Your bridal shower is your special moment to shine.  It is also a time for you to get together with your family and friends in order to celebrate your upcoming wedding.  This is truly an exciting time.  But, it can be somewhat overwhelming to plan a bridal shower.  This is particularly true if you have never planned a bridal shower before.  While you do want everything to be just right, remember that your bridal shower is meant to be fun and enjoyable – so be sure you get out there and have a good time! 

Put Together a Guest List

The first step in planning a bridal shower is to put together a guest list.  Traditionally, your maid of honor should be throwing the bridal shower for you. This does not, however, free you from being involved in the planning.  In fact, the maid of honor will need you to help her come up with a guest list for your shower. 

To start with, your guest list should definitely include your mother and your future mother-in-law.  Your guest list should also include your sisters, your bridesmaids, and, of course, your maid of honor.  From here, it is really up to you who else you decide to invite.  Just remember that anyone you invite to the bridal shower should also be invited to the wedding.  This does not, however, mean that every female you have invited to the wedding should also be invited to the bridal shower.  In fact, some brides prefer to keep the bridal shower small and personal. 

To help you make your guest list, you need to discuss the budget with the maid of honor, or whoever is throwing the bridal shower for you.  This will have a large impact on how many guests you can invite. 

Determine a Date

After you have decided whom you will be inviting to your bridal shower, you need to decide when you will have your party.  It is ok to have the bridal shower as long as two months before the wedding or as little as two weeks before the wedding.  You should work closely with the hostess of your bridal shower to decide on a date and time that works in your schedule.  After all, you are busy planning a wedding.  So, you need to be sure the bridal shower fits well into your schedule.  Many brides choose to have their bridal showers on Sundays because most people are off from work on this day.

Decide on a Theme

It is not absolutely necessary to have a theme for your bridal shower, but it generally makes it more fun for everyone involved.  Picking a theme also makes the rest of the planning much easier.  This is because it gives you a direction to go in when choosing invitations, favors, and other decorations.  The theme should also fit in with the types of gifts you are asking for.  For example, some popular themes for bridal showers are lingerie, household, wine, and romance.

Choose the Right Invitation

Since you have decided on a theme, it should make it much easier for you to choose the perfect bridal shower invitations.  If you cannot find invitations that work for you, however, you may choose to make some instead.  Be sure to include all of the necessary information on your bridal shower invitations, including the date, time, and location.  You should also indicate the theme, if there is one, and where you are registered.  With both the registry and the shower theme to guide them, you guests will be sure to have problem finding the perfect gift for you.  You should also include an RSVP date with you invitations.  Knowing how many guests to expect will make the final planning much easier.

No matter how you go about getting invitations for your bridal shower, you need to be sure to mail them out at least two weeks prior to the date of the shower.  This way, your guests will have plenty of time to make arrangements in order to attend.  This will also give them time to go shopping for your bridal shower gift.  You should not send your invitations out more than a month in advance, however, unless you have guests who will need to travel a great distance in order to attend.  This is because your guests might forget about the shower if they receive the invitations too early.

Select Decorations, Favors, and Food

If you have not already done so, now is the time to purchase your bridal shower decorations and favors.  Decorations and favors are particularly important at a themed bridal shower because they help set the mood for the theme

Traditionally, food is served as a bridal shower.  If at all possible, even the food should fit within the theme.  If the food itself cannot be tied in, then the way it is presented should be.  The exact menu you offer at your bridal shower, therefore, may be affected by your theme.  It is perfectly acceptable to serve a full lunch or dinner or to simply provide your guests with light snacks.  No matter what you serve, there should always be a cake involved and the case should also tie into your theme. 

Choose the Entertainment

Entertainment for bridal showers is usually fairly simple.  For the most part, it generally consists of bridal games.  It is ok to have music at your bridal shower, but it should not be the main form of entertainment.  Instead, it should be simply played in the background.  The games at bridal showers are meant to get your guests talking and help them get to know each other a little better.  You should also include prizes for your games.  Once again, the prizes should be designed to match your theme.  If you cannot come up with themed prizes, candles, candy, and journals are always good to use.

Your bridal shower should be a fun time that provides you with loads of fond memories.  If planned correctly, it will be certain to do just that.