Who Pays the Way: Bridal Shower Etiquette Revisited

The perfect bridal shower is more than just a group of women getting together toasting to the new bride to be. Instead, there is much expenditure to consider. For example, if you are renting a room or banquet facility, you will need to pay for the location. If you choose to have the event at a restaurant or other location that offers catering services, you will be expected to purchase your food from them, and in addition to the cost of the food, you will also need to pay for the wait staff. Then, of course, there are the decorations to consider, as well as the party favors, invitations, thank you notes, and any other assorted items which may be needed. Who is supposed to pay for this extravaganza?

While there is no hard and fast rule to the payment for this party, one rule is set in stone that is the rule that absolutely positively absolves bridal shower guests of any monetary obligations. In other words, if you choose to host a bridal shower at a restaurant, the attendees should never be expected to pay for their food. Thus it is up to you, the hostess, to find other methods of payment. Generally speaking, the bridesmaids and maid or matron of honor will collect money amongst themselves to host that bridal shower for the bride. While the bride’s mother should never be in the hostess’ seat herself, it is entirely acceptable for her to help out with the bridal shower budget. Of course, if a restaurant party is a strain on the bridesmaids’ purses, it is an acceptable alternative to hold the bridal shower at someone’s home, backyard, or clubhouse. Food may be catered, or if finances again are too tight to manage, it is entirely acceptable to simply have some easy to prepare finger foods availa ble.

Now that the money questions has been answered, you may be wondering if there are other pitfalls in the realm of proper bridal shower etiquette that need to be weathered. As a matter of fact, there is a list of a few dos and don’ts the clever hostess, bride, and guest will know to commit to memory:

Do not expect your guests to pay for anything at the shower; the food, tip, room rental, and any other expenses are the responsibility of the hostess and bridesmaids.

If you are the bride’s mom, leave the hosting of the shower to someone else. Traditionally, it is the job of the maid or matron of honor to see to it that the bride will receive a shower.

If you know that there are a number of showers planned, please consider combining them into one bigger event.

If you do hold a number of parties, please be sure not to invite the same guest twice in the course of the parties.

If you are the recipient of a bridal shower, please be sure not to use any presents you received until after the wedding. If for some reason the wedding falls through or the marriage is annulled before you and your new husband had a chance to live together, the gifts need to be returned.

When opening presents, it is the bridesmaids’ responsibility to record the gift’s giver, so that the bride may later on send a note of thanks to the giver.

Co-ed bridal showers are becoming more and more the norm, and hence it is acceptable for the groom to attend, if indeed a co-ed shower is planned. If, however, the party is not expressly co-ed, it will be awkward to have him attend, thus please be sure to specify if a shower is co-ed or not.

If the groom does happen to be present at the location where the shower is held, but will not be an actual part of the shower itself, it is considered good form to present the bride with a bouquet of flowers, and the attending ladies with handshakes, hugs, and a few words of appreciation before retiring to another room. Simply dashing for the living room with the big screen TV in time for the football game would not be appropriate and is downright rude.

�Dont Discount Online Bridal Shower Invitations

Bridal shower invitations are not something some people would put a lot of thought into. After all the wedding is the most important day right? But buying bridal shower invitations should be treated somewhat the same. Do you just want to go out and buy a package at your nearest shopping center? I doubt it. You should do your research and find what the best option available is. Buying bridal shower invitations online is a great option. There are many advantages to buying online and this article will help you understand why buying online may be a great alternative.

Why buy online? There are a lot of reasons but a few are very important. One of the biggest reasons buying bridal shower invitations online is convenience. How many other things do you purchase online? This should be no different. You can browse hundreds of invitations from your home. There are sites that let you preview the inside, outside and back of the invitations. Online invitation vendors also may offer different papers, ink and envelopes for your convenience. Buying bridal shower invitations online can also save you money. Often the websites are selling the invitations at wholesale prices. Also they can offer the invitations at a reduced cost because the company’s overhead to run an online store is much cheaper than stocking a store and hiring staff to run a retail store. If you are purchasing a lot of invitations they will also probably offer a bulk discount or package deals if you purchase envelopes and other invitation accompaniments, such as seals and RSVP cards.

Purchasing bridal shower invitations online is very simple. The first step would be to do a simple search. You can simply search for keywords, such as, bridal shower invitations or bridal shower invites. If you have a specific theme for the shower you could do a search for the theme, for example, if you are hosting a book or reading theme bridal shower you could search for keywords like, book bridal shower. Of course searching for a specific themed shower invitation can be harder for some themes. The Internet has so many options though that I believe there is the perfect invite for everyone’s needs. You can also request samples to be mailed to you on most sites. This allows you to see the invitation in person rather than on a screen. After you find the invitation you need you then need to read the site’s purchasing terms, make sure to check and see if they offer any specials for large orders or if you buy something else. After reading all the fine print you can then go ahead and make your purchase. The co ncept of buying online can seem scary to someone who has never done it before but it is just as safe as buying anywhere else. Most sites offer credit card payments and some even accept checks electronically.

The variety of bridal shower invitations offered online is tremendous! One may feel overwhelmed with the choices. This is a good thing though as you can shop around until you are happy. A convenient thing about shopping online also is the ability to send a link to the bride or any other person involved in the planning of the shower. The ability to preview the invitations online is great and some sites even give you the opportunity to customized the bridal shower invitation and preview it instantly. You can change things such as color of the text to the pictures on the invitations. The option of customizing online is a great advantage that you can get buying online that you cannot get by buying at a local card store. If a local place offers custom invitations they will more than likely charge a lot more than the online sites.

In conclusion buying bridal shower invitations online is a very good idea. Do not think that browsing through all of the online options is time consuming. You must keep in mind how much time it will take to drive to an from a store and also the time it will take if you do nit find what you want at one store and have to go shopping for an entire day. Sometimes one day of shopping will still leave you empty handed! So do not discount online bridal shower invitations!

Free Fun - Tips to Finding Bridal Shower Games on the Internet

Planning games and activities for a bridal shower can be easy and inexpensive when you use the Internet to find information. There are numerous websites available to help a bridal shower hostess find free and easy to do games to fit into any bridal shower theme. Using the Internet is convenient and better yet, it is free!

When you are responsible for planning a bridal shower, consider using the Internet to help you with your plans. With a quick Internet search, it is possible to find hundreds of tips and ideas for games and activities. You can find games and activities to suit a girl’s only shower, a traditional bridal shower and even a co-ed shower that includes both men and women.

Before you start planning games and activities for the bridal shower, you will need to take some time to figure how many guests will be in attendance. Also, think about the type of guests that will attend. If you have a small group, you can plan on games and activities that take more time or have more involved rules. If are inviting a large group of guests, you might want to consider playing games that take less time and only need a handful of supplies. Next, think about who will attend the shower. It is easy to plan games for a variety of guests. If you are only inviting the bride’s closest friends, they might enjoy more “risky” games and activities. However, if you will have a mixed group of women, you might think about games that are not offensive. For co-ed showers, consider planning a few games that will help the men and women work together or those that pit the two against each other. Trivia games are great for co-ed showers.

Also, when you start planning games, you will need to think about the amount of room you have available. If you have limited space, you might not want to play games that need a lot of floor or table space. It will be more difficult for a large group to move around with games that require that. Look for games that can be done seated and with only paper and pencils.

Now that you have decided the basics of the bridal shower, you will need to come up with ideas for games and activities. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money when you are planning games. Most ideas that you will want to use are right there on the Internet. You can search websites for free and use game ideas for your next shower.

When you get ready to search for games, use a search engine website such as Yahoo! or Google. Both of these sites will help you pull up many ideas for bridal shower games. In the search engine box, you will type in what you are looking for. You might want to use a variety of keywords to find exactly what you are trying to find. For example, simply typing in “bridal shower” will result in hundreds of websites with information about bridal showers. There might be information about how to give showers, food to serve at bridal showers and bridal shower themes. It will take time to sort through those sites to find the games.

Try to be specific when you are using a search engine. If you type in “bridal shower games”, you will find that you have much more specific information that is available. You might get results from websites about party planning or bridal magazines. Better yet still, you can even be a little more specific in your search for free bridal shower games. If you are hosting a co-ed bridal shower, try typing in “co-ed bridal shower” or “co-ed shower”. The results will be websites that offer specific games that are suitable for showers with men and women in attendance. Also, by typing in “bridal shower activities”, you may get results other than games.

If you are planning a certain theme for your shower, try to type in the theme for game results. When you use the Internet, you can find fun and free games to use for bridal showers. You will appreciate saving the money and can spend those resources somewhere else, such as for food or decorations.

Catering the Bridal Shower Yourself - Ten Easy Tips to Stay Sane

Planning a bridal shower can be frustrating, especially if you are planning on catering the event yourself. When you are getting ready to host a shower, it is important to take some time for planning and relax. Bridal showers should be a fun time to socialize with friends and families and should not cause stress. Here are ten easy tips to keep you sane when you host and cater a bridal shower.

Number of guests: When you get ready to host a bridal shower, the guest list will determine just about everything about the bridal shower. Work with the bride, or if you are planning on a co-ed shower, talk with the couple. Find out ahead of time, before you begin planning, how many guests they want to invite. The number of guests will tell you if where you can have the shower and how many you need to plan for. You might find it necessary to rent tables, chairs and serving platters or plates depending on the number of guests.

Time of day: Another tip for catering a bridal shower by your self is to determine what time of the day the shower will be held. This can be a huge help when you are planning for food. For example, a brunch will be easier to plan than a shower that is held late in the evening when a meal is expected. In addition, if you hold a shower in the late afternoon, you will not be expected to cater a large meal. You can plan for simple fare, such as fruit and finger sandwiches. Decide in advance what time of the day the shower will be and it will help keep you sane during the planning process.

Budget: Before sending out any invitations, know your budget. If you are on a limited budget, know what you can spend and stick to it. It will not be fun if you overspend and are left with a huge credit card bill after the shower. Let your bride know your budget and work together to plan a shower. It is possible to plan an elegant shower without spending a lot of money.

Plan ahead and ask the bride: Planning well in advance is the key in hosting a bridal shower. After you have talked with the bride and set a date, you can begin making preparations. If you plan on catering the event, never wait until the last minute. Delaying can cause a lot of stress. Instead, use an event planner or a notebook to record all the of the bridal shower details. Remember that a shower usually takes at least eight weeks to plan, so give your self plenty of time to make necessary preparations. When you cater the event, know beforehand how many guests you will serve and if there are food allergies or other preferences, such as the bride being a vegetarian. Make detailed shopping lists and know what you will need to buy before going to the grocery store.

Make ahead and get help: Catering a bridal shower can be easier if you know what you are serving in advance and prepare dishes ahead of time. If you are serving casserole dishes, look into making them a couple of weeks before the party and then freezing the items. You can also do this for certain desserts and appetizers. The night before the party is a great time to cut fruits and vegetables, decorate a cake and make finger foods. Making food ahead of time will help cut down on the amount of stress on the day of the bridal shower. Also, consider getting help from others when you plan to cater a shower. It is perfectly acceptable to host a potluck style buffet where everyone brings their favorite dish. You can also enlist help from close friends or family members to help you cook and prepare dishes.

Theme: If you have a theme for the shower, such as brunch, co-ed barbeque or girl’s day at the spa, you can prepare dishes to fit the theme. This will make planning easier and everyone will know what to expect. Having a theme can also help you choose decorations and tableware with ease.

Keep it simple and relax: These are two tips you should remember when planning a bridal shower. Most guests will not remember the lavish dishes it took you all day to prepare. Instead, they will remember the time they spent visiting with the bride. Keep the menu simple and everyone will enjoy the shower and you will not become stressed. Last of all, remember to relax. Take a deep breath and have fun. Do not ruin the shower by obsessing over every last detail. Have a good time and your guests will, too.

Six Great Icebreakers That Make for a Great Bridal Shower

Part of the fun of having a bridal shower is meeting new people that you may not have previously encountered. Many of the guests at a bridal shower may not have any connection to each other besides knowing the bride. As a result, as hostess, part of your job is to break the ice, to help those people get together and make friends with each other. There are a number of different ways to do this from name tags to simply introducing two people, but one of the best, quickest ways to do this is to do some ice breakers in place of or in addition to the standard bridal shower games.

One great ice breaker is bridal bingo. Your first steps in converting this great game to an ice breaker is to pair guests up whom you think don't know each other. You want know more than fifteen bingo cards out at any one time. You will also need a list of the words on the bingo cards. Be sure to cut them up so you can pull them out of a hat or some similar container. All of the bingo cards should have words on them that are associated with weddings, wedding gifts, or romance. In the center of the card should be a free space that can work with any type of line. The hostess should act as the bingo caller. She should pull the small pieces of paper out of the hat and call out each word. When the guest pair has a word on their card, they should mark through it with their pencil. If a guest pair can mark through a complete line of words in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal method, they should shout “Bingo.” The host should check their card, and if, indeed, they have gotten all of the words, they will be deem ed the winner of that game. The winners should receive some sort of wedding favor prize. There are a number of free printable cards on the internet along with word lists to help you in planning for this great game.

Another great ice breaker is the toilet paper wedding dress game. You will want to divide your guests into groups of three or four. Try to divide the guests into groups where they do not know the other members. Each group gets one roll or toilet paper and fifteen minutes to make a wedding dress on the group member that they deem to be the bride. At then end of the game, the team who has the best wedding dress, judged by the real bride, wins.

A third idea for an ice breaker is the classic clothespin game. Each guest wears a clothes pin attached to their clothing. The guests are informed that there are three words that they cannot say. Words like “bride,” “groom,” and “wedding” work well. If any guest hears another guest say these words, that guest can demand their clothes pin. At the end of the game, which is typically the end of the wedding shower, the guest who has managed to obtain the most clothes pins wins.

An additional idea for a good way to break the ice among your guests is two truths and a lie. As each guest introduces herself, she should tell two things about herself that are true and one that is a lie. As she is speaking, each other guest should be writing down which things she thinks are true and which are a lie. The guest who has guessed the most correct answers after everyone has been introduced wins the game.

Another fun icebreaker at bridal showers is the “Who Am I?” game. Before the wedding shower begins, you will want to make a list of famous couples. These can be real or fictional couples. You want to choose people that your guests are likely to know. Write down the name of each member of the couple on a name tag, and put it on the guest's back as they arrive without showing them. They have to go around the party and ask yes or no questions about their identity. The couple who gets together the fastest wins the game.

One final fun icebreaker at bridal showers is a variation of the purse scavenger hunt. Divide guests into teams of three. Try to pair them with people they may not know. Give them a list of items, and the number of points each item is worth. They should try to find those items in their purses as a team. The team with the most points wins. For example, a can opener may be worth 10 points, and a tissue may be worth 2 points.

It can be a great idea to try to get your guests to make friends at the bridal shower, as you may create some life long relationships.