Bridal shower - gift opening

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Most of the bridal showers I've been invited to recently are "be a dear, wrap in clear" so the bride doesn't have to open all the gifts. Same for baby showers. Very small showers at someone's home then the guest of honor has tended to open presents at the shower.

 

[ncc1701]

Haven't been to a Bridal,Shower in a few years . But did go to 2 Baby showers this year and they were unwrapped gifts.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

All the bridal showers I went to back in the days when I and all of my friends were getting married was the gifts were opened by the bride and all the bows from the presents were fixed to a paper plate with the ribbons hanging down to use as the practice bouquet at the wedding rehearsal.

We still do this in my old neighborhood in South Philly where I've gone to the most bridal showers in the past couple of years. The maid of honor hands the gifts to the bride-to-be to open while one of the bridesmaids collects the bows and ribbon. The bride-to-be opens all gifts at the shower, while all of the envelopes given separately are opened privately when the shower is over. You don't want to embarrass anyone by announcing the money amounts.

For baby showers, everything is left unwrapped with a tag reading who it's from. No, I don't know why.

 

[lifesavacation]

My DIL last year had about 30 guests at her shower and opened gifts. My newest DIL had about 80 guests at her shower and opened just a few.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I haven’t been to a shower in years but I attended a half dozen or so kindergarten birthday parties in the last year and none of them opened gifts during the party.

One of the main reasons I always declined having any bridal/baby showers is because I’d rather die than sit in front of a room full of people opening gift after gift while everyone scans my face for my reaction. I might’ve considered having one if I’d known opening the gifts in private was an option!

 

[ronandannette]

It varies - some will start opening gifts after the "main course"/after eating/before cake/coffee.

Some will open while cake/coffee is being served.

The last few I have been to are asked to wrap in clear and gifts are not opened.

I’ve never been to a shower that included a multi-course meal.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I think gifts should be opened during the shower. The purpose is to "shower" the engaged couple or new parents with all the things they'll need to set up a house or welcome a baby. Part of the fun for the guests is to see the bride/mom-to-be open the gift they brought. It's also fun to see all the cool stuff that everyone else brought. The games can also be fun for the guests (although I requested no games at both of my showers), and they can expect to get fed something (anywhere from cake to something more substantial). But the main part of the shower is watching the gifts get opened.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think gifts should be opened during the shower. The purpose is to "shower" the engaged couple or new parents with all the things they'll need to set up a house or welcome a baby. Part of the fun for the guests is to see the bride/mom-to-be open the gift they brought. It's also fun to see all the cool stuff that everyone else brought. The games can also be fun for the guests (although I requested no games at both of my showers), and they can expect to get fed something (anywhere from cake to something more substantial). But the main part of the shower is watching the gifts get opened.

I agree with you but I think over time with how showers seem to evolve there's less focus on the gifts. If all the shower was was the gifts and a small plate (be it apps or dessert) well yeah opening gifts right there would seem great.

But I've been to showers that there was way too much going on from the drinks part where you got drinks and mingled (usually alcoholic for bridal), then food would be served, then dessert, games were played then you'd get to the gifts and it was just a lot, and if you had a decent amount of guests the bride seems to be rushing through just to ensure all are opened when the guests are there.

My bridal shower was cake and gifts that's it, plus a small group but the last one I went to was about 45 people and the groom to be and his dad were bartenders, there was a polka dance and the stuff I mentioned above with the drinks, food, dessert, games, gifts. It was a lot and the bride looked overwhelmed by the middle of the gifts, she didn't even have a moment to really truly thank someone before it was onto the next gift.

 

[mjkacmom]

I’ve never been to a shower that included a multi-course meal.

Even at a restaurant?

 

[Moliphino]

Most of the bridal showers I've been invited to recently are "be a dear, wrap in clear" so the bride doesn't have to open all the gifts. Same for baby showers. Very small showers at someone's home then the guest of honor has tended to open presents at the shower.

Why even bother wrapping then? Seems like a pointless waste of plastic, just ask for unwrapped.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I hate the gift opening and really appreciate the new concepts of just wrapping things in clear paper or not at all etc. We have more fun eating and chatting instead of watching people unwrap knives and bowls lol

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I’ve never been to a shower that included a multi-course meal.

What kind of showers are you used to? Seems like maybe just cake and coffee etc? For us in NJ showers can be insane and I have been to a few bridal showers in the last 3 years with a DJ, photographer and open bar plus a full buffet brunch then a dessert table but even if it's a very small shower it is still the norm here to at the very least have a meal and then dessert of some sort and coffee. So "multi course" can be as simple as a sandwich and cake and coffee after.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I’m in NJ and showers (bridal and baby) can be big thing here. Some are at restaurants in a private room with a full buffet spread or plated meal. Some are at halls with DJ, photographer and open bar. Then you do have small ones at someone’s home or small rented area with finger foods and cake.

Gifts are 99% of the time always opened during the party. I find it the most boring part of the party and wish it would go away. I find sometimes the bride or mom to be can be annoyed if you aren’t into ooohhhhinh and aahhhing during the whole thing.

I did go to a baby shower a few months ago that did not open gifts. This was a baby shower with a DJ so it was a par-tay. People were dancing and having fun. It would’ve been a buzzkill to stop for gifts.

 

[mjkacmom]

What kind of showers are you used to? Seems like maybe just cake and coffee etc? For us in NJ showers can be insane and I have been to a few bridal showers in the last 3 years with a DJ, photographer and open bar plus a full buffet brunch then a dessert table but even if it's a very small shower it is still the norm here to at the very least have a meal and then dessert of some sort and coffee. So "multi course" can be as simple as a sandwich and cake and coffee after.

I wanted simple home bridal and baby showers, not at a restaurant. Sandwich trays (I requested jersey sloppy joes), salads, drinks, dessert. I wish I didn’t have to open gifts, my shower was a surprise and my bachelorette party was the night before, I was SO hungover and sick.

 

[Magical2017]

Cake and watching people open gifts are the only things I really enjoy about showers, in general. The games are fun but, you know, cake.

 

[johnsontrio]

A Display Shower is the way to go. The traditional method of all the gifts going up front, being opened and then immediately whisked away to be repacked by the bridesmaids doesn't allow anyone to see the lovely gifts. If you have tables set up, everyone brings their gift wrapped in cello wrap or in a basket, then the attendees can take a few minutes to look at the gifts. We have done a few showers this way and people really like it. No one really pays attention to the gift opening when its up front.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

Why even bother wrapping then? Seems like a pointless waste of plastic, just ask for unwrapped.

I don't disagree with you. I think people just think it's a cute phrase to include on the invite to let people know there is a display table. I mean wrapping paper is a waste too I suppose

 

[TipsyTraveler]

I don’t understand this clear paper/display table thing. Do people really care to see what other people brought? Why? Just look at the registry if you’re that curious.

 

[tinkerbellandpeterpan]

I don’t understand this clear paper/display table thing. Do people really care to see what other people brought? Why? Just look at the registry if you’re that curious.

I think most people seem to be over showers and don't want to sit through a gift opening but want their gift to be acknowledged so this seems to have become the middle ground. It's there, people can see/admire the colors and patterns, get creative ideas for other shower gifts, and it's not like all these wrapped gifts are packed up in the car. At least I think that's where the idea came from.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I think most people seem to be over showers and don't want to sit through a gift opening but want their gift to be acknowledged so this seems to have become the middle ground. It's there, people can see/admire the colors and patterns, get creative ideas for other shower gifts, and it's not like all these wrapped gifts are packed up in the car. At least I think that's where the idea came from.

A new thing people are starting to do around here and in my circle are buying off the registry online and having it shipped directly to the persons home. I’ve done that the last few showers. Sometimes it even arrives before the shower. This way I’m not scrambling to get a gift bag, drag it to the party, one less gift to have to watch being opened and one less gift the family has to drag back to their home.