Planning a wedding shower is normally reserved for the bridesmaids, but family members and friends can throw them as well. If you are a planning a wedding shower for a friend or family member, there are a few simple steps to follow. When you plan well, you'll have a fun shower that's enjoyable for everyone, especially the bride-to-be. Here are some tips.



The first thing to decide is what kind of shower you're going to have. These days the traditional girls-only showers aren't necessarily the norm. Couples showers are becoming common, too. These showers include the bride and groom and both genders of friends are invited. Develop a guest list with the help of the guest (or guests) of honor, and make sure to take your budget and the size of your location into consideration. You don't want your guests to be crowded in your space and you want to make sure that you have enough chairs.

You will also need to pick a theme to give the party atmosphere and pizzazz. The theme will coordinate the decorations, invitations and other party supplies. The theme can also carry over to the gifts. Lots of showers focus on one aspect of a couple's new life together, such as kitchenware, lingerie, bath accessories or a hobby that the couple enjoys. If you're planning a particular type of shower, make sure to include a note about it in the invitations so people can buy accordingly.

Once you choose the theme and fill out the invitations, you'll need to send them out at least six weeks in advance. Make sure to include an R.S.V.P. and the name of the bride-to-be. Traditional etiquette dictates that you shouldn't include information on the bride-to-be's registry in the invitation, but a lot of people appreciate the convenience. Modern rules of etiquette state that you can include a small note on a separate slip or paper inside the invitation envelope, but don't write the information on the actual card.

Your next decision is food. The time of day for your party will determine what kind of food you serve. If you decide to hold a shower at a restaurant or banquet hall, your food choices will be obvious. You can arrange a certain selection of entrees with the kitchen or just allow the guests to choose for themselves. If you are serving at home, you'll need to provide food and drink.

You should try to fit the theme of the shower as best you can. For example, if you're having a unisex barbecue themed shower, try hot dogs and chips. A traditional English tea female-only shower would need finger sandwiches and a selection of teas. If your budget is tight, try planning the shower between meals so that you only have to serve snacks.

In addition to food, you should plan some games for the group to enjoy. They can be as wild as dressing up two guests as brides with toilet paper and giving a prize to the best dressed to something as simple as "guess how many jelly beans are in this jar." Make sure to purchase a small gift for each game so you can reward the winners.

Help the bride to be keep track of her gifts by assigning someone note-taking duty or doing it yourself. She'll definitely appreciate that when the time comes to send out thank you notes. Help the bride keep her gifts organized and clean up the wrapping paper as you go so everyone can see the gifts she's opened.