What is a Wedding Shower?
Originating in the USA, the wedding shower is becoming increasingly popular the world over – but what exactly is it ? In this article, we’re giving you the lowdown on this fun part of your nuptials.
What’s it all about ?
A wedding shower is basically a party which occurs prior to the wedding day itself and the main purpose of the event is to give members of the wedding party and important guests an opportunity to get to know one another. This can be important as, in some cases, participants such as bridesmaids may not have actually met each other before due to, for example, living in different parts of the country.
Many people get confused between a wedding shower nad a bridal shower which is generally a female only event
Who attends a wedding shower ?
As with all things wedding, this is an individual decision, however, traditionally, the shower is attended by the bride and groom to be, their parents and important family members, the wedding party – bridesmaids, maid/matron of honour, best man, groomsmen and selected others.
Who organises a wedding shower ?
Again, this is a completely individual choice but, historically the maid or matron of honour will usually pay for and plan the wedding shower. Having said that, many couples choose to share the cost – particularly in recent times when budgets are tight.
Where is a wedding shower held ?
Traditionally, a wedding shower would be held at the home of the bride-to-be’s parents, however, these days, many couples find it more convenient to hold the shower at a venue such as a restaurant or hotel. This can have a number of benefits, inlcuding more space – and less work for the friends and family of the happy couple. On the other hand, this option is usually, of course, more expensive although you may be able to get a good deal by booking outside of prime time for the venue.
What happens at a wedding shower?
As with other types of celebration, a wedding shower is made up of a number of different activities and we’ll look at some of these in this section:
Food
In most cases, a buffet or finger food will be served at a wedding shower rather than a more formal sit-down meal. This informal style of dining is used in order to encourage guests to mingle and to get to know one another.
Drinks
In most cases, guests at a wedding shower will be served cocktails (often themed) along with soft drinks for those who are driving or prefer not to drink alcohol. Lots of couples like to match the colour of the cocktails to the theme of the shower for a little bit of extra fun.
Gifts
Wedding shower guests will usually be expected to bring a gift for the happy couple and this will usually be an item chosen to help them to start their new life together such as a household item.
Entertainment
To help their guests get into the swing of things, some couples like to hire a DJ or a band to provide music for their wedding shower. If, however, budgets are tight, it’s perfectly acceptable to put a friend on DJ duty armed with a tablet linked up to a set of speakers.
As well as music, its customary to organise games for a wedding shower – these are usually large scale, interactive games which are designed to let your guests get to know one another in order to make your wedding day go more smoothly.
Making a splash with your wedding shower
While there are no hard and fast rules, the activities that we’ve shared in this article all come together to make a great wedding shower. Remember, the object of the exercise is to give your guests the opportunity to become acquainted – which means that there is no awkwardness on your big day.
As we’ve mentioned, if budgets are tight, its perfectly possible to have a fabulous wedding shower without breaking the bank by holding the shower in somebody’s home and doing the catering yourself – after all, your guests are there to celebrate you, not to see how much money you’ve spent. .