Bridal Shower Brunch Hosting Tips
If one of your best friends has recently announced the good news of a wedding on the horizon, then throwing a bridal shower brunch for them is the perfect opportunity to celebrate, give gifts, and share marriage advice.
If you’re planning to throw a bridal shower brunch, there are a few things you can do to make sure it goes perfectly. To help you throw a bridal shower brunch that’s not only one that’ll be remembered for ages, but one that you can enjoy yourself, here are some of our top hosting tips.
What Happens at a Bridal Shower?
Back in the (very) old days, the purpose of a bridal shower was to make sure that the bride had everything she needed to start her new married life—in case her husband wasn’t able to provide it 100%. Gradually, it evolved to become a party where the bride was “showered” with gifts regardless of how much it helped with marriage life.
You might be wondering if any of that has changed today? Honestly, not much! These days, a bridal shower is simply a party where the bride's closest friends and relatives come together to give gifts and share marriage advice. Oh, and there’s plenty of eating and drinking!
Who Should Host a Bridal Shower?
Most often, the maid of honor is tasked with hosting a bridal shower. However, being a maid of honor takes some serious work, which can make hosting a bridal shower a bit difficult. In that case, it’s totally customary for a bridesmaid, a family member, or a close friend of the bride to take over.
However, the best solution is to co-host. This can be the combined effort of some of the bridal party and some of the relatives. By splitting the costs, party planning, and hosting responsibilities, the bridal shower can be much more stress-free and fun for everyone involved.
What Are the Benefits of Hosting a Bridal Shower for Brunch?
Aside from the delicious brunch fare that you’ll be serving up, there are a few benefits of hosting a bridal shower brunch.
In the first place, brunch is synonymous with drinking boozy cocktails. This means that daytime drinking isn’t only acceptable, but expected! Your guests will show up with their schedules completely cleared and ready to get their party on.
Second, throwing a bridal shower early in the day can cost much less than doing it in the evening. That’s because the evening is the most popular time to rent out a venue, which equates to higher costs. But brunch time can slash those venue costs by as much as half!
Tips To Host Your Next Bridal Shower Brunch
If you’ve decided to host a bridal shower brunch, then the task ahead of you will be incredibly fun and something you’ll remember for ages. That said, being a host does come with its fair share of responsibilities.
As a host, you have to make sure your guests are well-fed, comfortable, and having a good time. Plus, you have to make sure that the party goes according to schedule. All in all, being a host takes a little planning and preparation. To make your next bridal shower brunch unforgettable, here are some of our best tips for hosting it.
Before the Bridal Shower
- Set a Date: Due to all the festivities that happen before the wedding, it’s important to not host the bridal shower right before the big day. If time allows, pick a date that’s at least a month in advance. As for the day of the week, weekdays will come with some venue discounts, but weekends will be when everyone’s schedule is clear.
- Pick a Venue: Depending on your budget, a bridal shower brunch can be held anywhere from an upscale restaurant to a romantic garden to your own backyard. Pick the one that feels most natural for the type of bridal shower you want to throw.
- Choose a Theme: Part of making the bridal shower unforgettable is the aesthetic. This will determine your decorations, tableware, music, food, and activities. Make things look gorgeous with themes such as garden tea party, beach bonanza, or Moroccan nights.
- Decide on a Dress Code: This goes hand-in-hand with the theme you pick for the shower and can make for some gorgeous photos. For instance, the garden party theme would look that much better if all the guests are wearing floral prints. Hosting the party during the colder months? An all-white dress code can be incredibly sophisticated.
- Invite the Right People: The only rule here is that every guest you invite should also be invited to the wedding. So, double-check the guest list to make sure! Otherwise, you can make this a girls-only affair with the bride’s closest friends and relatives. Alternatively, if the bride has lots of male friends, you can totally make the party co-ed.
- Plan the Food Menu: Is there anything more delicious than brunch food? To make your food menu well-balanced, try to have a mix of savory classics such as eggs (with a twist) and a variety of baked treats. If any of your guests have dietary restrictions, try to have a few special dishes made just for them.
- Plan the Drink Menu: Since we’re talking brunch here, drinks are pretty much a must. You can’t go wrong with brunch classics such as mimosas, screwdrivers, and bloody Marys. But you can definitely go above and beyond by creating a menu of unique cocktails. Oh, and a signature party cocktail named after the bride will be an absolute hit.
- Decorate: If you want the venue to look super Instagrammable, then the right decorations will make all the difference. Try to incorporate a mix of colorful balloons, flowers, and candles that match your party’s theme.
During the Bridal Shower
- Don’t Be Afraid To Ask for Help: Since you’re the host, it’s perfectly natural to feel like you have to do everything yourself. But honestly, the bridal shower is more a team effort amongst the bridal party and close relatives. So, make things easier for yourself and enlist others to help you with setting up and making sure the party flows smoothly.
- Greet Everyone Individually: Part of making every guest feel comfortable is welcoming them when they arrive. So, make sure to say “hello” to every guest and to tell them how glad you are that they came.
- Make Introductions: While it largely depends on the size of your guest list, there might be some people who don’t know anyone at the party. Make them feel at home by introducing them to a few others and starting a conversation between them with one-liners such as “my friend (insert name) has the most fascinating career.”
- Keep Guests Engaged: The combination of cocktails, close friends, and a joyful occasion to celebrate can make this party flow all by itself. But if you notice that some people are looking slightly bored, then strike up a conversation, introduce them to someone else, or even ask them to help you with the party.
- Take Photos: If you chose to hire an event photographer, then more power to you! But if this time, you’re choosing to be the artist behind the lens, then we’re sure that your photos will come out beautiful. Just make sure to take snaps of all the details of the event, including the tablescape, the decorations, the food, and of course, the beautifully-dressed guests that attended.
After the Bridal Shower
- Have Guests Fill out Advice Book: Buy a small guest book with a gorgeous cover (the more personalized it is, the better). At the end of the party, ask guests to jot down their best wishes, advice for the bride, and any tips that they might have on marriage. This will be something that the bride is sure to cherish for years.
- Give Out Party Favors: Thank your guests for coming (and some, for helping out) by giving them small gifts. Our favorite gift ideas include anything that everyone can get some use out of, such as luxurious lip balm, scented hand sanitizer, and small champagne bottles.
- Don’t Do the Dishes: After the perfect bridal shower brunch has come to an end, it’s time for you to sit back and enjoy what you’ve accomplished. The best way to do this? Keep the after-party cleanup as nonexistent as possible by using high-quality disposable dinnerware.
Showering the Bride With a Lifetime of Happiness
Hosting a bridal shower brunch is no easy task. If you decide to host one, then you’ll be responsible for everything from choosing a theme to crafting a menu to making sure your guests are having a good time. But in the end, this will be one of the most memorable days of your life. And the lucky bride will be sure to remember it, too—for years to come.
Our Sources:
7 Ways To Be The Best Maid Of Honor | Harper's Bazaar