Your first task should be setting a date. Most bridal showers are held in the early afternoon on a weekend. You should give guests plenty of notice, and of course the bride as well. This is a very busy time for her so her weekends may be booked up quickly. Most bridal showers are
given between three weeks and three months of the wedding.
Once the date is established, you will need to draw up a list of invitees. A sure way of getting all the information you need is to ask the bride for the wedding guest list. There are some definite rules to follow here: the maid of honor or bridesmaids usually host the shower (if there is only one), and don't ask anyone who hasn't been invited to the wedding. It would be insulting to imply that someone is good enough to bring a shower gift but not special enough to attend the wedding itself. In some cases the couple has planned a wedding to which only family will be attending. This doesn't happen often. If this is the case invite the bride's female friends and all the couple's female
relatives, which is the usual etiquette for bridal showers.
Planning the menu for the event is the next step. Since most bridal showers take place in the afternoon, light snacks and light drinks, such as wine, are appropriate. Its fine to ask a close friend to assist with bringing food, but it's inappropriate to ask all guests to assist with food and drinks. After all, it's quite rude to ask people to bring a gift to an event and also bring food as well. Always offer non-alcoholic drinks for those that prefer not to imbibe.
Finally, it is traditional to play games at a bridal shower. This is a fun way to get guests involved and break the ice between everyone. Most of the games center around the bride, but everyone should be able to get involved. Offering small prizes is also fun for the guests. There are many different types of games that can be played, everything from G rated to R rated. Of course use your discretion depending on who is going to be there! Two to three games is usually enough, and can be used to break up the gift opening if there are many guests to prevent them from getting too bored.
The mother of the bride shouldn't offer to give a shower for her daughter. The guests might view it as another way of getting more gifts. As mentioned above, the attendants generally host the bridal shower. If a shower guest asks to bring a friend (yes this happens quite often), tell her no, but do it nicely. You might offer an explanation that the guest would feel out of place. Be sure to have a camera and take lots of pictures. The bride will treasure memories of her enjoying the company of friends and family and can make a beautiful photo album.
Holly Clandon is the chief editor for FT Bridal,
the web's premier resource for information about
http://www.ftbridal.com