So you are planning a party for the bride/groom. Whether it is a shower, bachelorette party or bachelor party, it is important to keep the bride’s/groom’s tastes and interests in mind.

The shower

The bridal shower is usually hosted by the maid of honor and bridesmaids or even a close family friend. It used to be that the mother of the bride or groom or a sister should not be involved in the planning, but planning a shower is not easy work and you can use all the help you can get.

The wedding shower can be held a few months to a few weeks before the wedding day, can be formal or informal, can be a surprise party or the bride can be fully aware, and can be held just about anywhere. Activities can include eating, gift opening, talking and games. Some showers even have a kitchen or lingerie theme that can make it easier to plan.

Anyone invited to the shower should be someone who was invited to the wedding. It is important to make sure friends and family members from both the bride and the groom’s side are invited. It is a good idea to find out if anyone else is throwing the bride a shower. You do not want to invite anyone to more than one shower.

Something to consider

More and more often people are throwing couples showers. This allows the groom to be part of the festivities.

Bachelor and bachelorette parties

Just about anyone can throw a bachelor or bachelorette party (however, it is usually done by the best man/groomsmen or maid of honor/bridesmaids) and just about anyone can be invited. You may want to check with the bride/groom who he/she wants to attend, you don’t want to invite someone that he/she may be uncomfortable around.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when planning a pre-wedding bash is the personal style of the bride/groom. If he/she is not type that would enjoy bar hopping or going to a strip club, you will want to take this into consideration when planning the event.