Bridal Showers - The PASH Wedding Forums and Message Boards

Scrapslady · #1 01-24-2006, 05:44 PM

Where I am from bridal showers consists of the bride and maybe her mother and FMIL and maid of honor sitting in front of the invited guests opening the gifts and then the gifts get passed around. It's long and frankly kind of boring. Does anyone out there do things differently? Have any suggestions? Would love to hear them!

cru5h · #2 01-24-2006, 05:50 PM

My cousin's wife had hers at a restaurant. It was nothing fancy, but she did open presents in front of us, but thankfully they weren't passed around. We had appetizers and did a simple game, I don't remember what it was but nothing embarrassing like at a baby shower. Sat around chatting and we left. I don't know how we're going to do mine, but I don't like the traditional shower you're describing either.

Scrapslady · #3 01-24-2006, 05:57 PM

It seems like a read a long time ago somewhere that the bride would greet the guests, open the present right then and there and then the gifts would just be displayed on a table. They would eat and chat and that was it. Did you ever hear of that? Would it be appropriate?

SuzyBride · #4 01-24-2006, 06:03 PM

Showers where I am from are exactly what you said in your first post. They are slow, boring, and loooonnggg!! I like your idea of greet, open, display and mingle! Much, much better way of doing things!

cru5h · #5 01-24-2006, 06:05 PM

I've never heard of that. I'd like to be greeted, but not to have the gift opened right then and there. I think people are so used to having the gifts open in front of everyone that this almost seems rushed. I don't know what country you're in either though. It may be a regional thing.

Lizbet · #6 01-24-2006, 06:09 PM

My shower was very small. We had a total of 10 people including me, MOHs, BM, MOB, and MOG

My MOH chose the theme of "Spice up the Marriage".

She had Mexican type foods as a light buffet.

She also bought and stuffed a pinata with candies and wedding related items, like mini Champagne bubble bottles, plastic doves, confetti poppers, and those small bells. The pinata wasn't the normal whack and destroy kind. It had a bunch of little strings hanging from the bottom of it, and each person would take turns pulling a string. When the right string was finally picked, a small door in the bottom of the pinata opened and released the insides. This is the only time in my life I have seen women as old as 58 crawling around on their hands and knees to grab at candy and prizes. We all had fun!

One other game we played was "Pin the Bout on the Groom". MOH had a pic of DH blown up to approx 18x24 and laminated. Each person took a turn at being blindfolded and trying to stick the bout on the pic at the right spot. The bout was a silk rosebud with that sticky stuff college kids use to hang posters on their wall attached to it.

The last thing was my Mom's idea. She had a "guest book", but instead of asking everyone to just sign it, she told them to put down some words of advice for the Bride and Groom.

ETA: Oh yeah, opening gifts. We did that between the pinata and the pin the bout game. During the gift opening is when everyone took turns signing the "guest book". People ate throughout the party.

Scrapslady · #7 01-24-2006, 06:10 PM

I'm from South Louisiana. I've never been to a shower where they did that it just seems like I heard about it from somewhere. So I guess there are a lot of showers out there that do the same thing. Was just hoping for something a little different!

SuzyBride · #8 01-24-2006, 06:15 PM

My friend had a shower where the one host greeted you, and the other took your gift and opened it, wrote down who it was from and put it on a display table. I did NOT like that!!! I brought the gift for my friend to open, not the host! It was very awkward. But my friend did get the chance to mingle with her guests so I guess that was good.

CupieJen · #9 01-24-2006, 07:06 PM

Suzy, that IS strange! I'd be so mad if I was the bride & didn't get to open the gifts! What a dumb idea (sorry, but it is

)

Showers here are much like you originally described, with a few games thrown in. At mine, I originally didn't want to pass everything around becuase 1. I think it's stupid 2. there was a ton of people there, half of whom I'd never met before 3. I think it's stupid 4. It takes forever 5. I think it's stupid.
BUT one of those "ladies that I've never met before" INSISTED that I announce who the gift was from, hold it up for all to see & then pass the dang thing around the circle. Ugh. NOT a good first impression of her on me

Anyways, I think your idea of opening the gifts when guests arrive is a good idea. Some of the "older" ladies might be offended (like my one lady was) but forget her. Do what you wanna do and WELCOME TO PASH!

ljeagle · #10 01-24-2006, 07:32 PM

My first shower every one came in a took a envelope. My MOH placed all the gifts on a table. After every one was there my aunt played a game. Not sure what is was. Then we had lunch! After I ate a little I started to unwrap the gifts. After every one was finished eating they was ask to put there address on the envelope. We put all the envelopes in a fish bowl and pulled one out for a gift. Then I left the room and they did that game on what I had on and what I looked like. After I came back in we gave a gift to the one who had the most right. I said my good byes and every one left. It took about 2 hours. It was OK I had time to talk to every one and it went fast...

sparklesweetie · #11 01-24-2006, 10:13 PM

I really really really hope that my mom does some of the things on the list I gave her. (I copied themes and games from here.) I was happy with my sister doing it, b/c I know she wouldn't let it be a drab, boring affair. But...since my mom had to get her panties in a bunch....

she is now doing it.
I'm not a fan of the typical games (which is why I copied the ones I wouldn't mind doing

) and am also not a fan of opening gifts while everyone watches. It's like you have to fake a happy expression every time you open one. (Not that you would have to, but sometimes it happens.) I agree with you Cupie, it's silly to pass it around in a circle. It all ends up sitting on a table afterwards, so if you want to see something better, go up and look at it.

Kim&Bob2004 · #12 01-25-2006, 01:56 AM

My shower was typical but we all visited and had fun. There was somewhere between 20 and 25 people I guess. Lots of coworkers and family. Mostly friends from work. So we had a blast visiting for a couple hours. Laughing as the gifts were opened and passed around. People giving wedding night advice and marriage advice and talking about their weddings, child birth etc. No games, but we still had a blast!

Jennifer · #13 02-08-2006, 07:10 PM

My showers were the same. Light snacks, everyone watch us open gifts and announce who they are from. They were fun b/c we were with our family and friends but I'm not a fan of opening gifts infront of everyone...especially if I may not know the person who gave me the gift.

The WORST part to one shower was...I got a bake set and then the next 2 gifts in a row were bake sets. How do you pull off being excited about a ton of repeat gifts and stuff you didn't register for? I was like "Ohh, yeah, another bake set" LOL I tried guys, I really did.

I found that we got a TON of stuff that apparently came from no where b/c every store I have tried to return it to doesn't carry it. What do you do with stuff like that?

Come on...I want to hear funny shower stories!

555Ann555 · #14 02-09-2006, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jennifer

I found that we got a TON of stuff that apparently came from no where b/c every store I have tried to return it to doesn't carry it. What do you do with stuff like that?

This is really awful but my suspicion when I get gifts like that is normally that it was something they were given as a gift and didn't like so they kept it in the box and passed it on!

Or maybe I just have a suspicious mind...

Jennifer · #15 02-09-2006, 03:46 PM

I would have assumed that if these people were newly married. But it was older people...elders from church and stuff.

mfluhvspb · #16 02-16-2006, 09:23 PM

If at first you don't recieve, regift, regift again! My best friend got the ugliest vase from a relative, I think it was convenienty knocked over a few months ago. My favorite "game" is to write down things that the bride says as she's opening gifts (it helps to have your mind in the gutter) which are then read aloud afterward as "things she'll say on her wedding night". So, "ooh, i never saw one like this!" can get everyone laughing. About your multiple bake sets, keep one and donate the other(s) to a shelter or soup kitchen? The people that gave them to you probably aren't going to do kitchen inspections on you. Michelle

feb-bride · #17 02-16-2006, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jennifer

I found that we got a TON of stuff that apparently came from no where b/c every store I have tried to return it to doesn't carry it. What do you do with stuff like that?

Been there, done that Jennifer!

When my husband I got married, we received FOUR crock pots. Only one of them was the crock pot that was actually on our registry. I couldn't figure out where two of the other three came from, and the third "repeat" couldn't be returned because my friend bought it for us more than 30 days before the wedding, and freaking Best Buy wouldn't let us return OR exchange it.

What did I do with them? I kept the one that we actually registered for. I gave one to my sister and her husband because her husband loves to cook, but they didn't have a crock pot. I gave the small one to a guy at my work (he has muscular dystrophy and has a hard time using the stove, but hated going out every night). The third one - I sold it on eBay!

Here's a funny gift story. My step-mom's mother gave us a shower gift a couple of days before the wedding (she wasn't at our shower; lived out of state). I had to open it in front of her because she was waiting for me to open it. It was a set of four plastic/vinyl placemats in a box that I SWEAR came from the 1960s. The box was yellowed and the design on the box was VERY dated. I suspect that she bought the placemats at a thrift store or a garage sale. I don't care that the placemats weren't from a department store, and they're actually somewhat pretty (I'll use them if I ever have a china hutch), but come on now - why would you give a gift in an old, dingy, beat-up box that just screams "Salvation Army"? It's not like she's senile or anything like that.

feb-bride · #18 02-16-2006, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfluhvspb

If at first you don't recieve, regift, regift again! My best friend got the ugliest vase from a relative, I think it was convenienty knocked over a few months ago. My favorite "game" is to write down things that the bride says as she's opening gifts (it helps to have your mind in the gutter) which are then read aloud afterward as "things she'll say on her wedding night". So, "ooh, i never saw one like this!" can get everyone laughing. About your multiple bake sets, keep one and donate the other(s) to a shelter or soup kitchen? The people that gave them to you probably aren't going to do kitchen inspections on you. Michelle

We've posted about re-gifting before. I think it's fine as long as the item is not something that's obviously a re-gift, the person you're giving it to can actually use it and would like it, and the person you're giving it to does not know the person who gave it to you.

I think donating the multiple bake sets is a good idea.

555Ann555 · #19 02-16-2006, 10:03 PM

I have no idea! They be kind of cool in a kitch kind of way

My big brother would love those!

ljeagle · #20 02-17-2006, 03:25 AM

I think that game mfluhvspb posted could be fun if the right people are there.

kenzies_mama · #21 02-17-2006, 05:04 AM

We threw a really strange bridal shower for one of our sorority sisters in college. It was not one were moms and aunts and people like that were invited. It was a lingerie shower, everyone came in it and brought a piece for the bride. The stuff we came in was not revealling think silky pjs but some of the stuff they gave her was a riot. We drank and watched some girly movies afterward.
My aunts shower was like what everyone else talked about, there was one thing they made her do that no one has talked about. They made her try to break all the ribbons and however many ribbons she broke that's how many children she was supposed to have. They also take all the bows from the packaging here and turn it into the rehearsal bouquet.

syringa · #22 02-17-2006, 05:07 PM

An around-the-clock shower can be fun and a bit different. Each guest is assigned a certain hour, so if there are 24 guests, each gets their own hour. If fewer guests, then assign 2 hour blocks in the middle of the night. When the host announces the appropriate hour, the guest gives the bride her gift and tells why she chose it. You can get some unusual things and you have fun learning about people's habits, such as the person who gave a set of glasses for the 3 a.m. hour because that is when she lets her cat out and gets a drink before returning to bed.

I would find the idea of just opening gifts to appear that the sole reason for the shower was to get gifts, not to entertain and visit with the guests.

Another idea is to have a tea or a luncheon. That then becomes the "entertainment."

YourPassionLady · #23 03-15-2006, 05:54 PM

I Think they are boring as heck! i had a passion party for my shower with like minded girls than had a regular shower to make my mom happy afterwards,.. its odd,.. because after that day i became a paaion party consultant and i get alot of women telling me the same things i was telling myself, WHY didnt i have one of these parties sooner!! LOL

Jennifer · #24 03-15-2006, 06:18 PM

Although if you need kithen or bathroom stuff then a passion party isn't as uselful.

For my showers, I needed stuff off of my registry.

However, for a bachelorette party a passion party is fun!

feb-bride · #25 03-15-2006, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YourPassionLady

I Think they are boring as heck! i had a passion party for my shower with like minded girls than had a regular shower to make my mom happy afterwards,.. its odd,.. because after that day i became a paaion party consultant and i get alot of women telling me the same things i was telling myself, WHY didnt i have one of these parties sooner!! LOL

Be careful about advertising your business in a forum other than the Classified Ads forum. I know you didn't include a link to your business, but with your ID (YourPassionLady) and the fact that you mention being a consultant, some people on this site may see this as a subtle advertisement for your business.