When planning a wedding shower or bridal shower, the idea of party favors can often be confusing. Are they necessary or not? Bridal shower favors don’t make sense to some people, since the guests are there to give gifts to the bride, not to receive. However, small wedding shower favors can be a nice token of appreciation for a bride’s closest friends. Some consider wedding shower favors to be absolutely necessary, while others see no need. In the end, it is a personal decision, though if you’re unsure what the general custom is, giving out small bridal shower favors is probably a good idea to avoid offending any shower attendees.
The maid-of-honor is usually responsible for the planning of the bridal shower, which is a special party for the bride with close friends who give gifts. The standard wedding shower is for women only, although some couples take a more modern approach and prefer wedding showers for the couple and with any friends allowed to attend. The type of wedding shower preferred may determine many of the details of the shower, including the wedding shower favors. While this must be taken into consideration, most wedding showers take the traditional approach and focus on the bride. The bridal shower favors and theme will reflect this exclusively-female nature of the party.
Bridal shower favors tend to be more personal and intimate than favors for the formal wedding ceremony. The party itself is usually a pretty intimate event, where the bride gets to celebrate her upcoming nuptials with some of her closest friends. The party itself is all about the bride, and the favors should show that. Selecting wedding shower favors that incorporate the bride’s personality or interests fits well with the atmosphere of a wedding shower, and can give guests something to smile about. The bridal shower favors should also fit any sort of theme the maid-of-honor chooses for the party.
Your party theme will often determine a lot of the details, and can really be helpful in selecting bridal shower favors. The theme is often centered on some particular interest or trait of the bride. For a bride that lives for skiing, bringing this theme to the gifts will add that needed personal touch. A wintery theme for the party may be good (perhaps even if it’s held in the middle of summer!), with snowflakes and hot chocolate and images of ice-coated evergreens. Bridal shower favors for a bride that is interested in nature might be made out of environmentally friendly materials and have a theme dealing with nature, such as trees or birds or rivers. The theme can really steer the selection of bridal shower favors, and it is best to decide on this first.
The trick to successful wedding shower favors takes more than just a good theme. Picking out useful items can mean the difference between a knickknack thrown in a drawer and forgotten and something the guests can use and remember. There are plenty of useful yet fun bridal shower favors which can be personalized to fit the theme of the party. These may include bath soaps, notebooks, bookmarks, candles and many more. All kinds of personalized designs can make these gifts unique.
You may want to find the perfect bridal shower favors, but are afraid of going overboard on price. These gifts for guests should not be overly expensive. After all, the party is all about the bride. Figuring out your options for favors requires thinking about how many people are invited to the party. There might be more wiggle room with smaller bridal showers, but larger events often require simpler wedding shower favors. Still, it’s possible to find entertaining and useful wedding shower gifts at a low price, and can make a great contribution to planning a successful party.