From Wikipedia:
A bridal shower is a gift giving party given for a bride before her wedding. The custom originated in the United States, although the first stories about these events have been known to originate in Brussels, Belgium around 1860. It remains a primarily US and Canadian practice. Showers are usually coordinated by the bridesmaids, who invite guests to offer gifts for the home of the bride and groom.
The custom of the bridal shower is said to have grown out of earlier dowry practices when a poor woman's family might not have the money to provide a dowry for her, or when a father refused to give his daughter her dowry because he did not approve of the marriage. In such situations, friends of the woman would gather together and bring gifts that would compensate for the dowry and allow her to marry the man of her choice. A frequently quoted legend traces the origin of this practice to sixteenth or seventeenth century Holland. However there are also parallels with many dowry practices and the US Colonial or hope chest (trousseau) custom.
Traditionally, hosting the bridal shower falls on the Maid of honor. Because gifts are required of those who attend the shower, many communities consider it rude for a relative of the bride to host it. It has become customary for the bridal shower host to present guests with favors at the end of the shower. Bridal shower favors are often personalized with the name of the bride, or of the bride and groom and the date of the wedding. The shower normally takes place at least four to six weeks before the wedding.
Here are a few of the "rules of etiquette" from
www.entertaining.about.com:
* The event is usually held within two months of the wedding, up to two weeks before the big day.
* Don't invite guests to the shower who have not been invited to the wedding.
* Any time of day is acceptable, but most often showers are afternoon events.
* Games that can serve as ice breakers for the party are a particularly good idea if a large number of the guests don't already know one another.
* Encourage the bride to register for gifts. With so many couples living on their own before getting married, it's difficult for guests to guess which things they still need.
* Remind the bride to include a reasonable number of inexpensive items on her registry for guests with limited budgets.
* Decide whether the party will be held at a home or in a restaurant or other locale. These days many shower planners now choose activities instead of the traditional finger food/gift opening shower. For example, many bridal parties take the bride out for a day at the spa instead of a shower.
* Unless you feel it's mandatory to surprise the bride, involve her in the planning. Ask her if there's a particular theme she'd like for her shower. Some popular themes include lingerie showers, kitchen item showers, around-the-clock showers (where everyone is assigned a time of day for which to select a gift) and travel gift showers.
* Don't forget to give party favors to all guests. These can be traditional favors such as small boxes of candy. Or they can be something that relates to the theme of the shower, e.g. drawer sachets at a lingerie shower.
