Wedding showers have turned into major events, sometimes challenging the wedding itself for most impressive get together.
While the couple handles the wedding, the bridal shower is typically thrown by a member or members of the wedding party or a non-immediate relative from the bride's family.
Sometimes an alternate shower is thrown by the groom's family or if both families are close, they may combine for one large, multi-gender event that celebrates the upcoming marriage.
If you are in charge of throwing a shower for someone, there are a lot of things to consider.
First, set a budget and do your best to stick to it.
Showers can get expensive just like weddings, so make sure the shower you are hosting does not spin out of control.
Next, consider hiring a professional family photographer to document the event.
The bride and her family are going to want to remember the shower as much as the wedding, so having a pro take the pictures will work out well.
A baby photographer or portrait expert may be exactly the person you are searching for.
Next, create your guest list.
Typically, those invited to the shower are also going to be invited to the wedding, so get the wedding guest list from the bride before you begin planning.
You do not want to hurt anyone's feelings by having them at the shower if they are not going to be a part of the wedding.
Additionally, you will not want to leave anyone off of the shower guest list who is an important part of the bride's life.
There is nothing worse than having a shower where the bride realizes many of the people who mean the most to her were not even invited to spend the day celebrating her upcoming wedding.
It used to be that showers were wall to wall games, but this is not so much the case anymore.
A few well rehearsed games can serve as fun ice breakers, but give people a chance to mingle and talk.
Having things too organized will make the event feel too formal and nobody will be able to relax.
Instead of planning games for certain times, have the games ready to go if there is a lull in activity.
Trivia games are usually best because they get everyone talking and focused on the bride and groom.
When planning the shower, consider having a theme for the event.
This can help you simplify things and if you are overwhelmed by all of the choices when it comes to cakes, paper products, decorations and gifts, a theme can help you narrow things down.
Consider themes like honeymoon, a room of the house, the wedding night or travel.
Guests can be asked to bring gifts concerning the theme or they can just bring any gift they choose and your theme can relate to the party itself.
Finally, just as the bride and groom should do at the wedding, be sure to serve great food at the shower.
This does not mean everyone has to fill up on a full-course meal.
You can simple serve desserts or appetizers, as long as they are delicious.
If you do choose a theme, consider carrying it over to the menu.