Who Should Give A Bridal Shower For The Bride?

The host of a bridal shower is typically the mother of the bride or groom, the Maid of Honor/bridesmaids, or another female relative. In the past, etiquette dictated that the bride’s mother (s) should not host, but this is an outdated rule. There are no right or wrong ways to throw a bridal shower, but there are generally established etiquette guidelines.

A bridal shower is a pre-wedding gathering where close family and friends of the bride “shower” her with affection, advice, amusement, and support. It is usually daytime parties that involve food, drinks, and work the room. The mother of the bride plays the role of hostess, meaning she should spend some time greeting guests during the reception.

The responsibility of hosting and paying for the bridal shower these days tends to fall on the maid of honor and bridal party. Bridal shower attendees are often asked to satisfy gifting themes, from lingerie to kitchen to a personal interest of the bride. A couples shower is a party thrown for the to-be-weds, while a bridal shower is only for the bride.

The mother of the groom can co-host the bridal shower, as long as they are on board with the idea. A multi-purpose air fryer and toaster oven and grill are classic bridal shower gift ideas.

Traditionally, the bridal shower guest list consists of the bride-to-be’s bridesmaids or attendants, closest female friends, and relatives. It is considered proper etiquette for close relatives of the bride-to-bes spouse to attend the shower, such as their mom, sister, grandmother, or another family member they are super close with. The mother of the bride should thank everyone for coming and give a shout-out to anyone who came from afar or had to make a special effort to be there.

Who traditionally hosts a bridal shower?

Who Throws a Bridal Shower?. Traditionally, the bridal shower was hosted by the maid of honor and bridesmaids, not the mother of the bride or her future mother-in-law. Why? Because an event being hosted by a brides mother, mother-in-law, or any relatives made it appear as if the woman of honor and her family members were asking for gifts. Luckily, times have changed. Today, its extremely common and perfectly acceptable for anyone—including the brides mom—to host this celebration. Ultimately, anyone who is close to the bride and feels up to the task should feel empowered to organize this event; just be sure to communicate your plans to the bride and any other key players early on to ensure that two events arent being planned.

If family members arent available to plan, the bridesmaids should step in to take care of some of the arrangements.

Should the Bride Be Involved in the Planning Process?. Unless its a total surprise, the person being showered will generally provide some basics that theyd like at their event. The host will ask about preferred themes, guest list details, date, time, location, activities, and other ideas to get a sense of where to start. Its up to the host or hosts to use that input to bring the shower to life.

Should a mother-in-law give a bridal shower?

Answer: Tradition says that a shower shouldnt be thrown by the brides immediate relatives, including future in-laws, because it might give the impression that youre asking for gifts.

What is the role of the mother of the bride at the bridal shower?

Play Hostess at Pre-Wedding Parties and on the Big Day. Whether shes handling your bridal shower or greeting out-of-town guests once they arrive in town for your nuptials, the mother of the bride is the official hostess and should focus on helping each attendee feel welcome. That applies to the wedding day, as well: While receiving lines are not as customary these days, its still important to greet or visit with as many guests as possible, explains Valentine.

Assist With Day-of Dressing. Helping the bride into her dress and placing the veil is, and will always remain, such a sweet, time-honored tradition for the brides mom, says Easton.

Run Last-Minute Errands. A passport was left at home. Lipstick fell out of the makeup bag. Someone needs deodorant. In all these scenarios and more, rely on the mother of the bride to save the day.

What are the rules for a bridal shower?

Whether your hosts are inviting 18 guests or 80, the invites should go out a month to six weeks in advance, says celebrity planner and lifestyle expert Mindy Weiss. As for who makes the cut? Since showers are intended for the brides nearest and dearest, every shower guest must already be on the wedding guest list.

Because its understood that guests should bring a present to a shower, its not appropriate to invite people whom you dont plan to include in the wedding. One noted exception is an office shower; its not usually possible to invite all of your colleagues to the wedding, but they may want to help you celebrate nonetheless.

Shower stationery trends run the gamut from sweet and simple to high-end. The options right now are truly endless—from letterpress to couture—and suit all budgets, says Weiss, who has thrown showers for celebs including Eva Longoria and Denise Richards. There are so many more options than there used to be.

While there are no boundaries when it comes to selecting the stationery, the sending-it-out part is a little less flexible. We recommend snail mail only. That said, if a save-the-date seems necessary, an e-mail is still considered completely appropriate. For that, just turn to creative e-card sites like pingg.

Does the mother of the bride give a bridal shower?

Traditionally, the mother of the bride doesnt host the bridal shower (the maid of honor typically assumes the chief shower-planning role), however, your daughter will likely want you to be a part of the celebration.

Mother Of The Bride Etiquette & Duties. A step-by-step guide to whats expected of the mother of the bride.

Now that you’ve shared in the joy of your daughter’s engagement, it’s time to start preparing for her big day. Not sure what responsibilities come with being the mother of the bride? This comprehensive guide to mother-of-the-bride duties and etiquette outlines your key role in the wedding, from how to lend your daughter a hand before the wedding, to what you should expect on the wedding day.

Photo credit: @facibenifotografia via @vogueweddings.

Is it rude to ask bridesmaids to pay for a bridal shower?

The Bridal Shower (If Hosting). As for who pays for the bridal shower? This is another expense some bridesmaids—and most commonly, the maid of honor—pick up. This is only true, however, if they are throwing or hosting the event independently. Ultimately, there arent hard and fast rules about who hosts and pays for the bridal shower these days. Sometimes, this event is hosted by the mother of the bride and her family; other times, the couple contributes. In some cases, a mix of parties share the costs. Heres the main takeaway: If a maid of honor or set of bridesmaids want to host this event and divide up the costs, they can. We suggest clearly communicating any plans and expectations (someone else might want to own this pre-wedding party, instead, and the prep process might already be in motion) before anyone makes any assumptions.

Wedding Expenses Bridesmaids and Bridesmen Shouldnt Pay For. Hair and Makeup. If you have professional hair and makeup artists available the morning of the wedding, Carter says paying for your bridesmaids is a “delightfully tasteful treat.” But if these services are absolutely mandatory, then costs should be fully covered. In our opinion, if you are requiring the bridal party to get professional hair and make up without another option to DIY, then the couple should be open to paying for their bridesmaids services, says Ritchie.

You can absolutely give the party the option to do their own, rather than making it a mandatory expense. If its optional, then covering those services is just a generous offer, affirms Ritchie.

Who is supposed to give the bride a bridal shower?

The Traditional Bridal Shower Host. The maid of honor traditionally takes on the role of chief shower planner. But she isnt a one-woman show: She relies on the bridesmaids to help her with planning logistics. On the day of, the girls run the party, making sure everything goes smoothly and that guests are taken care of.

The maid of honor isnt the only option, however. Anyone who is close to the bride—including her mother, sister, cousin, grandma, or future mother-in-law—can host.

It used to be that immediate family members were never named as official hosts. Since a shower is all about asking people to bring gifts, it was thought to be gauche if a brides family were essentially bidding for presents. But if they were secretly hosting, meaning they did the planning and the paying, their identities werent revealed–and the bridal party was usually called upon to fake being the hosts. Now, though, its fine for Mom or a sister to plan and host the event.

Who should not host a bridal shower?

Traditional etiquette dictates that the maid of honor—not the mother of the bride—should host the shower. Nancy is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Some etiquette rules were meant to fade away into oblivion, like the one about family members of the bride not hosting her bridal shower.

Traditional etiquette dictates that the maid of honor—not the mother of the bride—should host the shower.

Some etiquette rules were meant to fade away into oblivion, like the one about family members of the bride not hosting her bridal shower. Thats right: Every shower youve attended that was hosted by the mother of the bride actually broke with traditional etiquette—who knew? The concern with having a familial host was that, since the party is all about people bringing, or showering, the bride with gifts, it was considered tacky for her family to be asking for presents.

In modern times, however, many people other than the maid of honor have taken on the role of bridal party host. And were here to tell you theres nothing tacky about loved ones hosting a shower. Anyone whos close to the bride, including her mother, sister, aunt, cousin, even her grandma, can host. Here, we explore the choices.

Who is typically invited to a bridal shower?

A bridal shower is a more intimate gathering than a wedding and the guest list usuallyconsists of the bride-to-bes closest female friends and relatives, including close relatives of the soon-to-be-brides spouse. Especially if the brides future mother in law is hosting, nearest and dearest in-laws often attend the shower, too.

Who Gets a Bridal Shower Invitation?. A bridal shower is an opportunity to officially celebrate a bride-to-be. Its a time to eat and sip some bubbly, share advice and stories, and shower the special lady with extra attention. This intimate gathering is traditionally hosted by the bridesmaids, and/or the mother of the bride or future mother-in-law and will have a much smaller guest list than the main wedding event. Keep in mind that everyone who comes to the shower should definitely be invited to the wedding.

The bridal party, including the maid of honor and bridesmaids generally make the top of the guest list, followed by immediate family members from both sides of the aisle. If the bride welcomes children at her shower, guests may also include nieces, the flower girl and junior bridesmaids. Friends from the couples close social circle, friends from childhood or college, etc will likely attend. You dont have to invite plus ones, co-workers or acquaintances of your parents, or friends of your future spouse unless youre close to them.

Who is appropriate to host a bridal shower?

Who Gets a Bridal Shower Invitation?. A bridal shower is an opportunity to officially celebrate a bride-to-be. Its a time to eat and sip some bubbly, share advice and stories, and shower the special lady with extra attention. This intimate gathering is traditionally hosted by the bridesmaids, and/or the mother of the bride or future mother-in-law and will have a much smaller guest list than the main wedding event. Keep in mind that everyone who comes to the shower should definitely be invited to the wedding.

The bridal party, including the maid of honor and bridesmaids generally make the top of the guest list, followed by immediate family members from both sides of the aisle. If the bride welcomes children at her shower, guests may also include nieces, the flower girl and junior bridesmaids. Friends from the couples close social circle, friends from childhood or college, etc will likely attend. You dont have to invite plus ones, co-workers or acquaintances of your parents, or friends of your future spouse unless youre close to them.

Traditionally, showers were meant to be a party for ladies only, however, co-ed showers are quite common, especially if there are bridesmen in the bridal party. For a Jack and Jill style shower, all genders are invited, including close male friends, and both the groom and his dad may make a special appearance towards the end of the shower to mingle and thank everyone for their well wishes and gifts. Ultimately its up to the bride and host to decide who should be there to celebrate the couple.

Who throws a bridal shower for the bride?

Today, its common for the maid of honor or matron of honor — sometimes in conjunction with the mother of the bride — to plan the shower. However, the bridesmaids, wedding party, and the brides family can all pitch in if necessary.

Another modern trend is to make bridal showers gender inclusive. This is what we call a “wedding shower,” a celebration where everyone is welcome and invited to partake in the festivities.

Key Takeaway: Many bridal showers are a collaboration between the maid of honor (or plural maid of honors) and the mother of the bride. Yet, no “rules” prohibit close family members, the wedding party, and friends from helping.

How Much Does a Typical Bridal Shower Cost?. Photo: Bella Bridesmaids Oklahoma City/Shelbi Jo.