How to Plan a Bridal Shower in 14 Steps
There’s a big occasion coming up — your loved one’s wedding day! But first comes the bridal shower, a pre-wedding event that can be as meaningful as the wedding itself. If you’re wondering how to plan a bridal shower that the guest(s) of honor will cherish, you’re in the right place.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to plan a bridal shower with simple steps and expert tips, from creative themes to the simplest (and most fun) way to invite all your guests.
How to Plan a Bridal Shower From Start to Finish
The bridal shower planning process might initially seem overwhelming, but it’s pretty easy if you break it down. It’s also a great way to showcase your creativity, thoughtfulness, and budget-savvy DIY decor.
Here’s how to plan a bridal or wedding shower step by step.
1. Agree Who Is Hosting
Start the planning process by deciding who will host the bridal shower. This is often the maid of honor accompanied by the bridesmaids or bridal party, but it could also be a family member or close friend — like the mother of the bride or the soon-to-be mother-in-law.
If you’re planning the celebration on behalf of someone else, ask who they would like to be involved. Then, you can take the lead and assign roles to others to help the process run more smoothly.
2. Finalize Your Bridal Shower Budget
Pre-wedding events can get expensive with bachelorette parties and bridal showers! Decide what your budget will be now so that you can plan an event to match. Think about the different elements of the event and how much you want to assign to each category.
If you can, look for contributions from the guest of honor’s loved ones. Even if they can’t contribute funds, they may be able to make some wonderful DIY decor or donate their time to help you plan an incredible day.
3. Choose the Perfect Date
The ideal time to host a bridal shower is 1-3 months before the wedding day, but you can adjust this to match everyone’s needs and schedules.
You’ll also need to decide on the best date and time of day for the event. This helps determine whether you’re planning a bridal shower brunch, an afternoon tea, or a late-night karaoke party.
4. Find the Right Venue
Once you know your budget, look for the perfect bridal shower venue. The place you decide on will depend on how much you want to spend, how many guests you have, and what type of event you’re hosting.
If you’re on a budget or want to spend your funds in other areas, consider hosting it at home, in the backyard, or at a close friend or family member’s home. Other great options include a restaurant, spa, art gallery, or the beach.
5. Choose a Bridal Shower Theme
Design: Patrice Horvath Design
We adore the idea of choosing a theme for your bridal shower — it’s a lovely way to celebrate the bride-to-be’s hobbies, tastes, and personality. There are many fantastic bridal shower themes. Some popular choices include boho, tropical, minimalist, and art deco.
If you’re considering hosting a Parisian-themed bridal shower, we adore this Eiffel Tower-inspired invitation design — it’d be a perfect match for your plans. We have designs for any event, from a vintage tea party to a bold and bright garden party.
6. Check In with the Bride-To-Be or Happy Couple
As you’re working through your guide on how to plan a bridal shower, be sure to check in with the guest(s) of honor as you do. This ensures you won’t miss any important details and can include all the right guests and requests.
The happy couple will be busy with wedding planning, so do as much as you can to take the lead on this event so they can focus on their big day.
7. Finalize Your Bridal Shower Guest List
Before you can get the invites out, it’s time to finalize your wedding shower guest list. Bridal shower etiquette states that you should only invite those who you’re inviting to the wedding, and this is something we recommend following.
Your guest list will likely include the bride’s loved ones — close family members, close friends, in-laws, and members of the wedding party. It’ll be a select group of wedding guests, depending on the size of your venue and the type of celebration.
8. Create and Send Personalized Bridal Shower Invitations
Design: Juliana Zimmermann Designs
Once you have your guest list all figured out, it’s time to move on to one of our favorite parts of the process — designing and sending the bridal shower invites.
We have so many wonderful invitation designs to choose from, including this stunning bird and blossom bridal shower invite. All our online invitations are fully customizable, so you can adjust the layout, fonts, colors, and wording to suit the event you’re planning.
Prepare the invites and send them out 1-2 weeks before the event so everyone has enough time to RSVP and find the perfect bridal shower gift. To help them out, include a link to the couple’s wedding registry with the invite.
9. Prepare Bridal Shower Games and Activities
A bridal shower doesn’t have to be filled with activities, but many groups like to play games and have fun throughout the celebration. You might also have one central activity to plan, like a wine-tasting experience or spa day.
Create a list of bridal shower games like trivia or guess what the wedding dress will look like, alongside a playlist of your favorite tunes to match the theme. Make time in the schedule for gift opening, and include all the bridal shower ideas that suit the event you want to throw.
10. Plan Your Bridal Shower Menu
The type of food and drink you serve will depend on the type and style of your event, but it’s always a good idea to provide refreshments.
Put together some appetizers, main dishes, or desserts for your bridal shower guests to match the mood and time of day — or hire a catering vendor to take care of this.
11. Hire and Organize Any Vendors
Speaking of hiring a vendor, you can take care of every aspect of the bridal shower solo or work with a team of vendors to bring your dream to life. If you go with vendors, hiring them in advance and staying in touch throughout the planning process is best.
Avoid any last-minute chaos by sending vendors your final numbers and providing any final confirmations a few days before the event. After that, you can relax until the big day.
12. Plan Your Bridal Shower Decor
Design: TM Stationery
If you’re hosting a themed bridal shower, decorate the space to match and bring the theme to life. You can style party decor like garlands, banners, balloons, centerpieces, and floral displays to suit any type of bridal shower party.
Don’t forget you can even hint at your theme and bridal shower decor styling with your invitations — take this fiesta-themed bridal shower invite as inspiration.
13. Choose Fun Bridal Shower Favors
It’s traditional to say goodbye to your guests with a small gift or party favor. We love to match these to the celebration and theme to add a personal touch and make it feel even more special.
Create and share small handmade bridal shower favors like soap, cookie mix, or homemade cupcakes. You could also include a thank you note or send a digital thank you card a few days after the event.
14. Stay Organized with a Bridal Shower Checklist
Knowing how to plan a bridal shower and getting it all done are two different things. That’s why we’ve created a bridal shower checklist to ensure you don’t miss a thing.
Use the checklist in collaboration with this guide to help you figure out what to do, when to do it, and how to make the event feel special.
Learn How to Plan a Bridal Shower and Make the Process Fun
Planning a pre-wedding event takes time and energy, but it’s well worth it when you see the smile on the guest of honor’s face. Use this guide on how to plan a bridal shower to make hosting a memorable celebration easier.
When it’s time to invite everyone to the big day, use our bridal shower invitations to spread the word. Just choose a design, customize it, send the invites out, and wait for those RSVPs to land on your dashboard.
