Friday night bridal shower

[luv2nascar]

Not defending them but I have many wedding pictures with a former SIL in them
I am glad we have photos with just his parents and brothers with us
I really wouldn't want to have to look at her in every picture even though she was in the wedding
I 'd love to go to a Friday night shower hate Sunday afternoon showers -that is our family time
It won't matter how much you spend on the gift if they just like to pick them apart
I'd buy them something really expensive on clearance
They don't know how much you spent and who cares if they do
smile and wear you pink dress

 

[mtemm]

you would have hated a friday night wedding we went to a few years ago. It was also during Lent. I'll never forget the priest, unbeknownst to the bride and groom, making a statement that people should feel free to skip the meat at the reception (it was chicken).

 

[Jenzebelle]

Friday night showers are becoming quite common around here. I've got about 4 coming up in the next couple of months (baby and bridal).

I had a shower on a Friday night and a lot of people thanked me and told me it was much more convenient for them than having it on a Sunday afternoon. My wedding was also on a Friday night.

 

[Krisu]

I don't have any words of wisdom regarding your in-laws, I'm just curious about this display shower You go look at the gifts and eat?? No presents to unwrap??

 

[RUDisney]

I'm just curious about this display shower You go look at the gifts and eat?? No presents to unwrap??

That's right. There is one company that I know of that will hire itself out for setting up the display. People usually bring an unwrapped gift to the shower and the people from this company display the gifts on tables, as if they are being shown in some boutique. Now, they may only display one place setting of the china, flatware, crystal, etc., but they will put a card in front of it that says, "2 place settings, china from Aunt Millie Smith." They'll list who gave the china settings and how many of them on this card.

In the case of my SIL, she wants all of the gifts delivered to her house prior to the shower. Her cousin is decorating the reception hall and will transport all of the gifts there that day and will set them up for display.

If done well, this way of conducting a shower can be quite lovely especially when the bride gets up to say a few words and introduces her attendants, etc. I've been to several display showers where the bride was in no way going to get up to say anything to the group nor was she brave enough to come around to each of the tables to say thank you. At a few of these, there were even thank you's written on the favor so the bride "didn't have to waste her time" writing cards for everyone.

Now, I disagree with delivering the items to the bride's house prior to the shower. Half of the fun of going to my shower was not knowing what to expect. Sure, I registered, but that didn't mean that I'd get everything, or anything, for that matter, from the registry list. Also, it was fun for my DH to come to help me carry everything home and see what we got. Having both members of the couple see everything prior to the shower, IMO, is just wrong. Why have a shower at all? Why not just send a request for gifts?

 

[Breezy_Carol]

This display shower must be a regional thing. I have never heard of it. I just hosted a bridal shower last May and it wasn't nearly as formal as this. We had it in my family room. Had finger foods and cake and punch. Opened gifts and played a few games. I got rave reviews from my MIL for the great party. The one you are describing does sound like a gift request only.

 

[PamOKW]

This gift display shower is a new one to me, too. It sounds like the old-fashioned way of having wedding gifts sent to the bride's home (which was usually her parents home) and then put on display. The original "Father of the Bride" movie has this happening. I've never actually seen such a thing but have heard my Mom talk about displaying the gifts.

This display shower also sounds like the gifts are in the wedding gift category. Not just little household items.

BreezyCarol, the type of shower you describe is the one that usually does end up being the most fun. I've been to showers in restaurants and simple showers at homes....I'll take the home shower any day.

 

[RUDisney]

I think all types of showers are regional. When my brother's wife came to my shower, she was amazed that we went to a restaurant or a hall and had a catered lunch or brunch. She was amazed that our attendants open the gifts and pass them down the table to the bride and that someone makes a bouquet from the ribbons for the rehearsal.

She grew up outside of Philadelphia and had only ever been to surprise showers that were thrown in people's homes. She never heard of making a bouquet from the ribbons, but she was used to making a ribbon hat to embarass the bride. The food was usually made by the hostess(es).

Now, the dawn of the display shower has come to this area, and some people have started to invite men to their showers, too. My Dad got a kick out of going to my best friend's baby shower. He never thought he'd ever be invited to a shower.

The same is true of weddings. Most are lavish affairs in this area, but I went to one of my friend's wedding in TN and it was on a Saturday afternoon, without alcohol, and only hors deuvers were served. They said that was the regional custom. Funny thing was, when the reception was over, we were just as tired as if we'd been to an evening reception.