Wedding shower?

[DizFan101]

hey!!
i'm going to my cousin's wedding shower this month...
i'm not too excited about it but i'm looking forward to it.
however i have never been to a wedding shower before.
can people tell me what happens at a wedding shower?

(Save the Date is July 22nd)

 

[JerseyJanice]

Is it a shower for the bride-to-be? Or a Jack-and-Jill for the couple? Not that J&Js are that common, but there is a difference in that those are generally at someone's house and people give gifts to both the bride and groom.

Bridal showers are usually a surprise for the bride. You as a guest bring a gift and a "wishing well" item, and you'll be fed lunch. You will probably buy a gift is from her gift registry. The "wishing well" gift you give is usually something small for the house like a kitchen gadget or dishtowels. These aren't usually wrapped or marked with your name.

The bride unwraps her gifts so everyone can see them while they eat and visit with each other. Games are sometimes played where you'd win something like scratch-off lottery tickets.

I would say this is how most bridal showers I've attended in your neck of the woods are, although I did go to one a few years ago that they called a "cellophane" shower. They didn't want the gifts wrapped so the bride-to-be didn't have to open them. People could just see what she was given.

Have fun!

 

[DSNY4ever]

I have never been to one that was a surprise, but I have heard of that.

Usually you have a ladies style lunch (little sandwiches, salads, fruit, snacks...stuff like that). And you watch the bride open her gifts (usually kitchen items or household items, some of the smaller things from her registry etc.).

Usually you play a silly game like guessing things about the bride and groom. Or you watch the bride play a question game about how well she knows the groom. Sometimes they get really elaborate and you break into teams and have to dress someone as a bride with a roll of toilet paper or something like that.

Then you top off the event with cake or some sort of dessert! I love showers because it is a fun way to hear about the wedding and actually get to talk to the bride before the wedding day because on the wedding day they have very little time to tell you about the fun things like where they are going to live, where the honeymoon is and how the wedding planning has gone etc.

Have fun!

 

[powellrj]

I have never been to a surprise shower and I have never heard of bringing a wishing well gift.

The ones I have been to, the bride has known ahead of time, we would play silly games and then have dessert while the bride opened her gifts.

 

[antmaril]

I have never been to a wedding shower that was a surprise to the bride.

The idea is to "shower" the bride with gifts. Usually all women (sometimes the groom, the fathers and groomsmen will come at the end of the shower) and lunch is served. Many times games are played with small prizes given and then cake or some other dessert is served. The bride will open her gifts with the help of her bridesmaids.

 

[DebbieB]

You can ask whoever is holding the shower what is expected. I've never heard of a wishing well gift, it might be a local custom.

 

[Melmac]

You can ask whoever is holding the shower what is expected. I've never heard of a wishing well gift, it might be a local custom.

This is a good idea if you are worried about what to expect. Even just with the few responses here, I would say that showers vary widely by geographic region.

I have never been to a surprise shower and I have also never heard of a wishing well gift. Most showers I have been to have been a hall or private room at a restaurant. A meal is served (usually buffet but I have had some plated) and the bride opened her gifts while dessert is being eaten.

The last couple I have been to didn't have games but most did. Gift bingo is my favourite - you fill out a bingo card with gifts you think the bride will get and when she opens one on your card, you cross it off - first one to a bingo gets a prize.

All of the showers I attended included a "thank you gift" when I left - picture frame, candle holder, chocolate truffles - something of that nature.

Have fun! I like showers ... they are a great way to catch up with the bride-to-be and it is usually a nice afternoon out with friends.

 

[maslex]

I also haven't heard of the wishing well gifts.

I have also been to some that were a surprise and some that were not.

Basically like others have said....

Bring a gift, usually for her kitchen, linens, towels or some lingerie....

Usually a buffet lunch and cake

Bride opens her gifts, sometimes we play games

Basically a nice afternoon out with some friends/family

 

[JerseyJanice]

You can ask whoever is holding the shower what is expected. I've never heard of a wishing well gift, it might be a local custom.

I noticed the OP's location is Northern New Jersey. Unless they do things differently in the farthest reaches of Sussex or Warren county and that's where she lives, her cousin's bridal shower will have a Wishing Well.

Usually, the people giving the shower will include a little poem on the invitation, along the lines of, "Because we think the bride is swell, we're honoring her with a Wishing Well."

In the showers I've been part of giving, we either rented a fancy Wishing Well or decorated a big cardboard box. Guests throw little unwrapped gifts in it, like measuring spoons, can openers, chip clips, ice cream scoops, wire whisks, etc. For the showers I've attended in the past few years, I'd get a bundle of dish towels from Costco and toss that in it.

I really enjoyed receiving that box of "booty" at my bridal shower. It was all stuff I wouldn't have thought to buy myself.

 

[DizFan101]

I am from Bergen County too.

Anyway, my cousin knows when it is so she would be able to leave the date open on her agenda. but she doesn't know where it is. The town it is at is near Red Bank, NJ (ext 109)


Thanks for all your help.

 

[ckret01]

Actually my bridal shower was a total surprise and I had a wishing well at mine too. I don't think I have ever been to one without one. I live in NY

 

[nathalee81]

Is it a shower for the bride-to-be? Or a Jack-and-Jill for the couple? Not that J&Js are that common, but there is a difference in that those are generally at someone's house and people give gifts to both the bride and groom.

Bridal showers are usually a surprise for the bride. You as a guest bring a gift and a "wishing well" item, and you'll be fed lunch. You will probably buy a gift is from her gift registry. The "wishing well" gift you give is usually something small for the house like a kitchen gadget or dishtowels. These aren't usually wrapped or marked with your name.

The bride unwraps her gifts so everyone can see them while they eat and visit with each other. Games are sometimes played where you'd win something like scratch-off lottery tickets.

I would say this is how most bridal showers I've attended in your neck of the woods are, although I did go to one a few years ago that they called a "cellophane" shower. They didn't want the gifts wrapped so the bride-to-be didn't have to open them. People could just see what she was given.

Have fun!

This is why I love the dis. I have never heard of a wishing well before. I live in the south, so it must be an East Coast thing, possibly?

If I ever have to plan a wedding shower again, I might incorporate the wishing well into the plans. It seems like such a cute idea.

Maybe I can introduce it in the South .

 

[Handbag Lady]

We don't do wishing wells here but one of my showers, my work shower, was indeed a surprise.

 

[DizFan101]

the only time i seen wishing wells is at the wedding itself.

 

[aprilgail2]

I have never been to a shower that was NOT a surprise- never heard of that until on these boards.
Most showers here have wishing wells of some type- some people do things like have a wine wishing well where everyone brings a bottle of wine in addition to the gift or some other theme. Usually you get a full sit down meal or a buffet meal plus dessert and in between the meal and dessert the bride opens up all her gifts- I have been to showers that have had DJ's, open bars etc and others that had nothing to do but those silly shower games and watch present opening. I have never been to one that did not have a meal but I read on here that some places don't give you a meal.