Bridal shower how long before

Four to six months before the wedding is standard, but earlier is best if the wedding will require travel arrangements. Use a design that hints at your wedding style or keep it modern with an engagement photo. Be sure to include all the high-level information like the date, location, and a heads up on any additional wedding weekend events. Guests can add your event to their calendars, or you can collect mailing addresses or direct guests to a wedding website from your save the date. And now, the main event.

For small or destination weddings , we suggest one of our online invitations. If paper invitations are more your style, our exclusive printing partner Paper Source can bring our designs to life. Let our Personal Design Services step in to help design motifs, invitation suites, menus, programs, location maps your out-of-town guests will thank you , custom language placement, and day-of paper.

The bridal shower is your opportunity to celebrate with close friends and relatives. The timing of the wedding shower depends on logistics, but generally, a bridal shower is held anywhere from two weeks to two months before the wedding.

Need to go virtual? Luckily virtual bridal shower ideas abound now. Plus, you can send virtual bridal shower invitations closer to 4 weeks ahead of the shower. The difference between an enjoyable bachelorette party and an overwhelming one, we find, is in the planning.

Flower arranging, beauty treatments, and wine tastings are popular choices. Some brides may prefer not to do the bridal shower gift opening in person, so check with them first. Most guests expect bridal showers to last a few hours, so anywhere in the hour window is ideal. Some bridal showers last longer than others.

The same goes for late afternoon events that may carry on into the night. The key is to keep your guests informed. If you choose a themed shower, traditional bridal shower themes include afternoon tea or a champagne brunch. Other bridal shower ideas and themes include garden parties, spa days, and movie nights. Consult your bride or couple and pick up a few ideas from them.

They may want to keep it simple or opt for something more wild. With all events a clear dress code can help your guests feel more comfortable.

Many bridal showers are laid back and relaxed, so a casual dress code is perfect. Your happy couple might have more than one friend group, each eager to throw a party in their honor.

Traditionally, it's an opportunity for guests to give the couple gifts for the home. The etiquette for these affairs has certainly morphed and changed over time, and it can be a bit confusing—from who throws a bridal shower to what to write on a shower invite.

So we talked to etiquette expert Diane Gottsman to get all the answers on what happens at a bridal shower and how to plan one. While it can get a little overwhelming, especially if you're tasked with planning the event, remember it's only meant to be a fun way for the bride to celebrate with close friends and family. Meet the Expert.

As a longtime favorite pre-wedding event, bridal showers can be both exciting and daunting to plan for. From finding a location and choosing the shower decorations to picking a gift the couple will love , this guide has got you covered. Technically, there's no right or wrong way to throw a bridal shower.

But this doesn't mean there aren't generally established etiquette guidelines. Avoid making a bridal shower faux pas by following these etiquette suggestions. The general outline is usually the same: food, drinks, and an opportunity for the bride to open gifts surrounded by guests. You can stick to bridal shower traditions like gift bingo or designing wedding dresses using rolls of toilet paper, or you could plan an activity-oriented shower like a spa day or a calligraphy lesson.

Don't love the idea of opening gifts in front of everyone? Speak up! Those gifts could be set aside so you can open them at home along with your future spouse. Speaking of your partner, they often arrive toward the end of the shower with flowers in tow. It's a sweet way to include them in your celebration as well as help you get those gifts home. Usually, the bridal shower is held two to six months before the wedding.

Choose a date that is convenient for both the bride and her guests of choice, whether that means hosting something a little further in advance or planning it to coincide with a trip home or another get-together, such as a bachelorette party in the evening after an afternoon shower. The bridal shower is usually hosted by the maid of honor, close friends, bridal attendants, or bridesmaids. No matter who is hosting, be sure to communicate clearly to make sure you aren't planning two separate showers.

Traditional etiquette says the mother or mother-in-law or any relatives, for that matter should steer clear from hosting as it can appear that they are directly asking for gifts. However, today it's become much more common and perfectly acceptable for anyone to host who wants to.

If family members aren't available to help plan, the bridesmaids should step in to help take care of some of the arrangements.

Unless it's a complete surprise shower, the person being showered will generally provide some basics that they'd like at their shower. The host will ask about preferred themes, details, date, time, location, activities, and other ideas to get an idea of where to start. It's up to the host or hosts to use that input to bring the shower to life. As with other pre-wedding events, the guest list should be limited to people who are also invited to the wedding.

The best way to plan a bridal shower is to stay organized. With socially distancing, it can pose some challenges that are easily resolvable with a few quick and easy tips. Safely celebrate your bridal party with your friends and family as a toast to the future Mrs. Keeping your bridal party outdoors in the open air is a great way to celebrate bridal shower.

This will allow for your guests to roam around freely without having to bump into one another, all the while keeping socially distant. In addition, you can implement a rule that has all your bridal party guests with face coverings and masks on.

Creating personalized face masks with your bridal party theme will be a great party favor gift you can give to your guests to remember your bridal party by. Invite all your friends to a virtual bridal shower party that can be held anywhere around the world. Through virtual bridal showers you can have all your loved ones in one video room, catching up with one another about different things in their life.

This will not only be safe but a great way to get in touch with family and friends who live out of town. Create a different activities you can play over video chat to get your virtual bridal shower fun and exciting. The shower serves as a more intimate gathering for the bride and her close friends and family.

However, if the wedding is an especially small affair, you can invite guests who are not attending the wedding but that the bride would still like to celebrate with.

Instead of creating the guest list from scratch, the best place to start is to ask the bride. Keep in mind that the most important factor in selecting a date is what works best for the bride and all her VIP guests. Selecting the perfect date is all about finding the sweet spot between the engagement bash and the big day.

Planning the event right after he pops the question can seem premature. On the other hand, planning the shower too close to the wedding day becomes hectic. Since the bride likely spend a lot of time selecting her wedding date, you too should take care selecting her bridal shower date.

If a handful of the attendees are making a trip out for the occasion, keep that in mind. Other locations for bridal showers usually revolve around a planned activity.