The Ultimate Bridal Shower Checklist That Everyone Needs
Hosting a bridal shower is a lot of work. Whether you’re the maid of honor, the bride-to-be, or a good friend of the happy couple, you’ve got to explore a lot of bridal shower ideas to create the perfect event. One easy way to adhere to your timeline for bridal shower and stay sane is by following a bridal shower checklist. Use this handy and printable checklist to keep track of all the pressing responsibilities related to this important party.
FREE PRINTABLE BRIDAL SHOWER CHECKLIST
3 Months Before
1. Select Your Date
The first thing you need to do is select a date for your shower. Traditionally, the shower should be held somewhere between two months to two weeks before the wedding. Most people agree that the earlier you throw the event, the better. Waiting too long can complicate matters, as the wedding will take precedence over all other plans.
2. Set the Budget
The next item on your bridal shower checklist is setting the budget. Once you know how much you can afford to spend on the event, it will be much easier for you to start selecting a venue, picking out vendors, and knowing exactly how many people you can invite. Be sure to consult with the bride if possible, as you don’t want to overspend on the event or make the couple feel uncomfortable with your choices.
3. Pick a Venue
After determining how much you can spend, you’re ready to start looking at the various venues available to you. Try to keep the guest list in mind, as you won’t need a large venue for a small group of people. A good way to save money on the event is by hosting a bridal shower at your home or at the house of a good friend or family member of the couple.
4. Create a Guest List
One of the most involved steps in planning a wedding shower is creating a guest list. For this, you absolutely need to consult with the couple. Wedding customs dictate that only people who will be invited to the wedding should be invited to the shower. If you accidentally invite someone who will not be receiving an invitation to the nuptials, it can be quite awkward for the couple later on.
5. Determine If You’d Like a Theme
These days, unique bridal shower themes are quite commonplace. Whether you decide to go with the elegance of a garden party or the casual theme of an 80s dance party, there are many different options to mull over. Be sure to go with a theme that will please the couple and not feel forced. It is also wise to mention the theme as early as possible to guests so they have time to plan their outfits accordingly.
2 Months Before
1. Notify Guests of the Date
Unlike a wedding, you don’t need to send out save-the-date messages in a complicated manner. Since this is a much smaller affair by comparison, the next step on your bridal shower checklist is to send a save-the-date email to guests. This will provide everyone on the list with enough info to keep their schedules open.
2. Collect Guest Information
To properly inform guests about the event, you’ll need addresses. Whether you opt to send emails or you go the traditional route of writing out paper invites, you’ll need to know where to send everything. Keep an organized list of addresses and it will make the other processes a lot easier for you.
3. Finalize the Plan
At this point of your bridal shower planning list, you are ready to finalize your plans. Since you need to give guests and vendors enough notice, you don’t want to be indecisive about any of the factors related to the event. Gather with anyone who is helping to plan the event and put your final stamp on each decision that needs to be completed.
4. Hire Your Vendors
Now that you have a finalized plan, you can move forward with hiring the vendors. At this point, you should already have a general idea of which businesses or individuals you will be using for the event. Be sure to touch base and create a timeline together to ensure there will be no surprises or setbacks down the line.
5. Select the Decor
This is a good point in the process to invest in any decorations needed for the bridal shower. Try to be selective with the decor, as this event doesn’t need to be as lavish as the actual wedding. Any bridal shower decoration ideas that can be repurposed for the wedding later will be excellent investments to make for the shower.
1 Month Before
1. Send Out the Invites
When you’re about a month out from the shower, you can send out the invitations to guests. Since part of your earlier responsibilities on the bridal shower checklist involved compiling addresses, this step should take you no time at all. Get the invitations in the mail as soon as you can and be sure to include all pertinent info related to the event like attire requirements, time, location, and similar data.
2. Confirm With Your Vendors
To provide yourself with peace of mind and ensure everyone is on the same page, you want to reach out to your vendors and the venue manager to confirm all of the details of the shower. If there has been a miscommunication at any point, it is good to acknowledge the obstacle as early as possible so that a practical solution can be found between you and the vendor.
3. Think About Activities
A shower is an opportunity to have a little bit of fun with friends and family. Games and similar activities are commonplace at modern showers, so you’ll want to come up with a few easy ones that will get people into festive spirits. Look up some bridal shower games and see which options will work best with the crowd that is gathering for the celebration.
4. Pick Out Favors
Giving guests a little gift to bring home with them is another fun way to make the bridal shower a memorable experience. Favors don’t have to be big or extravagant. Try to find something inexpensive that you can buy in bulk and it will act as a nice acknowledgment to the guests to thank them for their presence.
1-2 Weeks Before the Shower
1. Confirm the Guest List
Getting all of the guests on your list to RSVP to the event can be a real challenge. Since you don’t want to make any assumptions one way or the other, use time 2 weeks before the event to reach out to guests who have not responded to the invitation one way or the other. You’ll likely discover that a handful of these people plan on coming.
2. Ensure the Decor Is Ready
This is also a good point in the process to make sure that all of the decor is ready to go. Run over your bridal shower checklist and make sure each piece has been delivered and is in the right condition to be displayed. If there are any issues at this point, you still have time to find replacement pieces for the shower decor.
One Day Before the Shower
1. Decorate and Prepare for the Party
The day before the event, you want to make sure a big part of your bridal shower checklist is setting up the event space. Whether you’re taking care of the task yourself or you hired professionals for the job, you need to make sure all parties are on schedule and make the venue look like you planned.
2.Go Over the Food and Drink
While you check the venue, be sure to focus on food and drink areas. If there is a bar, make sure that it has been properly stocked with the right options. Talk with the vendors again to make sure that they know what time to arrive, where to set up their stations, and any other important information that they might need to know in order to prep the food.
3. Enjoy the Party
Last, but definitely not least, remember to have fun. When you’re planning the party, it can feel like your responsibilities are never done. When the date of the shower arrives, your only job is to enjoy yourself. Bask in the glow of all of your hard work and appreciate that you helped to bring the party to life with your dedicated spirit.
Though it might be an overwhelming task at times, having a bridal shower checklist can make planning a party a lot easier. Whether you’re the bride to be, the maid of honor, or a friend with a desire to help, be sure to follow the right steps. Give yourself plenty of time to go through each of the stages of putting together a shower and see what a success it can be.
