Tips for Hosting a Bridal Shower
Traditional Kitchen Teas are Given a Modern and Cheeky Touch
Jul 16, 2009
Bridal showers or kitchen teas as they are sometimes known, were traditionally afternoon parties where guests would bring small gifts for the kitchen, such as a can opener. As many brides often live with their partners before getting married, most have all of the kitchen items they need, and what they don’t have is sure to be on the bridal registry.
Organizing the Bridal Shower
The most important thing to consider when organizing the bridal shower is the bride’s personality. A great idea for a bridal shower is to organize a party plan party. There is a range to choose from and the choice should represent the bride’s taste, but also consider the guests that are invited. Would the bride want a risqué adult party if her mother-in-law were attending?
Bridal showers needn’t be a surprise, so if the bridesmaids' are in doubt, they should simply ask the bride what she wants. The many options for party plan parties include:
- Candle parties
- Kitchen items (from storage containers to knives)
- Aromatherapy parties
- Adult parties
- Clothing parties
- Pamper style parties
- New age parties
- Lingerie parties
Another good idea if hosting a party plan party is to ask all guests to contribute $5 so that the bride can buy herself a gift from everyone. This eliminates the guests having to worry about what gift to buy and the bride can buy something she really wants.
Organizing the Food for the Bridal Shower
The bridesmaids’ budget and the amount of guests expected will determine the food. Catering companies may be suitable, or organizing finger foods and nibbles may work. One great idea that is cheap and means there’ll be a nice variety of choices is to ask the guests to bring either a ‘sweet’ or ‘savory’ plate.
It doesn’t mater if the food they bring is bought or homemade, it will keep the costs down for the bridesmaids without breaking anyone else’s budget. Depending on the guests, a few bottles of wine and a supply of coffee and tea should suffice for an afternoon.
Games and Prizes for the Bridal Shower
If hosting a party plan party, often the demonstrators will provide games and prizes of their products, but it is wise to organize a few games, with at least one specifically for the bride. This will keep everyone entertained. Popular games are:
- Pass the parcel – a prize is wrapped in many layers and passed from player to player while music is played. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel, unwraps a layer. This continues until someone wins the prize. Smaller prizes can be places between a few of the layers.
- Pin the doodle on the man – a game that can be purchased online or from adult shops. It is the same as pin the tail on the donkey, except the ‘tail’ is different.
- 20 questions – the bride is asked a certain number of questions about her future husband. The future husband has given his answers to the bridesmaids, and if the bride answers a sufficient amount correctly, she will win a prize. Preferably an embarrassing one.
Prizes can reflect the brides taste, however, most people have come to expect naughty gifts like underwear, suggestive lollypops or other items with doodles on them. These items can be purchased online or from adult shops.
The bride should also be forced to wear a sash or tacky tiara or veil to commemorate the day and make her stand out. If the budget allows, it is nice to give each guest a small, inexpensive gift, such as a doodle/pecker straw, to take home as a reminder of a fun day.
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