Following tradition means that the maid or matron of honor should give the Bridal Shower. It was said in the past, that it was not proper for an immediate family member of the bride or the groom to host the wedding shower. The reason for this was that it would make the family appear as if it were asking for gifts, which was considered to be in poor taste.

Thank heavens not all modern brides must be restricted by traditions. It is perfectly fine if you want to have a wedding that adheres strictly to tradition, but in today’s modern society, it is also perfectly fine if you don’t want to adhere to strict tradition. Therefore, about anyone in the bridal party, or a relative, may host the wedding shower without the guilt of making the family appear to have poor taste.

So, you have decided to have the bridal shower. Now what? Well, there are many things to consider. So, below, I have listed a brief outline of all the things that need to be considered to help you give the bride-to-be a fun, personal, day to remember. 

Where will the wedding shower be held? Do you prefer to have it in your own home? Or would it be better to find a clubhouse to have the gathering in? You could choose to have it at a restaurant, at a park (weather permitting), at a bar in a small private room, at the church, or maybe at one of the bridesmaids homes. Your choice of place may depend on the time of day you plan to have it. Ensure that there will be plenty of room for seating, food, and fun. Another consideration is if you decide to have food, will you need a kitchen, or refrigeration? Also, will it be a brief get-together, or maybe an all-evening party. And how many will be attending? The number of people planning to attend may require a larger setting than your own home. There are lots of considerations, so do not make a hasty decision.

The next thing to consider would be whether or not you want to have a themed shower. This could depend on the bride-to-be. If she needs help setting up a kitchen, you could have a kitchen themed party for her. Maybe she needs new lingerie. Maybe the bride-to-be needs linens and towels. In this case, you could let everyone know when you send out invitations, that the will be a themed event, letting them know what types of gifts to bring for the shower.

Whether or not you have a themed bridal shower, you should send out invitations. This will allow everyone to plan free time for the event. This will also let them know where the wedding shower will be held. You can make invitations on your home PC, you can purchase pre-made invitations, or you could order made-to-order shower invitations. It will probably depend on your budget. The invitations should be sent out about a month in advance of the big party date.

Once these things have been decided, it is time to think about what kind of activities you want to have at the bridal shower. Almost all activities revolve around some kind of food. You can keep this simple, by offering guests simply cake, nuts, mints, and punch. It is also a good idea to offer coffee and/or tea. If the weather is hot and the party is outdoors, you may just want to offer punch to the guests. Many people like to offer more than just desert. You could add appetizers, to give the guests a little more to nibble on. You could ask each guest to bring a dish, and have a fun surprise buffet. You could offer cold lunch-meat sandwiches, and have a luncheon buffet, or you could offer a full meal. You could even have the party catered. There are so many choices when it comes to food. Just do what is most comfortable for you. If you really don’t like to cook, either have it catered, or have everyone bring a dish. If everyone brings a dish, you can also have them bring the recipe, so that the recipes can be given to the bride-to-be. Just be sure to make this step fun. Food always brings people together, so it is fun to have some foods for the party. It allows people time to get to know each other over some good food. But plan for the food with a budget and keep to the plan.

Another consideration