Paying for the Bridal Shower
When we think of a bridal shower, we typically think of a group of close
family and
friends sitting around with the happy bride or couple, giving gifts,
having fun, and
enjoying each other. What we don’t think about is just how much the
event is actually
costing, and who is footing the bill. There is a lot of money behind the
average bridal
shower, you may not realize just how much until you have your own. If
the bridal shower
is being held in a rented location, such as a reception hall or
conference room in a hotel,
you can expect that someone has had to pay to rent those facilities. If
the event is being
catered, there is also an extra expense, not only for the food, but for
the servers and staff.
There are also decorations to purchase, party favors for the guests,
thank you cards,
invitations, cake, etc. Who is traditionally supposed to bear the cost
of these items?
The good news for the guests is that they don’t have to worry about any
of these
concerns. They merely have to show up, gift in hand, and have a good
time. That being
said, if you have your bridal shower at a local dining establishment,
you should be
prepared to pay for your guests food, no matter how much it is.
Typically, whoever hosts
the shower pays for the related expenses, but that often may not be the
case. Sometimes,
members of the bridal party will host the shower, bearing the costs as
their gift to the
bride, and in some cases, the bride’s parents will also chip in, which
is nice, but not
expected. To save money, the bridal shower can be held at a private
location, such as the
parent’s home, church reception hall, etc. You can save even more money
by serving
finger foods, fruit and veggies, rather than hiring a caterer.
There are some standard rules surrounding bridal showers, all not
relating to money.
Typically the biggest one is that you should never, ever, expect any of
your guests to chip
in in anyway, whether it be for the food, rentals, catering, etc. This
falls to the hostess of
the shower, and no one else.
If you are the mother of the bride, it is better to leave the bridal
shower on the shoulders
of someone else. In most cases, the maid of honor takes this
responsibility on with the
acceptance of her position. Of course, if no one wishes to step up to
the plate, and you
want your daughter to have a shower, then feel free to toss something
together.
It is much better to have one large event, than many different showers.
Guests cannot
afford to attend several different functions all for the same couple and
it will be much
easier on the hosts to chip in together for one big shower, rather than
funding several
smaller ones.
Typically, the bride is expected not to use any of the gifts that she
receives until after the
wedding ceremony is held and if for some reason the wedding doesn’t
occur, etiquette
says that the gifts should be returned. Your groom is allowed to take
part in the shower, if
there are other males also present.
No one says that you have to follow the above rules, but if you are
planning on having a
formal event, it would be best. If you are the maid of honor or a
bridesmaid, know that
the responsibility of the bridal shower, and all the expenses related to
the shower; really
do lie on your shoulders!
