Over
the years, people from all over the world, particularly in the United States, Canada and Australia,
practice holding gift-giving parties for brides-to-be in anticipation of their
wedding. It was in 1980’s that this custom was first practiced. The purpose of
bridal showers is not to provide material goods for the matrimonial home after
the wedding ceremony but to provide goods and financial aid so that the wedding
may successfully take place. According to some sociologists, the ritual of the
bridal shower prepares the bride-to-be and socializes her to traditional roles
of a wife. These roles include family cook, homemaker and sexual partner. Usual
bridal shower gifts include bedroom and kitchen appliances. Bridal showers are
usually held during late afternoons or in the evening. These parties are
commonly held several weeks before the day of the wedding, preferably two to
three weeks before the wedding.
Traditionally,
the hosts for bridal showers are the bridesmaids or other close friends of the
bride-to-be. The bride’s future in-laws and other close relatives can still
conduct events for the future bride that are not gift-oriented such as
bridesmaids’ luncheon and engagement announcement party. Family members seldom
host such events since it is not appropriate and quite greedy to ask for gifts
for their own relative. Invited guests are usually limited to the close friends
and relatives of the couple. However, there are also bridal showers in which more
than 300 guests are invited. It depends on the preference of the bride and the
hosts.
For
some, thinking of bridal shower ideas can
be very difficult. However, preparing for events like this can be made easy by making
a checklist. Steps for a great shower begins by deciding who will plan for the
said event. Usually, the host of the party is the bride’s maid. The bride can
work together with the bride’s maid who will host the event to make the event
successful. When planning for a surprise bridal shower, the host can ask help
from the bride’s family members and from some intimate friends of the couple. Setting
a budget is an important part of the planning. The host is more often
responsible for the expenses during the event. The host can solicit financial
assistance from other friends of the bride and close relatives.
When
planning for a bridal shower, it is important to organize the guest list. The event
can be an all-girls event, or the host may prefer to invite guests as couples. Making
a guest list will make the task of getting contact information, faster and
easier. Home addresses and telephone numbers can be obtained with the help of
the bride’s family members. Inviting guests for the event can be informal and
formal. Inviting guests informally can be made through phone calls and
formally, through invitation cards. The invitation card must contain all the
necessary information for the said event, most especially when the event is a
planned surprise bridal shower. Other important things that must be included in
the checklist are the theme, decorations, the venue, date and time, and the
games for the occasion.
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