Unlike lively hen parties, the bridal shower is a more sophisticated event, and the perfect occasion to get together with family and close friends, to celebrate an upcoming wedding. A bridal shower offers the bride-to-be a delightful respite from the stress of organising everything for her dream wedding.
Whether the bride is busy writing personalised wedding invitations from Rosemood, coordinating a variety of wedding suppliers, or searching for the ultimate wedding gown, she will nevertheless be excited to be the centre of attention at a bridal shower that is being hosted in her honour.
Traditionally, the bridal shower is hosted by the maid-of-honour and/or the bridesmaids, or by the mother of the bride or groom. If you’re planning to host a bridal shower for your best friend or a family member, after lockdown, follow our tips to ensure it’s the best social-distancing party in town…
1. Pick The Perfect Date
A bridal shower is usually held on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, between six months to a week before the date of the wedding. This ensures that the bride has ample time to focus on her wedding prep plans without any added stress.
As the host, you are in charge of picking the perfect date for the bridal shower brunch, lunch, or afternoon tea. You’ll need to decide which weekend and day is most suitable for all of the guests that you want to invite.
2. Have A VIP Guest List
The bride’s guest list, for her wedding invitations from Rosemood, will provide you with a good idea of the people she is closest to. Bridal showers are more intimate than a hen party, and are typically limited to 20 to 40 guests. Although a bridal shower is traditionally a women-only affair, some couples prefer to have a ‘Jack and Jill’ party that can also be attended by the groom and his closest male friends.
To ensure that you follow social-distancing guidelines, it’s best to have a VIP guest list for the bridal shower. As the aim of a bridal shower is to help the bride-to-be to relax and enjoy quality time with the people she loves, it’s important to invite just the VIPs in her circle of friends. Less is definitely more, especially if you’re hosting a celebration during or after lockdown.
The COVID-19 capacity at a celebration must be no more than 15 guests, and the event should be social distanced in a COVID-19 secure venue. Tables must be 2 metres apart, or no more than 1 metre apart if there are additional safety measures in place. Check for the latest after lockdown updates.
Do make sure that you let the VIP guests know that you’re hosting a bridal shower that is social-distanced, when sending out the invitations. Atlanta wedding COVID-19 testing, or tests in your party’s city, can also help keep your evening safe with onsite diagnostics. You can ensure everyone is healthy before you kick off your big night and celebrate worry-free.
3. Choose A Chic Venue
As a bridal shower is traditionally a daytime event held on a weekend afternoon, you have plenty of scope when choosing the perfect chic venue. The sophisticated and intimate event can be held in an outdoor venue like a beautiful garden or a park, or indoors in a home or a restaurant or banquet hall. If you’re planning a themed bridal shower, you can host in at a venue that is suitable for the activities that feature on your itinerary.
It’s best to host a social-distancing bridal shower close to the hometown of the bride, or in an area that is local to most of the VIP guests.
Decorate the venue with elegant décor in your chosen colour scheme. Coordinating the colours with the bride’s wedding invitations from Rosemood keeps it classy.
4. Plan Your Itinerary
As the bridal shower host, you are in charge of all of the details. This includes the food and drinks, and games and activities that keep guests entertained.
The time of the event will help you decide whether it’s best to serve brunch or lunch, or early evening cocktails. If you’re hosting a glam afternoon tea party, you can play bridal shower games, like bridal bingo or a newlywed quiz, while guests tuck into delicious miniature cakes, pastries and finger sandwiches.
Guests at bridal showers usually spend time mingling, eating, and playing games, before showering the bride-to-be with gifts. It’s a good idea to have a bridesmaid on hand to write down which guest gave what gift, so that the bride can later write and send personalised thank you cards.
5. Make The Most Of The Photo Opportunities
When you bring together a close group of family and friends at a bridal shower you instantly have a prime photo opportunity. With fewer people in attendance, at the best social-distancing bridal shower, you can easily capture candid moments with your camera.
Take plenty of snaps of posed group shots and photos of the blushing bride-to-be with each guest, to ensure that you have a great selection of bridal shower photographs.
After the event, it’s a lovely idea to create a special photo book of the bridal shower, to present to the bride before her wedding.
6. Don’t Forget The Favours
Although it’s not mandatory to give guests a little thank you gift for attending, many brides-to-be like to present bridal shower favours. The ideal favour is something small, inexpensive and edible. Guests will love to receive a beautiful mini organza gift bag filled with luxury chocolate truffles, or homemade cake pops or cookies that are personalised.