Table of Contents
The bachelorette party is a great excuse to host a small evening party where friends and family members can spend some time with the bride before the wedding. If you want to host a successful shower, it’s important to adhere to a few key rules of etiquette.
Who should be the host?
According to tradition, neither the bride nor her immediate family should participate in the organization of the party, as this would imply that they are asking for gifts. It is usually the responsibility of the bridesmaid to invite guests and suggest themes for the bridal shower, but it can also be one of the bridesmaids or any of the bride’s close friends. Modern etiquette also allows a member of the bride’s family to host, especially if circumstances suggest that option. The host can choose to organize a surprise party for the bride or consult her and ask her to help with gift suggestions and guest lists.
Who should be invited?
Traditionally, bachelorette parties are small parties for the bride’s closest friends and women in the family. The guest list should include only the people who are also invited to the wedding. The only exception is an “office shower” which is appropriate if the bride’s co-workers want to surprise her with gifts, although not everyone is invited to the wedding. The host can choose to organize more than one shower, but in that case there must be different guest lists for each of them. The best time to organize a bridal shower is a few months before the wedding, but it can also be celebrated a few weeks before the big day.
What about the gifts?
To make the job of choosing gifts for the bride easier, the host can suggest a selection of the bride’s favorite stores and establish a bridal shower gift registry. This must be done before invitations are sent. Another way to provide a clue as to what the bride might need is to choose a shower theme. If some of the guests are invited to more than one shower, they should bring a gift only to the first one, and this rule also applies to the closest family and members of the bridal party.
How to choose the wording of the invitation?
From sweet and feminine to elegant and luxurious, the design of the invitation can vary and your main consideration should be the wording. It should include information about where and when the event will be held, as well as the host’s RSVP information. Since the bride will be receiving gifts, the etiquette rules allow her to include information related to the gift registry or to indicate a specific topic, such as kitchen or beauty essentials. However, if the bride does not want to ask for gifts, do not mention them in the invitation. This is a very elegant way to invite guests to the shower without forcing them to bring a gift.
Click here for similar items