Bridal Shower Etiquette 101: Where To Start? Who Pays For What? Here Are 5 Helpful Tips...

Photo Credit: Inka Originals

1.) Whose is Paying?

Traditionally, the maid-of-honor and bridesmaids typically foot the bill for the bridal shower. There are times where the mother of the bride and mother-in-law may also want to contribute monetarily. Normally, it is customary and a respectable gesture for the maid-of-honor and bridesmaids to not only invite the mother-of-the-bride & mother-in-law, but to also invite them to assist in the planning of the bridal shower.

2.) What Kind-of Bride Are We Celebrating?

Does she like country chic? Or is she more into whimsical, fairytale vibes? Or maybe she is a bit on the bougier side. Whatever style the bride-to-be likes, it's important that you bring elements of that while planning her bridal shower. Make sure to get the bride-to-be involved by asking her a series of questions to gauge what she likes, doesn't like, and anticipates for her shower. Surprising the bride-to-be with a beautiful shower is absolutely wonderful, but so is making sure that her style is incorporated somehow. You can do this by asking her a series of questions to gauge what she likes and what she doesn't like. If you need help with the types of questions you should be asking, I've created a complimentary questionnaire form to help you out. Click here for a free download of my bride-to-be bridal shower questionnaire to help narrow things down for the bride and for yourself!

3.) The Budget

Ugh...the dreaded B word!! Listen...I know you want to throw the bride-to-be a fabulous bridal shower and if she is a super posh bride, you don't wanna skimp out on certain elements that may result in things looking cheap and tacky. Therefore, it's important to sit down with the bridesmaids and have a serious discussion as to what the overall budget will be and what everyone is able and willing to contribute. Since everyone's financial situation is different, it's important to be open-minded and provide alternative options if feasible. You might even have to be the one to invest a little more if you're the maid of honor, matron-of-honor, or mother of the bride. Check out one of my past blogs to learn my top 10 Tips For A Luxurious Wedding For Less. Even though this is a bridal shower and not necessarily a wedding, you'll find some helpful tips that you can apply to the shower as well.

4. Hire or DIY?

 So another important question is...Who is putting all this together?? It's not enough to just say the maid-of-honor is or it's a bridesmaids group effort. When it comes to actually executing the ideas...the venue...the catering...the setting everything up...the breakdown and cleanup...You must ask yourself...Is this something that you and the bridesmaids can dedicate the time to do yourselves, or would everyone much rather prefer to hire a company and split the costs for the company to facilitate it for them? Now, the latter will be contingent on the overall budget, but this should still be highly considered since everyone is busy with work, school, children, their own weddings, or just life in general.

And just so ya know, MBD offers the perfect solution with our Le Petit Event Package series. It's literally a one-and-done event package created for you with everything you and the bride would want and more! Click here for more info.

Now, if ya wanna take the DIY route then that's fine! Lots of people do. Don't be afraid to split up and assign tasks if so.

5. Venue

Now if you hire someone to facilitate the designing and planning of the bridal shower, then they could help you with finding the perfect venue (if you're not sure on what to book or where to look). Or if its the spring/summer time season, then someone in the bridal party might want to offer their backyard as a beautiful, free space. Which reminds me, you might want to check out my blog on 7 Mistakes To Avoid When Hosting An Outdoor Wedding. Even though the bridal shower isn't a wedding, these tips really apply to all kinds of outdoor events!

Bonus Tips for What To Wear?

For the Bride To Be:

For Guests of the Bride:

Well guys...That's all for now! I really hope you found these tips extremely helpful! Be sure to share this blog with your family, friends, colleagues, and anyone else who you think could benefit from this information!

Lastly, if you enjoyed this blog post, then this is just tip of the iceberg of what I have to offer in my blog! Make sure to join my VIP list so that you're in the know of all our juicy tea, tips, wedding & event package specials, and more lifestyle content. Get on the VIP list here.

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