Memorable Without the Marathon
Bridal showers. Some people love them. Some people dread them. The key is to keep the day moving and not drag on for hours. Here are some tips on how to keep your bridal shower something that people remember fondly and not think it was a waste of their day.
Length of Time
The first thing to remember is even though you’re excited about the bridal shower and I’m sure many of your guests will be too, not everyone can afford to spend an entire day attending the shower. Strive for two and a half 3 hours max. I was invited to a bridal shower that was 90 miles from my home on a Sunday afternoon. After 3 hours, they had still yet to even start to open the gifts. I had to leave to make it back home in time to get to bed because I had to work in the morning! Be considerate of your guest’s time. Most of them are giving up precious weekend time or evening time to attend and celebrate your upcoming nuptials. Not everyone can afford to spend an entire day. Everyone has busy lives and some people just want to have time to relax at home. Asking someone to drive a long distance and then drag out the day even longer is really on the edge of being inconsiderate.
Order of Events
You’ll likely also want to leave some time in the schedule so people can chat and introduce people to each other who are meeting for the first time from each other’s families and friend groups. You’ll also want time for you to talk with your guests so you can be sure to tell them how much you appreciate them coming to your shower.
The order of events is a crucial part of a bridal shower. Most showers have three elements to them:
- Food
- Games
- Gifts
I have found that the best order for events games, food, and then gifts. Here’s why. You’re going to have some people coming at about 10 or 15 after the start time listed on the invite. As people walk in, they will more than likely start to mingle around and chit-chat with each other. So after about 10-15 minutes ask the guests to find a place to sit. Then you can start with quick introductions if that is what your bride/groom wants. Now that everyone has a seat, you can start on the games. Limit the games to 2 or 3. Playing games gives everybody a chance to get to know each other a little bit better before diving into the food.
Once the games are done, tell the bride/groom to start the food line. This gives them the chance to eat first. While the others are finishing up their food, they can start opening the gifts. Guests who are still eating can nibble at their food while watching the opening of the gifts. As the bride/groom is opening their gifts have someone sit next to them and write down in a notepad what the gift is and who it is from. If possible, have someone who knows most of the guests in attendance. That way when the bride/groom is opening a gift and they say it’s from Aunt Rosie, the person next to them won’t have to ask the bride/groom to say the name again or ask how to spell it. It just makes things a little bit easier for the bride/groom when they write the thank you notes.
There is a tradition now of people bringing gifts unwrapped so the bride/groom doesn’t have to open the gifts. If this is the case you can either play one more extra game or have the bride/groom give more detailed introductions of each guest.
After the gifts have been opened, guests who need to leave can do so without feeling like they are cutting out early or missing a part of the shower. And if other guests want to stay a bit and visit, they can do so.
Remember to keep things simple. And if you need ideas on alternatives to traditional bridal showers, check out my earlier post with other ideas!
Remember, less is more
~ Melissa
