What was your bridal shower like?

[Kitty 34]

My sister is helping me host a bridal shower for my son's fiancee in a couple of weeks. We will be having 12-15 over at my sister's house. Since I never had one back in the dark ages I'm really clueless on what to do.

And yes, I've gone to some sites but they seem quite lavish!!!

So please tell me about your bridal shower if you had one or hosted one.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

My bridal shower was overwhelming. My BBF/Matron of Honor was going to throw it, but my MIL and her friends decided they were going to help and they took over. The shower was in a dark Italian restaurant in one corner because they didn't have dedicated rooms. It was a 3 course sit down meal. And I only had one shower so there were 60 people there. It was way to fancy and too expensive for my tastes. And it took forever to open all of those presents, and there wasn't anywhere to put them. And we were surrounded by the restaurant's other patrons. We also ran out of time to do all of the games, plus no one was "in charge" so no one spoke up.

So lessons learned - pick a restaurant or a place that has a dedicated space for you, and room for presents. Sit down meals make it difficult for the bride to mingle. If the guest list looks too large, consider 2 smaller showers, so the bride isn't overwhelmed. Create a "schedule" of when you want to eat, play games, open presents, have cake. This will help keep everyone on track so you aren't there forever and no one feels left out that there wasn't time for their game, or cake, or whatever. Most of all, do what the bride wants, not what you would like!

Hope this helps.

 

[disney212]

Mine was lovely and very cost effective. We chose a garden tea party theme. Picked up mismatched tea cups and saucers at the local thrift store and each guest got to take one home as their favor. We served tea sandwiches, scones, salads and the traditional Lane Cake as our dessert. Beverages were assorted hot and cold teas and a champagne cocktail was the only alcohol we had. The decorations were straw hats (from Oriental Trading) decorated with artificial flowers from the Dollar Store. Everyone commented on how fun it was and I have helped 3 folks with the same theme since.

I have helped folks set them up outside in the summer and inside in the winter. In the summer it goes with the season and in the winter it is nice reminder of warmer weather.

 

[BearcatsFan]

My sister is helping me host a bridal shower for my son's fiancee in a couple of weeks. We will be having 12-15 over at my sister's house. Since I never had one back in the dark ages I'm really clueless on what to do.

And yes, I've gone to some sites but they seem quite lavish!!!

So please tell me about your bridal shower if you had one or hosted one.

Mine was smallish (about 15 people), mostly my family and the groom's family. It was hosted by my sister (my MOH), and held at my aunt's home. We had finger foods, a couple of games (including door prize), and then I opened my gifts. Then we had cake and punch.

It was a lot of fun, very casual, and low-cost.

I've hosted one, too, and I modeled it after my own because everyone enjoyed it so much - myself included.

I've been to the large, over-the-top stuffy showers at restaurants and honestly I prefer the ones held at home. I think you can just be yourself more, be loud and giggly, in a home environment as opposed to feeling more reserved when you're in a public place (JMHO).

 

[njcarita]

mine was on a lovely boat on the hudson with about 60 woman..... most i didnt know...lol... friends of family...friends of grandma etc etc............. i wanted one in a living room of someones house... but nope my mother was appalled at the idea........ i like things simple and my family likes things over the top.........

 

[Meriweather]

Mine were back in the "dark ages", Kitty, so not sure it will help.
One was hosted by future MIL and included neighbors and friends and family of theirs.
Maybe 30. It was lunch and a couple old fashioned games. Hosted at her house.

The other was hosted by my cousin (my maid of honor) and was at my house. My family and friends and bridal party came to this one. Maybe 30 again. Lunch again.

Both had cake and a couple of games. Both were very casual...........the way I prefer things.
Have fun!

 

[mjkacmom]

I've been to the large, over-the-top stuffy showers at restaurants and honestly I prefer the ones held at home. I think you can just be yourself more, be loud and giggly, in a home environment as opposed to feeling more reserved when you're in a public place (JMHO).

Most here are at halls and restaurants, but I requested my sister have it at my parents house (large), and have it be simple (sandwiches, salads). I really preferred it over a several course lunch or dinner at a restaurant.

 

[ronandannette]

Mine was lovely and very cost effective. We chose a garden tea party theme. Picked up mismatched tea cups and saucers at the local thrift store and each guest got to take one home as their favor. We served tea sandwiches, scones, salads and the traditional Lane Cake as our dessert. Beverages were assorted hot and cold teas and a champagne cocktail was the only alcohol we had. The decorations were straw hats (from Oriental Trading) decorated with artificial flowers from the Dollar Store. Everyone commented on how fun it was and I have helped 3 folks with the same theme since.

I have helped folks set them up outside in the summer and inside in the winter. In the summer it goes with the season and in the winter it is nice reminder of warmer weather.

I LOVE theme-parties, and think they are actually easier to plan than one without (once you grab hold of an idea, one thing kind of leads to another in terms of decor, food, activities, etc.). Garden Tea is really appealing; feminine, sweet and can easily be done at home on a moderate budget!

 

[BearcatsFan]

Most here are at halls and restaurants, but I requested my sister have it at my parents house (large), and have it be simple (sandwiches, salads). I really preferred it over a several course lunch or dinner at a restaurant.

What state are you in? I didn't realize it varied from region to region, but I guess that makes sense. I didn't mean any offense, so I hope none was taken.

 

[Kitty 34]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Very helpful.

I just came from the bridal shower of my future DIL that her sister hosted. I wanted to keep a shower more "intimate" and since there are so many females on both sides of the family is why I decided to throw one for her, too, at the end of this month.

My future DIL is very shy especially around my family so am not sure just what would be some good games to play. I like the one poster who suggested a schedule......definitely a good idea. I am going to invite her Mom and the sister that just hosted today's party so she doesn't feel out of place.

I like the idea of a themed party but not sure what to go on. Neither my DS or her have ever lived on their own.........my son right now lives in a dorm on an AF base so they will be setting up house in Oklahoma from scratch so-o-o-o many miles away!

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

I had a very low-key shower... just the way I like it!

3 good friends of my mom hosted it "jointly" - it was held at one of the women's home. I'd say there were 12-15 people there. There wasn't really a theme, although the hostesses and my mom had worked together in secret, and had been in contact with my soon to be MIL, to get baby and kid pictures of me and my fiance, and she had put some of those up, which was really cute (it was done tastefully).

It was a mid-afternoon shower, so there were just snacks, drinks, desserts, and finger foods. Everyone just chit chatted, ate some food, etc. and then we all gathered in her living room. We only did one "game" - I am not so much into endless bridal shower or baby shower games (most people I think feel this way!). Anyway, the game was fun - the hostess had secretly emailed my fiance with 10 questions to answer about me, and I had to answer the same questions about him, and we compared our answers to see how well we knew each other. It was funny, everyone in attendance learned a little more about me and my fiance, and it was quick.

I opened gifts, then everyone visited some more and had a few more snacks. And that was about it!

I did have a 2nd shower thrown by my fiance's family at his church, but that one was kind of weird!

 

[Fire14]

My shower was held at a friends home: Was casual and a major flop due lack of planning on hosts part. was 4 guests( my mom, Bridesmaid, host and host dtr)
WE had a co ed one given by "bosses" of DH that was fun we just opened gifts and had cake was a sorta drop in one in store conf rm. believe there was 6 ladies

One I went to was hosted at MOB house by SILTB. WE played a few games ( word scramble, Gift bingo I believe), purse savenger hunt. Bride opened gifts and we had munchie snacks ( veggie tray, meat roll ups, Lemonade, Iced tea, cake) This was group of maybe 15-20 gals most were friends, family of bride.
One thing we did at this gals shower was go around circle and introduce ourselves and how we knew bride/mother to be- I'm not sure what shower it was at.
Another I went to was for a coworker- we did gift bingo,word scramble, tray game. I believe we had munchies and cake.

 

[LJSquishy]

We had a simple "Jack & Jill" shower, which is where both sexes attend. Most everyone we knew were much older than us (old enough to be our parents) so I didn't have a traditional bridal shower. I wouldn't have had any friends to invite!

Ours was just really simple -- no games (I hate bridal/baby shower games!), just a cake and a few simple snacks. Everyone just gathered around to chat and watch us open a few gifts together.

 

[ronandannette]

I did have a 2nd shower thrown by my fiance's family at his church, but that one was kind of weird!

Just curious...weird in what way?

 

[onelilspark]

My MOH and I were in each others weddings within 6 months of each other. We did both bridal showers at the same place. We held it at a small, local pizza/Italian place (both of our immediate families moved from the area, so it was easier for us to go to a restaurant than a house) and we had salads, pizza, a pasta dish, and desserts from the restaurant. Really low key. No games (because I'm not a fan) and we just sat around, chatted, ate some delicious food, and opened gifts. At both showers (mine and my MOH's) people loved it because it was low key and focused on enjoying the company. We asked everyone to bring a recipe and put them all together in a book for the Bride.

For my cousin's shower, when we were still living in the area, we held it at our house and made it a "beachy" theme. So we had snacks that we usually took down to the shore, but again, no games.

At another cousin's shower that we hosted at her apartment complex's clubhouse, we brought in sandwiches. For that one, we did do a "game" where we asked her fiance some questions, and made her guess the answers (I've seen variations of this where the bride has to put chewing gum in her mouth if she gets it wrong...I think that's gross, but just the questions were fun.) At her baby shower they did "gift bingo," which was fun to play.

I would suggest if the bride is shy or doesn't know a lot of people on your side of the family that you nix the games and focus on just throwing a party!

 

[disykat]

I would actually DO the games if she is shy, to take the focus off of her and give people her a chance to interact casually with new aquaintances.

I'd do really casual ones that people don't HAVE to participate in, but that incourage some interaction. For example, at different areas around the room you could have things like "write advice for the bride and groom." Another station could have something like "guess the spice." (the bride gets new spices) A 3rd station could have some sort of table linen item (like a few cloth napkins or dish drying towels) that people could sign or even decorate.

If you are doing finger food, people could mingle, eat, and particpate as desired.

 

[AmericangirlinFrance]

Just curious...weird in what way?

Well, not weird-bad, just awkward weird. DH's family lives waaaay far away in a tiny town (800 people), so I have only really met his immediate family. Some of his parents' friends, 5 ladies they go to church with, hosted the shower (but I've never met any of these people). They invited basically all the women in the church and others in town.

Anyway, the shower was held in the church nursery room, and there were probably 30 women there. The ONLY people there I had ever met before were my DH's mom and sister. They had the chairs for the guests set up in rows, like you would for a class or something. So I sat up front in a chair at a table, and they all sat there and watched me open my gifts like I was on stage. My DH came after most of the shower was over so he could say hello to everyone (he doesn't get back home very often living so far away). He said the seating arrangement seemed a little confrontational.

And every time I opened a gift, it was like "Oh, this is from Mary Smith... umm..." and Mary Smith would have to raise her hand because of course I had no idea who she was, and it was just so awkward.

Everyone was nice, it was just bizarre being at a bridal shower where you know no one. And they did have cake and punch.

 

[MIGrandma]

I don't think you'd want to do one like mine!

DH and I had rented a house a couple of months before we got married and we needed that much time to clean it and make it fit to live in again.

The previous renters were filthy pigs, and it took the landlady a long time to force them out. So, they left a mess.

Anyway, we were close to being done by the time our wedding was a couple weeks away so my maid-of-honor got the bright idea to "surprise me" by having a shower for me, at OUR house.

We had very little furniture, but someone brought a bunch of folding chairs. There were no decorations, and back then (1975) showers were basically just cake and punch, play a couple games and open the gifts.

I was wearing bib overalls and of course had nothing to change into.

There were about 20-25 people there and the main thing that I remember was a couple of DH's aunts made a really cute gift. They took a mop bucket and filled it with cleaning supplies, in the center was a broom and rolls of paper towel were covering the handle. They had attached a paper plate to the top of the broom for a "face" and her eyes were steel wool scrubbies (don't remember what her nose and mouth were), they tied a red bandana around the top of her "head", wooden spoons were her arms, and they even tied an apron around her waist. It was so unusual that I've never forgotten it.

It was nice being surprised, but I would have enjoyed it more had it been somewhere else.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

I wanted a backyard barbeque but what a fiasco that started. I didn't want to be stuck in some restaurant/hall and then rushed out because time was up. I wanted a laid back, relaxed shower. Figured I'd have it MIL's backyard since she lived in the town where most of the attendees were from (and where I lived). My mother got herself in a tizzy because SHE was the mother of the bride and it should be at her house. Unfortunately that meant everyone would have to travel. It was only convenient for her. MIL, in turn, threatened that no one from DH's side would come. My MOH let me in on what was going on and I told her to tell them all to go to (well you get the idea). Anyway, I told her she was MOH and she should do what she wanted.

They had it in a hall, but was definitely backyard barbeque themed. Red and white checked plastic table clothes, plastic bugs on the tables, plastic water guns, bubbles... the bridal party and I sat in lawn chairs, they had a little plastic kiddie pool for me to soak my feet in, bought a small portable grill and had plastic doggie toys (steak, hot dog, burgers) on it. Everyone was told to wear comfortable, yard type clothing and they brought shorts and a tshirt for me to change into. I LOVED IT! I honestly can't remember whether it was sitdown or buffet style (it was 20 years ago) but I remembered how impressed I was with the whole theme.

 

[anniemck]

11am on a Sunday morning, had about 10 people in attendance at a diner several of us had thought about trying. My daughter (24) and my now SIL put the shower on. The diner reserved a section of the patio for us, we played a couple games waiting for food to be served and opened gifts waiting for the check and just talking. It was very nice.

Now my daughter (22) is getting married next month and my daughter (24) is throwing her shower, it is a pot luck and a friends house on a Sunday afternoon. Everyone will bring a dish and the recipe for the dish to compile a cookbook. We live in FL, my daughter is getting married in TN, the shower will be in FL. Now her fmil had a shower for her in October, and had made ham, mac/cheese, beans, salad, vegi cups and had ring sandwiches. It was very nice. We played a couple games, ate, opened gifts had dessert.