What Is The Difference In A Wedding Shower And Bridal Shower? - The Bridal Tip (2024)

FAQs

What Is The Difference In A Wedding Shower And Bridal Shower? - The Bridal Tip? ›

A bridal shower honors the member of the couple who identifies as the bride; for a wedding with two brides, it can honor either (or both). A wedding shower honors a couple—and, like a bridal shower, is planned by friends or family members of either partner.

The bridal shower is designed for just you and the girls while the wedding shower is a co-ed party where the bride and groom both get showered with gifts and love.

According to Opperman, bridal shower gifts tend to be less expensive than wedding gifts. "Many people spend around $50 to $75, whereas closer friends and family may spend upwards of $100," she says.

Common bridal shower gifts include kitchenware, from small appliances or utensils to towels or dishes. Shower gifts tend to stick to the event's specific theme if it has one. A cooking class shower might require a gift of your favorite cookbook, while the hostesses of a lingerie shower will ask for, well, lingerie.

How many shower prizes should you have? You'll need one grand prize for each of the bridal shower games you're playing during the party.

Technically, these are two separate events, and traditionally, it is proper etiquette for guests to show up to the bridal shower with a gift, and also purchase a gift for the wedding (this is typically done via a wedding registry, but it's also fine to bring a present in-person to the wedding).

Nowadays, the person (or people) hosting the bridal shower are responsible for covering the costs associated with the shower.

If you attend the bridal shower and the wedding, you are expected to buy a separate gift for each event. The Knot suggests an attendee should spend between 50 to 75 dollars on a shower gift.

The average person spends $50-$100+ on a wedding gift, but the amount varies by their relationship with the couple and budget.

A bridal shower should be an event for those closest to the bride, both in relationship and location. I'm often asked how many guests should be invited to a shower, and I usually recommend keeping it to around 25 guests if possible. Everyone wants to see their gift opened and the reaction on the bride's face.

Is $100 enough for a bridal shower gift? ›

If you're only invited to the shower and wedding, it's suggested to divide your budget by 30-70. Considering that the average wedding gift in 2023 was $150*, reverse calculation brings us to a budget of $50 to $75. So, if you're pondering whether $100 is enough for a bridal shower gift, the answer is a definite yes.

Bridal shower gifts are almost always smaller and less expensive than what you'll give as a wedding gift, though the exact amount you choose to spend is up to you.

What do You do at a Bridal Shower? Most bridal shower guests spend time mingling, eating, playing games, and honoring the bride-to-be. As a guest, you'll want to remember the celebration is all about the bride and her special day ahead, so most activities during the day will reflect this.

With an average battery life of three hours, a bridal shower typically has three games going on at once. If you're worried about making the wrong choices, talk to the bride-to-be and make your decision based on her input. Everything she says is fair game because this is her bridal shower.

Bridal Shower game: "What's in the sock?" place items that the bride might need on her honeymoon in long socks and number them. Guest can only touch socks with their feet to guess what's in the socks. Person with the most correct answers wins.

How many bridal shower games should be played? Depending on how long the bridal shower will last and the time duration of each game, you can plan for two to four of them—just be sure to leave guests plenty of time to eat, drink, and mingle, too.

Today, it's common for the maid of honor or matron of honor — sometimes in conjunction with the mother of the bride — to plan the shower. However, the bridesmaids, wedding party, and the bride's family can all pitch in if necessary. Another modern trend is to make bridal showers gender inclusive.

The Traditional Bridal Shower Host

The maid of honor traditionally takes on the role of chief shower planner. But she isn't a one-woman show: She relies on the bridesmaids to help her with planning logistics. On the day of, the girls run the party, making sure everything goes smoothly and that guests are taken care of.

A bridal shower is a more intimate gathering than a wedding and the guest list usually consists of the bride-to-be's closest female friends and relatives, including close relatives of the soon-to-be-bride's spouse.

Close Family. If you're having one wedding shower, both sides of the family and both sets of family friends should be invited. However, if you're having multiple bridal showers, you can invite the side of the family and family friends from that side only-or have a mix of both sides, depending on locations.