From the bride's prospective, a shower may not seem as important as the wedding dress, the bridesmaids, the wedding cake, a honeymoon wardrobe, etc. To be perfectly clear, she has enough to do and is depending on you to plan a perfect shower in which she receives lots of gifts. And she expects to have lots of photos to treasure along with other memories of her perfect wedding.
At this point, you should consider exactly what type of shower (all occasion, linen, kitchen, etc.) you will have and whether or not you have enough co-hostesses to make it a success. Three hostesses should be adequate for all except the most elaborate of showers. Also, you will need at least four volunteer or paid assistants.
It makes perfect sense to start out by considering the bride's expectations. Keep a pad handy and jot things down as you think of them. If possible, be sure to include anything the bride mentions. Later, you can arrange your notes in a check-off list. By the time you are ready to meet with your co-hostesses, you should have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done. To avoid hurt feelings, be sure to consider the opinions of your co-hostesses, some of which may be better than your own. Besides, three heads are certainly better than one.
Given the bride's expectations, you know that you need a photographer. This person may be a professional or a friend who is handy with a camera. Next, find out where the bride's gift registry is located so that you can include it on the invitations.To accommodate those who do not wish to shop for a gift, you can place a Matri-Money Tree on or near the gift table. Other important factors to consider early on include refreshments to be served, guests to be invited and the time and date of the occasion.
A small shower with twelve to twenty-four women guests or a calling shower for any number of women guests is usually held in mid-afternoon on a Saturday or Sunday to accommodate those who work. It may be held in the home of one of the hostesses. Refreshments might consist of a traditional cake with nuts, mints and a colorful fruit punch. Conversely, a shower for 25 - 100 or more guests including women and men is given the order of a cocktail party honoring the bride and groom. It is usually held around 5 p.m. in a banquet hall or other large type facility and involves a somewhat elaborate menu including, for example, hors d'oeuvres, coffee, tea, wine and/or mixed drink with the traditional cake and punch. A luncheon, a buffet or a sit-down dinner shower may include women, men and/or families. Luncheons are usually scheduled for 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on a Saturday and can be held in the dining room of a community center or in a church fellowship hall. A luncheon might include salad, sandwiches, and or soup. Dinners are usually scheduled for 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. and, as the name implies,a full meal is served. For a luncheon or dinner, the traditional cake and punch are served for dessert.
Except for a calling shower, you will need to plan a couple of activities or games to keep the guests entertained while the hostesses take care of last minute details prior to serving. For a shower which includes women and men, the groom or the brides' father should make an announcement of the time and date of the wedding and invite everyone to attend. Next, just prior to the meal, after guests are seated and after the food has been blessed, the best man offers a toast to the couple.
At a small shower, gifts are usually opened by the bride at the shower with her maid of honor or other close friend making a list of who gave each gift. For all other types of showers, gifts are usually not opened at the shower but saved to be opened with the bride and groom's other wedding gifts.
By this time, you should be thinking about a theme for the shower. If you know the what colors the bride will use in her wedding, try to use them for the shower. Otherwise, use white and silver. Silver metallic tablecloths, even plastic ones if cost is a factor, go very well with a simple white paper wedding bells or white flower arrangements as centerpieces with sparkling black and white confetti sprinkled along the center section of each table. Another inexpensive idea is to use white tablecloths with magnolia leaves arranged along the center of the tables. Serving utensils and dishes should complement the table decor.
For a luncheon or dinner shower, it is best to keep it simple. But remember, regardless of how simple your menu appears to be, you will need three or four assistants to get the food from the kitchen to the serving table, cut the cake, place ice in glasses and pour drinks. Unless you have a paid staff of helpers, disposable cookware and paper or plastic ware are strongly recommended.
Remember to send thank you notes to all who have helped with the occasion. You never know when you will need to call on them for your daughter's wedding shower.
