PARTY PLANNER
how to host a:
bridal shower
PARTY
Throwing a bridal shower is the perfect way to show the bride-to-be how much you care and is a great opportunity to create long-lasting memories with friends and family. The shower you throw can be either traditional or themed and is an excellent way to provide the newlyweds with practical gifts for their new home. Throwing a bridal shower is easy with our vast selection of entertaining items and this guide.
PARTY PLANNER : b ridal shower : POTTERYBARN.CO M
Bridal Shower Themes Around the Clock Shower – Assign each guest a specific time of day and ask them to tailor their gift to this time. For example, if you are assigned 9:00 am, your gift should reflect early morning activities and could include such items as a tray, teapot, table linens and a set of mugs.
SETTING
UP
Linen Shower – A perfect way to add luxury to the couple’s home. Have guests give sheets, towels, fluffy pillows, bathrobes, table linens and other textiles.
Traditions and Etiquette
A Room of the House Shower – Each guest is encouraged to give gifts tailored to a particular room of the house. For example, if a guest is assigned The Bathroom their gift could include guest towels, bath canisters, a soap dish and a fine hand milled soap.
Bridal showers are an age-old custom derived from a newlywed couple being showered with gifts by friends and local townspeople. According to tradition, bridal showers should be hosted by the maid of honor or a close friend of the bride. Immediate relatives, such as a mother or sister, should not host the event so it does not appear that they are asking for gifts. Involve the bride when inviting guests to a shower. Avoid including anyone who is not invited to the wedding. Bridal showers can take place anytime from two months to two weeks before the wedding. They can be held at the hostess’ home or a favorite restaurant. Be sure to consult the bride before deciding upon a location. When the invitations are sent, the bride should be registered, and it is acceptable for the hostess to indicate registry information on the invitation.
Holiday Shower – Ask each guest to base their gift choice on a different holiday – ornaments or decorations for Christmas, champagne flutes for New Year’s Eve or a serving platter for Thanksgiving. These gifts are sure to become the couple’s heirlooms.
Special Touches Plan a few games and activities using our guide to shower games and activities. Match your food selection, decorations and prizes to the chosen theme of the shower. Have a selection of chilled beverages like sparkling water, soda, champagne and wine available for your guests. Create a music playlist ahead of time that will help set the mood of the party – or, borrow from ours! Party favors are always a great way to thank guests for coming. Some great ideas include monogrammed frames, champagne splits in mini ice buckets or miniature potted herbs. Refer to our guide to create great party favors.
PARTY PLANNER : b ridal shower : POTTERYBARN.CO M
creative
favors Creativity and personality are what make a bridal shower memorable. Here are eight special parting gifts that will make a real impression and your guests will love taking home with them. Use your favors in lieu of traditional place cards, placing one at each setting tied in ribbon. 1. A Bit of Bubbly Nothing says celebrate like champagne. Imagine the festive sound of all your guests popping champagne splits for the very first toast to the bride and groom. For a clever party favor, use our Bosphorus Bowls or any weighted low glass vases as small ice buckets. About an hour before guests come, fill with ice and one split of beribboned champagne. For an extra special touch, each vase can be monogrammed with the initial of the guest. 2. Miniature Planted Herbs Small, potted mint, rosemary, lavender and basil are all good choices, and their scents complement any menu. Most can be found shaped into tiny topiaries. Purchase them from any garden center, and re-pot them in mini terra cotta pots. Tuck moss around the edges and top to cover. Keep bases in water until the event since small pots dry out quickly. As a finishing touch, use raffia and tie a copper or zinc plant tag onto the stem as a place card. 3. Tea Time Tuck specialty teabags in pretty ceramic mugs, like our Sausalito Mug, then wrap tie with a ribbon. Add each
guest’s name to the mug with a permanent pen, which will easily wash off the glazed finish, as a place card and party favor in one. 4. Single Blooms Place one type of single-colored flower in a clear glass bud vase like our Square Bud Vase. Tie each vase with ribbon and a nametag, then cluster them in a circle at the center of the table for a clever favor that doubles as a centerpiece. For variation, each table can have a floral theme that’s connected by color, white roses, white freesia, etc. 5. Keep Cozy For a cool-weather wedding – or even a summer wedding in a part of the country with cool nights – treat each guest to a brightly colored throw. Roll up one of our Cableknit Throws, tie with a wide ribbon and mark with a name handwritten on a pretty tag. 6. Stay Hydrated A very affordable favor that’s ideal for an outdoor setting is a reusable water bottle. It keeps everyone hydrated in the hot sun and the caribiner at the top is the perfect place to attach a place card. For a little more, include a monogrammed Lunch Tote complete with healthy snacks and homemade Agua Fresca. 7. Frame the Day Handwrite each guest’s name on a beautiful piece of paper, then place it in a small frame like our Beaded Silver Plated Frame at each setting. For a special touch, have the frame engraved with the date of your shower. (When you write thank-you notes, you can also include prints of the day for them to put in their frame.) 8. Spa Setting For a shower with a spa theme, monogram our Organic Robe for a more extravagant gift. Roll and tie each one with its own sash, then tuck a sprig of lavender and a name card in the pocket and place on each guest’s chair.
PARTY PLANNER : b ridal shower : POTTERYBARN.CO M
timeline
2 weeks out •
At least 5 weeks out
Choose games and/or icebreakers for the party. Create any documents needed.
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Choose at lease one festive, unique cocktail to serve at the event and perfect its preparation.
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Check your pantry and supplies, and shop for any vases, serveware, linens, dinnerware or glassware needed.
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Begin planning a music playlist for the event – or, borrow from ours!
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Work with the bride or the bride’s mother to choose a date that works for key guests, like family members and the bridal party.
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Ask the bride or the bride’s mother about whether she wants women only, or a mixed shower. Get a sense from the bride for what kind of party she wants.
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Choose the location of the party. Secure a reservation if necessary.
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Establish the party theme and decorating colors so they can be carried through to the invitation.
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Work out the guest list and gather names, emails, addresses and telephone numbers for everyone invited.
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Choose paper invitations, design your own or use ours and have them printed. Include any pertinent details on the invitations that relate to party giftgiving theme, especially if guests will need to bring something special in addition to a gift. Include an RSVP date that’s at least 10 days prior to the date.
at least 4 weeks out •
Send out invitations.
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Order linens for the shower monogrammed with the bride’s wedding date. After the shower, you can launder them and give them to the bride as a gift.
10 days out •
Gather RSVPs and follow up with anyone who hasn’t been in touch, at this point email reminders are fine.
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Shop for party favors and prizes, wrap and labels. Make sure you have a few extra just in case a guest who has declined can come at the last minute.
1 week to 2 days out •
Shop for non-perishable food items, beverages, etc.
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Gather serveware.
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Rent any tables or chairs necessary.
2 days out •
day before •
Begin food prep according to your schedule.
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Set up for the party. Clean, decorate, arrange chairs, etc. Shop for flowers. For flower arranging tips watch our videos on creating stylish arrange-ments with Nico DeSwert.
at least 3 weeks out •
Plan the menu.
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If catering, work with the caterer to choose seasonal foods that will ensure best taste and quality.
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If preparing yourself, plan a menu and study each recipe to make a schedule for preparation. That way, you can do as much of the prep work in the days leading up to the shower. Make sure you choose foods that will be in season at the time of the shower so that you know you’ll be able to find everything easily. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from close friends.
Shop for perishable food items; the freshest items ensure recipe success.
day of •
Arrange flowers.
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Prep last-minute food items.
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Relax and get in the spirit of celebrating!
after the big day •
If you ordered monogrammed linens for the shower, launder them and give them to the bride as a gift.
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Choose a handful of great photos of the day and create an album to give to the bride.
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Send thank-you notes to anyone who helped you make the event extra special.
PARTY PLANNER : b ridal shower : POTTERYBARN.CO M
bridal shower
games
Table Topics
Words from the Wise
See how well your guests know the couple. Table Topics, Wedding Shower Edition, includes forty question cards about the bride and groom. To play, have the bride provide you with her answers first, then split your guests into teams and see which team comes up with the most answers that match the bride’s. Questions are as simple as – “Who popped the question and how?” and as tough as – “What is the famous couple you most admire?” Of course, the game really starts getting lively when guests start lightheartedly debating the answers.
Tuck a pretty blank card into the shower invitations with a note asking guests to pen their advice for a successful marriage. Encourage guests to be creative, suggesting that advice be written in any form – a haiku, a recipe, a fortune or a letter. After guests have read their cards to the group, the maid of honor can compile them in a scrapbook prepared in advance as a gift for the bride.
Recipe Books Before the shower, instruct all the guests to bring a favorite recipe to the shower. Guests can also include a little story about the significance of that recipe, giving the bride-to-be ideas for starting her own traditions around meals shared with her future husband. It’s helpful to have everyone use the same format, so all the recipes work together in booklet. As guests arrive collect the recipes and place them in a recipe book you’ve prepared in advance. Present the completed book to the bride as she’s opening gifts during the shower.
Famous Couples Before the party, make a list of famous romantic couples, choosing couples that your guests are likely to know. Write each name down separately on nametags and as each guest arrives, put a nametag (without showing them) on their back. Their task is to go around the party and ask yes or no questions about their “secret identity.” Then, they have to find their “better half.” The prize goes to the first couple to find each other, and the game ends when everyone has found their partner.
Newlywed Trivia Before the shower, ask the groom 20 questions about the bride and their relationship: Where was your first kiss? What’s her most annoying habit? Which of these are you most likely to fight about: messiness, social plans or wedding stress? At the shower, ask the bride the same questions and see how many answers they have in common.
PARTY PLANNER : BRIDAL SHOWER : POTTERYBARN.COM
THE
BASICS dishware
Large and small cake stands are perfect to display cakes and desserts. They can also serve as a pedestal for cheeses, crackers and fruit. Stacks of large and small plates, mugs and bowls will encourage your guests to help themselves to the buffet.
glassware Stemless glasses are perfect for wine, champagne, mimosas and bellinis and are best for parties since they are more stable and easier to hold than traditional stemware.
accessories A 3-tier stand makes a sophisticated statement and is perfect for displaying finger sandwiches, hors d’oeuvres or your favorite cookies and dessert items. Serving boards, trays and glass domes help to display foods and keep them fresh. White tablecloths are an essential at a bridal shower. Have plenty of cloth napkins on hand for guests, and for a special touch, monogram the bride’s wedding date on the linens. After the party, you can have them laundered and give them to her as a gift.
