One of the most important pre-wedding parties is the bridal shower. If it’s your job to organizse this party, you want it to be perfect so the bride will treasure the memory for years to come.
Planning a bridal shower is a big responsibility. That’s why we’ve put together this handy bridal shower checklist to help you make sure you’ve thought of everything.
Put Together Your Budget
At least two to three months prior to the event, you want to make sure you know exactly what the budget for the bridal shower will be. This is vital for planning the rest of the event.
Waterside Events has event spaces and catering services to handle any size budget. Their professional staff will help you put together an elegant, stylish bridal shower for your best friend.
Set the Date and Book the Venue
Now that you know the budget, you can set the date, and book your venue. You want to know that you have the date fixed and the venue chosen before you send out any invitations.
When you choose the date, you want to be careful not to pick a holiday or other date that might conflict with some popular event. You want to make sure your guests won’t have to choose between coming to the bridal shower or going to some other event they might like to attend.
With the date set, you can book your venue. You want to do this two to three months in advance since venues get booked early. Luckily, Waterside Events has multiple spaces so it’s more likely that a space will be available for any given date you might choose.
Time for the Guest List
When you know the date, the venue, and your budget, you can now put the guest list together. You know the size of your venue space, and so, you’ll want to keep that in mind as you plan on how many people to invite.
Make sure to include the bride’s best friends and family, and you want to make sure that all the guests you invite are also invited to the wedding. Also, while bridal showers have traditionally been all-female events, in our modern age, it’s fine to invite close male friends of the bride too.
Choose a Theme
The next step is to choose your theme since it will guide your decor. Most bridal showers, even small, casual ones, have a them of some sort. To decide your theme, talk to the bride.
The theme might be something she loves like her favorite music, a book she loves, or her favorite movie. At Waterside Events, you’re free to decorate the event space in accordance with any kind of theme you might like.
Send Your Invitations
About one month before the event, you’ll want to send out the invitations. Since it will mostly be the bride’s closest family and friends, most people won’t have to plan for travel, so a month in advance is usually enough time to make sure they don’t make other plans.
Make sure your invitation includes the pertinent details like the date, location, and other important information like a dress code, gift registry, or the theme so guests can plan accordingly.
Determine the Schedule
One month before the event is also a good time to determine the schedule for the event. You want to determine how the day will go. What will happen first, second, third, and so on?
It’s fine to have a casual affair, but if you’re planning games and serving a meal, you want to think about the order of the things you will do.
Arrange for Food, Drink, and Decorations
You also want to make arrangements for the food, drinks, and decorations a month before the event. Making sure everything is ready in well in advance will help reduce any stress you might feel while planning the bridal shower.
One Week to Go
With a week to go, you want to double check all your orders to make sure your vendors are on schedule and have all the information they need. You can also order the food dishes you want prepared.
This is also when you’ll want to order the fresh flowers for the event. At this point, you also need to buy a gift for the guest of honor. You can also check on your RSVPs so you know who will be attending and who won’t. It’s also a good time to send out a reminder invitation if you’re sending on electronic invitations.
Final Thoughts
This is a big responsibility for one of your closest friends, and you want the bridal shower to be perfect. This checklist can help you make sure it’s everything the bride is dreaming it will be.
Waterside Events is pleased to help you carry out the perfect bridal shower. The event spaces are second to none, and their professional staff can help you make sure every detail is exactly right.