If you’ve agreed to host a bridal shower, you may be wondering how to get started.

While showers are an important part of a bride-to-be’s experience, don’t be intimidated or worry about reaching shower perfection.

Planning a sensational shower is very doable and often very enjoyable. When looking at bridal shower locations in Houston, you may want to consider hosting it at The Bell Tower on 34th.

To help you with your planning, we’ve put together some bridal shower basics and ideas to consider.

Bridal Shower Basics

A bridal shower generally is a chance for friends and family of the bride to “shower her” with gifts she can use and enjoy once she’s married. The celebration includes food, beverages, games, or activities—if the bride wants them—and time for the bride to open her gifts.

A bridal shower, by the way, is not exactly the same thing as a wedding shower. The first is all about the bride-to-be, while the other is a co-ed event for the bride and groom. This article will focus on bridal showers, but a lot of the advice here would work for either approach.

A word about shower hosts: Generally, these celebrations are organized by the maid of honor, close friends, bridesmaids, or bridal party, but really, anyone can be the host.

If that person is you, we suggest you start your planning process by creating a budget.

Categories can include:

-Food and drinks

-Decor

-Venue

-Rentals

-Vendors

-Favors

According to Brides magazine, bridal showers range in price from about $10 per person to more than $100 per person. You have the option of sharing this responsibility with others.

You also can enlist help with planning and event preparations, a step that we highly recommend. Multiple planners will ease the load you’re carrying and contribute to more creative ideas. Go ahead and find helpers to take on tasks that match their strengths and interests.

Here are some of the other factors you should consider as you plan:

Timing. Aim to hold the shower two to six months before the wedding.

Location. If you need venue ideas, you can find a wealth of ideas online. Our bridal shower venue tips include checking customer reviews, researching costs, and attempting to make an in-person visit.

The bridal shower guest list. While planning the shower is something you do to help the bride, she still should have input on her shower, especially when it comes to who’s invited. You don’t want to miss someone the bride hoped to include or put her in the uncomfortable position of welcoming someone she didn’t want there.

Distributing invitations. Aim to put your invitations in the mail (or send your electronic ones) about four to six weeks before the shower. If possible, ask guests to inform you about dietary restrictions and food allergies when they return their RSVPs so you can plan accordingly 

Dress. Your invitations should provide guidance on how formal the event will be.

Bridal Shower Gifts. Refer guests to the wedding website where they can access the wedding registry and find bridal shower gift ideas. You’ll also want to remind the bride to complete the registry in plenty of time and to include a variety of practical, fun, and unique bridal shower ideas. Most registries allow brides to incorporate ideas from more than one business. Plan to keep track of who gives which bridal gift during the shower so the bride can write thank you notes. (She will repeat this process after receiving wedding gifts. Even if she thanked people for her bridal shower gifts, she’ll need to send a thank you for each wedding gift.)

A note about bridal shower gifts for older brides: Mature brides, especially those marrying for the second time, may not necessarily need the practical household items a first-time bride will. Consider fun and luxurious items, from personalized keepsakes, honeymoon funds, or date-night packages for the newlyweds.

Food. Here’s a tip that’s easy to forget as you get caught up in your planning: Be sure to select food and cake that the bride actually likes. Wondering what to offer? Finger foods, beverages, and desserts are safe bets, but you can, of course, serve a meal. Depending on your budget and the size of the shower, consider enlisting a caterer’s help.

Drinks: offer a variety of fun drinks along with cocktails and other non-alcoholic options.

Consider music. You can create a playlist that includes some of the bride’s favorite tunes.

The groom. He won’t attend a bridal shower, but he can contribute ideas or put together a video message for the guests. Some grooms opt to make an appearance near the end of the shower, with flowers for the bride, and greet the guests.

Themes. These are optional. If you want to go this route and need ideas, draw inspiration from the bride and her passions, tastes, and interests. If she’s a chocoholic, for example, you’ll find a wealth of ideas for throwing a fabulous chocolate-themed shower. Your activities (see more below) could even include making your own chocolate candy for bridal shower favors.

Décor: This is another area that should reflect the bride’s interests and personality. She may already have some thoughts on the decor she would like. If she doesn’t, consider showing her a few options for colors, flowers, signage, and other decorative elements for her to select from.

Sounds: Use music to enhance the mood. You can create a playlist of tunes—including some of the bride’s favorites—along with some love songs and upbeat choices to play in the background.

Beyond the Gifts: Shower Activity Ideas

Do you need inspiration for things to do at a bridal shower? More and more showers feature activities that guests might enjoy trying in their spare time like wine tastings, DIY crafts, or a bit of pampering.

Along those lines, you’d be surprised at the variety of specialty businesses willing to come to you when you host a shower. You can, for example, line up a wine specialist for tastings and food pairings, a calligraphy instructor, a choreographer who can teach the bride and guests a special dance, a chef to teach guests a specific recipe, a “mixologist” who can go over making a signature cocktail, a massage therapist, or a manicurist.

That said, there is nothing wrong with offering bridal shower games, and the bride may have been looking forward to them. You can go with traditional games like Pin the Veil on the Bride or create toilet-paper wedding dresses.

Additional game possibilities include Purse Scavenger Hunt, Newlywed Trivia, and Pen a Poem, where each guest writes one line of a romantic poem for the couple, folds the paper over to hide their words, and passes it along until everyone has a turn. And these are only a few of the many, many game activities you can find online.

Just remember, the activities, food, and décor you plan will all contribute to the day, but there’s no need to stress over the details.

If you plan with the overall goal of creating sweet memories for the bride and her guests—and making the bride feel special—the shower you host will be a tremendous success.