If you are the person planning the bridal shower you may be feeling stressed but there is no need. This can be one of the most exciting things you have ever done and you will be part of bringing joy to the bride as well as the guests who are more than happy to attend and bring a gift for her. Here are some tips to help make the planning less stressful.

When you are planning a bridal shower one of the most important things to consider is how many people to invite. The optimal number should be from five to twenty, any more than that will just be too much to deal with for the bride and will take away from something that should be cozy and intimate. Talk to the bride and see who she wants at the top of her list. The first people on the list will be family members from both sides of the wedding party, as well as the bride's closest friends. Make absolutely sure that anyone invited to the bridal shower also gets a wedding invitation.

Next you want to choose the bridal shower invitations. This is a totally subjective thing, the invitations can be themed or look any way that you and the bride decide. If you are going to have a bridal shower on the beach then it would be really cool to have invitations to reflect that kind of attitude. If your bridal shower is going to be just kind of generic with no particular theme then consider matching the bridal shower invitations up to the wedding invitations. Just like wedding invitations you will want to have an RSVP deadline and the theme if any. Be sure to include the name of the guest of honor and the hostess' name and contact information, plus the location of the event. Send them out about a month ahead of the shower.

Now that you are done with the invitations you need to begin the planning for the shower itself. As far as food is concerned you should begin with appetizers, nothing too heavy then try to include a wide variety to give the guests a lot of choices. The best practice is to try to stay clear of foods that people may be allergic to, such as peanuts, as some people have deadly reactions to them. Include a good choice of beverages too including fruit juices and water.

Make sure that when you are planning games, opening of gifts, and other events for the shower that you also plan for time to allow the guests to announce themselves and how they are connected to the bride this will help to bring everyone together.