Is this tacky for a bridal shower? *UPDATE* page 6

[BellsFam]

All the bridal showers I've been to have been held at someone's home. Never a venue.

Not always... My shower was hosted at my venue... They gave a great discount for having the reception, rehearsal and shower there...

I have (personally) NEVER attended a shower at a house, bridal or baby, but that's my crowd of people, wedding and baby showers are a HUGE deal, almost as big as the wedding itself.

 

[Wendy31]

I just read your post where you said your mom has a hard time getting her house ready for events & tends to go overboard.

Again, technically, the mother-of-the-bride shouldn't be hosting anyway. As the mother-of-the-bride, she should be treated as an honored guest at her daughter's bridal showers.

I'm not sure where you're located, but you talked about wanting a shower w/ a "spring" theme. Do you have any local parks w/ maybe a covered pavilion area that can be rented? Most of the time, these type venues can be rented relatively inexpensively. An outdoor location for a spring shower could be lovely!

I once co-hosted a spring bridal shower on a boat, & we did shower-y finger foods - cupcakes, tea sandwiches, fruit kabobs, assorted cheeses & crackers, little individual cups of carrot & celery sticks, etc.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

So the bachelor party I have planned for my friend at Chuck E. Cheese is a bad idea? I was so looking forward to the skeeball championship. Bummer. I guess I'll have to spend some time today searching for a more appropriate venue.

 

[mjkacmom]

TACKY. Sorry And technically it is not proper etiquette for the MOB to host the shower. BUT! To each his own. If I were very close to the bride and I were invited to a bridal shower at Pizza Hut and there was a venue change, I would still go along with it. It's about the bride (and groom) and supporting her (and them). But you can bet I would at least roll my eyes at the invitation. I may be an etiquette snob but I would not let anyone there know that I felt it tacky. THAT would be extra tacky - you just go and be kind and as generous as you are able.

However, if the bride was not a family member or close friend, I wouldn't expect to be invited to the shower in the first place. (Note, the OP is not saying how many people are invited but a PP mentioned a baby shower that had 150 people invited). At what point did the guest lists to these things become so over the top inclusive?! Let's face it - it's a call for a gift and I find it tacky when people invite everyone under the sun and not just family and close friends. Just an aside

Where I live, 45% of the population is Italian, and this culture tend to have close, large families. A child's birthday party will have over 100 people, just family.

 

[Christine]

So the bachelor party I have planned for my friend at Chuck E. Cheese is a bad idea? I was so looking forward to the skeeball championship. Bummer. I guess I'll have to spend some time today searching for a more appropriate venue.

No, that's perfect for a bachelor party, most men (no matter their age) are really 8 year old boys!

 

[aprilgail]

All the bridal showers I've been to have been held at someone's home. Never a venue.

.

I have only been to one shower at someone's house and that was back in the 80's- Bridal showers, baby showers, christenings, communions are all held out at venues here- and many first birthdays too! It would be very strange here to go to any of those events and not have a full sit down meal or at the very least a buffet.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I wonder how it went when OP talked to her mom about this. I hope she comes back and updates us

 

[Bren's Mom]

I don't know if it's tacky, if the bride had her heart set on Pizza Hut because it had some sort of special meaning to her...go for it.

But since that doesn't sound like it's the case, I'd be a little creative and come up with something that is in your budget and will be a lovely celebration for your sister.

There are plenty of halls that can be rented: community center, VFW or civic groups halls, church halls, etc. These are often lovely, and you can decorate to your heart's content. Food can be as simple as a dessert party at 2 in the afternoon with mini pastries, some chocolate dipped fruits (or a fountain if a friend has one you can borrow!), a nice cake, champagne, coffee and tea. If friends/family offer to help, welcome them to bring a plate of their special cookies or brownies or whatever. A small potted plant with a pretty bow on each table, some nice paper goods, done!

You could also do similar with just munchies/finger foods. Showers do not have to be a full on meal.

It's never ok to ASK guests to contribute, but very often friends and family will offer and it's totally ok to accept their generosity.

Are there any tea rooms in town or nearby towns? Those are perfect places for a shower. A little café that's only open for lunch/dinner might be willing to negotiate a simple brunch menu for a private shower at 10am.

Think outside the box and I'm sure you'll come up with something beautiful for your sister that won't cause mom undue stress.

 

[Hikergirl]

OP, is there a separate party room? I didn't realize that Pizza Huts offered that until I saw the previous poster's comment about it.
I still think its a strange place for a bridal shower, but if there was a separate room and they had other menu items other than their pizza it makes more sense to me why someone would think of having it there.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

No, that's perfect for a bachelor party, most men (no matter their age) are really 8 year old boys!

I'm striving for 9 before I reach 50.

 

[MrsDuck]

I would find Pizza Hut to be a very odd location but I would still attend. If pizza is desired and cost is a concern, why not have it at mom's house and get pizza delivered?

No matter what you do, I'm sure the day will be lovely for the bride!

 

[georgina]

I, too would find Pizza Hut an odd choice, but some comments here remind me of why I hate wedding hoopla. I think many of the old rules are outdated (and dumb). Who pays for what, who hosts what, etc. Everyone's family and traditions are different. My DD is getting married this summer, her bridesmaids are scattered across the country, and it would not be practical for them to host a shower. So we are doing an afternoon tea at my home. I looked into a tea room, but the cost was too high. We are inviting a small group of about 20, those close by and her closest friends. I personally don't like the idea of a wedding shower at all, because to me it seems like you are asking for two gifts, but DD wants one so we're doing it! I don't think my DS will ever get married, and younger DD will be likely to get married in a park and have a picnic, so this is the only time I will have to go through this!

 

[Stacy's a freak]

... I personally don't like the idea of a wedding shower at all, because to me it seems like you are asking for two gifts, but DD wants one so we're doing it!

Totally agree! If that's what the bride (and groom) wants, then great! And if it's a first wedding and they do not have a lot of household items, then that is exactly what a shower is for. Enjoy the fun

 

[anniemae]

I would find Pizza Hut to be a very odd location but I would still attend. If pizza is desired and cost is a concern, why not have it at mom's house and get pizza delivered?

No matter what you do, I'm sure the day will be lovely for the bride!

I think the OP said the special deal was dine-in only so they would have to eat at pizza hut.

 

[MrsDuck]

I think the OP said the special deal was dine-in only so they would have to eat at pizza hut.

Gotcha! Didn't read that far. Hope a good solution is found that makes everyone happy!

 

[yeahdisney]

How is it that I read this as baby shower? I would think no, but I would run it pass the bride, quietly. Then I would quietly mention to mom the answer and yes I would totally sugar coat it. And at the same time I would have offer venues ready to steer her towards.

 

[Sabeking]

I wouldn't have it at " The Hut" but I worked there through high school and college so I know what goes on in the walk in cooler, and it isn't fresh!

 

[tcufrog]

The last time I hosted a bridal shower I was two weeks postpartum (my baby was born two weeks late). I wasn't up to cooking so I "catered" it with food from Costco and Sams. It was very affordable, took very little work and everyone was pleased with the quality and selection of the food.

 

[mustlovecats]

I don't the word tacky but I agree that Pizza Hut isn't a good place for a bridal shower. My mother hosted my bridal shower at a private room in a local restaurant. I'm not sure what bridal showers are like in your area but we played silly games at mine and Pizza Hut would not have worked for that.

Church halls or a local vfw/American Legion would likely be very cheap to rent and you should be able to get sandwiches from a nearby deli (or even a grocery store) for a relatively low price. As a bride, I would have preferred that to Pizza Hut without a doubt.

 

[nkereina]

Sorry if these things have already addressed, but to my knowledge, Pizza Hut doesn't serve alcohol. I would think some women may want a glass of wine or a mimosa if it's early. Not sure if that's a concern. Also, has anyone ran this idea by Pizza Hut? Every Pizza Hut I have ever been in is relatively small and I don't know where they would even put a group of 30 people. Not to mention, room for presents. Unless your Pizza Hut has a party room, I would imagine it would be uncomfortable for everyone in the restaurant.

If the intention is to keep cost down and no one is keen on hosting at their house, a park lodge or pavilion would be pretty cheap, especially for town/county residents. You could also look at a fireman's hall or Legion hall. You could decorate how you want, and just order some sheet pizzas. I can't imagine ordering several large pizzas at Pizza Hut would be cheaper than ordering one or two sheet pizzas from a local place.

I like Pizza Hut's food but it would just seem extremely odd to me. I would expect Pizza Hut for a kid's birthday, but not a bridal shower. I also think that if you're inviting people out to shower the bride with gifts, serving something more substantial than pizza might be expected. I would be ok with pizza, but as someone who's planning a wedding right now, I'm beginning to find that some of my older relatives have old fashioned expectations.