has been a long held tradition for the maid of honor to host the shower, now they can be hosted by the mother of the bride, mother of the groom, close friends and co-workers. It is always best to talk with the maid of honor when making your plans, so that she does not feel slighted in her duties.

The bridal shower should take place 4 to 6 weeks prior to the wedding. Any time after that the bride will be quite busy finalizing her plans for the wedding.  It is a good idea to double check with her to see what her plans are. Bridal shower invitation etiquette states that the invitations should be sent out 2 to 4 weeks before the shower.

The bridal shower is the time for a small, sometimes not so quiet, gathering of the bride's closest friends and family. Good bridal shower etiquette states that there should be no more than 15 people in attendance.  The hostess of the shower should also introduce everyone at the shower so that everyone can become acquainted and have fun.

Can there be more than one bridal shower held? The answer to that is a definite YES!  There are times when family, friends and co-workers want to celebrate the bride and her happiness. When this is the case, there someone different should host each shower.

Is it okay for the groom to come too? Bridal shower etiquette has changed from an 'all girls party' to 'groom included'. Couples showers are becoming more popular. This way the groom gets to share in the gift opening with his bride. He may also end up wearing some of the cute nighties she receives.

As the bride opens her presents, she will need someone to write down the gift and the giver so that she can express her gratitude to them.  Good bridal shower manners will be shown when the bride thanks the person at the shower and uses good thank you note etiquette as well.

Bridal Shower Themes

Bridal showers can have different themes. It is up to the hostess to determine the theme of the shower. It is good bridal shower etiquette to see what the bride needs and plan accordingly.

• Time of Day Shower: The hostess of this type of shower will assign a time of day to the guests. Each guest will bring a gift that coincides with something that will happen at that time of day.
• Stock the Pantry Shower: With this shower the guests will have in mind things that would stock a perfect pantry for the bride and groom. I received 20 cake mixes with my stock the pantry shower. They all came in handy within the first year.
• Alphabet Shower: Each guest is assigned a letter of the alphabet and it is their responsibility to find gifts that represent their letter.
• Months Shower: This shower will give the bride different gifts that reflect the different months. Decorations are wonderful for this type of shower.
• Memories Shower: Why not help the bride to have memories from each guest as well as the opportunity to record or display the memories she will be making as she embarks on her new life?
• Garden Shower: This shower will center around a beautiful garden for the bride and groom to create. Guests can purchase anything that will create a fabulous garden.
• Honey-Do Shower: The groom may or may not be excited about this one. This shower will help the bride have on hand the things that will be necessary for her groom to complete the honey-do list.
• Holiday Shower: Guests are given a holiday that they will shop for. This will help the bride to be ready for her different holidays throughout the year.
• Rooms Shower: This shower will focus on each room of the house and help the bride to stock them. Take a tour from the kitchen to the bathroom.
• Personal/Lingerie Shower: This is the GIRL shower. Gifts are centered around cute nighties to naughty teddies. Lotions and other goodies to make her feel beautiful for her groom are totally acceptable. Anything goes at this shower.

The best part of bridal shower etiquette is the have fun and enjoy yourself part. This is a wonderful time to celebrate new life, love and friendships. The bride will be forever grateful for the gifts, but most importantly, the memories.