Are you a guest with the job of preparing the bridal or wedding shower, and you want to know what the difference is? No worries, read this article; hopefully, you will get your answers.

Bridal showers and wedding showers are the same; the difference is that Bridal showers mostly consist of women alone, from the mother, mother-in-law, sister, friends, and other close female acquaintances. Wedding showers, on the other hand, comprise all genders. Anybody can come, it’s not limited. Gay couples mostly use the wedding shower option. If both are men, they can’t have a bridal shower with flowers thrown over the bride’s head and other stuff.

The difference has been laid out, but what brought about the bridal shower? You must have wondered about that. What’s the history, and why has it become a tradition till today? That’s what this article is for to answer this question and assuage your curiosity. Grab your popcorn and let go down the lane of history.

A bridal shower is its original name, and it predates back to around the 16th to 17th century. Wedding showers were innovated when people needed to be able to invite both genders. Bridal showers, just from the name, indicate women only. Bridal shower practice is said to have come about due to poor brides’ inability to pay dowry. Then women pay a dowry to the men they are to marry. So if a woman is poor, her friends will organize a party for her and come with gifts. These gifts will then be used as dowry to marry the woman.

For them, the it was just a nice way of showing support to their friend  (the bride). So, they give gifts to the bride without her asking for them. This preserves the bride’s dignity.  You should know this practice is traced back to different places such as Brussel in Belgium and Netherlands.

How it’s done

Bridal or wedding showers are usually done by the bride’s maid or close friend. The bride and bride’s family don’t get involved with the process of getting the bridal shower together. Although that is changing now, couples can make a wedding gift registry. The wedding gift registry will communicate what the pair would like in terms of gifts.

You can upload the registry online or in-store for your guests to access. Your guest will choose the ones they prefer to purchase and bring them for the wedding shower. But note, don’t add too many expensive items to your registry. It isn’t polite to do this. Stay within the budget of your guest. For this, you have to know who your guests are and their capabilities. If your guest can afford costly gifts, you may add them.

There is the group gift as well. Your co-workers may want to pool their money together for a more expensive gift. So, you should add a section for group gifts. This takes the pressure from individuals.

Bridal theme ideas

Okay, so you know the difference between our two keywords. Bridal and wedding shower, and we have to talk about the keywords. How do you arrange the shower party? What theme should you use, how many guests should you invite? Check out my list below. What time of the day should it be?.

Dress up

Get an event hall if you can afford one, or find a venue and touch it up. Make it classy, and elegantly tell your friends to dress in their most elegant dresses. Make the theme like a classy ballroom, and everybody has fun among themselves. You can have a center table for people to drop their gifts when they bring them.

It can be an exciting and thrilling experience that will be forgotten for years to come. Why? Because women love playing dress-up. This is a popular thing. They love dressing to the nines in their latest fashion. It makes them feel good. And believe me, women always find an excuse to dress up. So give them what they want. Let them enjoy themselves and fancy themselves being the Queen of England for the evening before the magic spell is broken. A well-thought theme puts the guest in a good mood. You know, it opens their hands for more potential wedding gifts to pop out ah ah.j

Tea party

You can have a typical tea party with scones and biscuits. Let’s not forget cake and chocolate; it’s every woman’s guilty pleasure. Your guests can chat to compete, and everybody catches up together before the wedding.  familiarity among the guests that don’t know each other before. And this is amazing.

You can increase your connection while having a fantastic time. Have a place to put the gifts. Perhaps by the fireplace or any other site that suits you and has a fabulous shower party. A tea party is a very relaxing relaxed affair. Yeah, with the classy tea sips and elegant talk, it’s something women will love. Everybody gets in a good mood and has a couple of games. The bride comes out looking pretty showered by gifts from the guests.

Back yard Lawn party.

You can have your bridal shower party in the backyard. You get the perfect excuse to give your backyard a new and better look. Decorate the backyard with flowers, lots of pretty light, and other things to give your backyard a relaxed and beautiful environment for your guest. You can have your party after renovating your backyard, and what’s not to love in this kind of arrangement?

 Flower decoration

What do women love most? Flowers, of course. Women love pretty things, and flowers take the first position among these things. It’s what is used as a love token to them. I mean, a rose from the perfect gentleman can make a girl swoon for days. If it’s a bridal party where only women will be the guest, why not consider making flower wreaths or flower arrangements. The women will love it, and it will keep them busy and happy before they shower the bride. Let’s not forget the primary purpose of a bridal shower is for the bride.

Wedding Shower theme ideas

Alright, let’s move here. So, you want to have mixed genders in your shower party because that’s what a wedding shower entails. You need to plan a theme that will be loved by both men and women and is within your budget. Let get out of fantasy for a second, and if people are going to love it and your account isn’t enough, let it go. The truth will set you free. You don’t want to enter a new marriage with debts hanging and weighing down your back, it will cause problems early in marriage, and we don’t want this do we? Let browse through some wedding shower party theme ideas below.

Ball party

A ball is an affair meant to be attended by both males and females. What better way to make a shower party than this? Both genders will attend and shower the bride with their gifts while they move around and enjoy the beautiful setup you have made in your ballroom. Note that you should only go to a ball party if YOU can afford it because it’s supposed to be such a simple affair and should be on the low of your budget. So if you are well off, then throwing a ball party is a breeze cool, go ahead. People move around and socialize, more so it gives your guest a chance to get to know each other and form connections before the wedding day.

Yacht hang out party

The beautiful breeze from the sea world and fish food abundant free for all to eat and love in the air. It’s a good wedding shower idea for a mixed-gender party. The food is good, and there is fresh air, socializing with family and friends, so much laughter and beautiful decorations, what more to ask for? Arrange a yacht party.

What to take as a gift

Are you a guest going to a wedding shower? You need to go with gifts. Going to a bridal shower without a gift is considered rude because that’s the whole purpose of it. Your gift depends on how close you are to the couple, i.e. if you are a close family friend, you can’t take a cheap gift to the shower. The gift piece should range from 15$-80$. This depends on your closeness to the couple.

Traditionally the gift items are kitchen utensils and other stuff that the wife can use as the house’s home caretaker. However, now people send things like household gadgets or other property that both couples can use. Also, get something according to the likes and interests of the couple. This will make it appreciated.

How many guests should you invite

Bridal shower invitation is usually informal and spontaneous. It’s something you can call or text the guest the time and place. It would be a second wedding if made formal. I mean, the marriage is already coming up in a few days. The bridal shower should be something casual and comfortable, just a couple of friends hanging out. So for most people, the guests are usually close family and friends. However, you can invite other guests too. But, don’t make it too big, it might overshadow the main event, which is the wedding.

The bridal shower should be more focused on the bride. It’s to shower her with gifts and love. Hype her up before the wedding date. So, to make the theme that keeps the guest happy, don’t lose your primary focus. Focus on how to bring out the uniqueness and beauty of the bride, and this is a special occasion to her, something to be remembered and treasured in memory for years to come.

The groom is traditionally not supposed to be present. But what the heck are we in the 21st century? You can do what you wish. So, now the groom’s presence depends on the couple. If they want for the groom to be in attendance, he will be, and seriously, it’s done as such nowadays.

What time should it be

Okay, so you are raring to go and have one epic bridal shower with both make and female, or he women alone. Either way is acceptable. The time for the wedding shower should be done during the day. Yeah, there is the word party behind its name, but this particular party can’t be done at high like so many are. It’s a custom, and there has been no reason to change it. However, r let say you are in an unavoidable situation where it just has to be at night I say break a leg. Nobody will get killed for breaking the custom.

Your guest-bearing gift should come in the daytime. Carrying something expensive and new is just like a cat, all to thieves and smugglers. You surely don’t want this beautiful moment that’s to be remembered for a long time to be ruined by the news that a guest got injured on the way to your wedding shower. That’s just terrible. So you should find a good time to your taste in the daytime and have your shower. Either indoor or outdoor, go with what pleased you and the guest.

Conclusion

Bridal showers are one of those things that will be documented on the history page of picture albums. It will be shown to your children and grandchildren. It’s one of those memories you should revisit when you are down and want to remember the happier moments. However, all these beautiful memories will only happen if you make them memorable; that’s what is most important. Remember it’s the bride’s day, and put effort into making sure it’s a day that she will live to remember for the rest of her life with a smile on her face.