Bridal Shower Planning Checklist:

Some people may ask, what actually is the purpose of a bridal shower?

A bridal shower is basically a party held for the bride to be to give her gifts in anticipation for her wedding day. This is a fun way for friends, families and guests of the bride to get together to celebrate the engagement, eat cake, drink mimosas, and quite literally shower the bride with gifts.

Are you going to be in charge of hosting a bridal shower for the bride? Here is a checklist of some of the essential things that you do not want to miss out on:

Prep:

  • Set the registry

    • Make sure your bride has her registry in order so that you can give the guest a point of reference to look for a gift.

  • Rally the troops

    • Figure out who your co-hosts will be. Other bridesmaids? Aunts of the bride? Each party is different. Make sure you talk to the bride and make sure that you are on the same page as the family.

  • Select a date

    • Compile a list of dates and blackout dates with the bride of potential event dates. (Make sure you both connect with immediate family members to make sure those dates work for them as well.) Narrow it down to 2 or 3 dates that you can float out to the other co-hosts/bridesmaids. Majority rules!

  • Create a guest list

    • Inquire with the bride about who she would like to have on her guest list.

  • Build a budget

    • Once you have a date and an idea of how many people will be on the guest list, meet with your co-hosts/bridesmaids to decide on a budget that everyone is comfortable with. All hosts typically contribute the same amount.

  • Pick a location and time

    • Select a venue that works within your budget and can comfortably accommodate everyone on your guest list.

    • TIP: showers are often thrown at a guest’s home which can cut down dramatically on the cost.

    • Showers are typically around 2-4 hours. Make sure that you have a timeline in place to ensure that your guests don’t get bored or feel awkward.

  • Chose a theme

    • Figure out just how much the bride wants to be involved. Does she want to be surprised with the theme/colors or does she want to have an input?

  • Invitations

    • Collect all addresses from the bride so that you can send out invitations with enough notice. If you have a tight turn around, we recommend sending a Facebook event “Save the Date” to notify guest immediately and even collect missing addresses if necessary.

    • Include all of the details in the invitation; date, location, time, where the bride is registered, RSVP date, desired attire, theme, etc.

2-3 Months Before the Shower

  • Decorations

    • Colors and theme should already be chosen. Start ordering things on Amazon or Etsy now to allow time for production and delivery.

    • TIP: ordering early gives you enough time to send things back or change your mind. Build in as much time as you can for decorations.

  • Catering

    • Does it include paper goods?

    • Drinks?

    • Are they delivering? If not, who is in charge of getting the food in time

    • TIP: always bring your own role of garbage bags. They are great for throwing things in that need to be transported and helps with an easy clean up.

  • Send out invitations

  • Include RSVP Date at least one month out

  • Get your guest book ordered

1 month before Shower

  • Plan games

    • Coordinate with the groom if the game involves him

  • Purchase favors after final head count

  • Don’t forget your gift!

1 - 2 weeks before

  • Purchase alcohol

    • We recommend Costco

  • Don’t forget the speaker to play some jams!

  • Confirm set up time with location/ bridesmaids who are helping you

We know just how hard it can be to keep the smallest of tasks in order when planning something as big as a bridal shower. We hope that this checklist can make your planning process just a little more simple and a whole lot sweeter.

Chiazor Arah