a group of round objects

The bridal shower is traditionally hosted by the maid of honor – but there is no hard and fast rule. Some brides have showers hosted by their families or jointly hosted by family members and friends. The most important piece of advice we could give a mom is to communicate openly about everything, costs, ideas, and expectations, with your daughter and with her bridesmaids and anyone else who is involved in the event. We have rounded up some tips and tricks to help your event go smoothly regardless of who is doing the hosting.

Remember the event should primarily be a celebration of the bride and her relationship but, like every other party you host, you want it to be enjoyable for the guests too. To that aim the activities should be more varied than just opening a pile of presents. We have included ideas for decor, food, and entertainment that will make your event a success.

A real mom and her daughter looking fabulous in Teri Jon. Click the image to shop the look. 

DECOR

We love the idea of arranging flowers in household items for a look that is simultaneously classy and casual and so on theme. The bowl of a stand mixer or blender filled with flowers in your color scheme can be an elegant conversation starter. 

Or, spray paint an eclectic variety of empty bottles in different sizes and shapes for a fun centerpiece that can stand alone or be filled with coordinating flower buds. 

We also love when showers are decorated with pictures of the happy couple or even of the bride with the special women at the shower. One of our favorite way of displaying the pictures is clipped to the bottom of balloons that are hanging from the ceiling. Just make sure they are tall enough to clear the tallest guests heads. Alternatively, you can stock up on frames at a discount store and display them in clusters around the venue. 

Also, pinterest is a great resource – search for free printables that can spice up your decor. 

a table with bottles and flowers

FOOD

For an event that is taking place during the day a full meal isn’t expected or necessary. Set out a beautiful display of finger foods, appetizers, and mini desserts. We love a make your own mimosa bar with fresh seasonal fruit. If you don’t have enough champagne glasses you can use disposables. For a morning event a make your own coffee bar is also a great idea. To tie it all together, a save the date cookie with the wedding date is a cute, whimsical way to answer a question that a lot of the guests will have. 

a group of white and black boxes

ENTERTAINMENT

There are a few different directions you can choose in regards to entertainment, depending on the crowd you’re expecting and the mood you are trying to set. 

Some groups enjoy more formal games and activities such as bride and groom trivia or shower gift bingo (hand out blank bingo boards and let guest fill them in with gifts they anticipate the bride will receive, when she opens that gift they can cross it off the board), if you are having games there needs to be someone who is willing to take charge of running them and keeping them organized. If you need pens, scrap paper or any other supplies make sure to gather them in advance. We also recommend you have some cute prizes for the winners. There are tons of bridal shower specific game ideas online or you can pick a tried and true game that your family loves.

If you don’t think the crowd would appreciate a formal game, or won’t cooperate, we have some alternative ideas. These are also great auxiliary ideas at a party with more formal entertainment. A photo booth is universally appreciated. You can rent a photo booth or for a more budget friendly option you can set up a photo area with a fun backdrop and props and encourage guests to take pictures and share them on social media with a shower specific hashtag. Distribute recipe cards and encourage guests to share their favorite recipes to compile in a box or book for the bride. In a similar vein, you can ask guests to share memories with the bride, advice for the married couple, or fun date night ideas and compile them in a guestbook or a decorated jar or box. 

packaged goods

The dress code at  a bridal shower is pretty flexible and it depends on the specific nature of the party you are throwing. Be sure to communicate your expectations clearly to the co-hosts and guests. We have included some of our most popular bridal shower looks for moms that our customers loved. Teri Jon is proud to be a one stop shop where you can find all the dresses you need for all your wedding related events. Shop engagement partyrehearsal dinnerdestination wedding, and black tie wedding looks.

For more help see the rest of our mother of the bride focused wedding blog. For help finding your style for the big day you can chatemail, or call one of our expert Teri Jon stylists

a pink cupcake with a yellow frosting on a pink plate