So, you’re just a couple of days away from getting hitched, and what better way to spend those days than to have a bridal shower with your besties? But need planning for this and involve tent rentals if the party will be outdoors. Here is an entire bridal shower checklist that’s going to come in handy during the hectic planning phase.
2-3 Month Grand Planning
Decide The Theme
No bridal shower is complete without a theme. A theme is a perfect way to personalize your party and make it unique, to your taste. Your girlfriends will be a huge help in this regard and together, you can decide on a beautiful theme to celebrate your wedding.
A lot of people go for neutral and light colors when it comes to the theme because they want to keep everything looking cohesive. So, it’s time to hit the drawing board and come up with ideas.
Have A Budget
Since this is a party, you’re going to want to be on top of the finances. You definitely don’t want to overspend on anything, because weddings are always expensive and you can certainly save some money on a bridal shower. Regardless, you still don’t want to spend blindly on things. It’s always a good idea to have an estimated budget for how much you’re allowed to spend on the party.
Finalize The Venue
This might seem a bit soon, but you definitely don’t want to underestimate the ticking of the clock. You’re going to run out of time in a flash and it’s better to be prepared. This is the perfect time to select and finalize the venue.
If you’re doing a more intimate bridal shower, then you can certainly throw it in your home, and in this way, you can be more budget-friendly. However, that’s not always the case, because sometimes, bridal showers can have a huge guest list and you’re left with no choice but to book a venue for the party. Check with the venue if they offer their party and tent rentals Northern VA or you have to connect with a third-party.
1 Month Left For The Party
Send Out Invitations
While deciding on the budget, it’s also a good idea to get the guest list over with. Once you have a final guest list in your hand, it’s time to send out the invitations to people. A month is a good amount of time for everyone. You can send out invitations with a lot of time on your hands, and the people receiving them will also have enough time to fully prepare for the party.
If you want to add that extra bit of style to the invitations, then you can design them according to the theme of the party.
Decide On The Menu
Now is a good time to decide on the most important part of any party or gathering: the food. If you’re having a bridal shower in a venue, then the management can take care of the food and buffet setup, but you’ll still want to get in touch with a caterer and decide on what and how many types of foods and drinks will be enough for the party.
You will, usually, have to give the number of guests and the choices of food, to the catering service and they will take it from there.
The Entertainment
Because you’ll be strapped for time, as the party is getting near, it’s better to get the entertainment sorted out as well. You want to think about the photography, the music, and other icebreakers that will get the guests to mingle with each other. This is a very fun part because there’s no planning that goes into the entertainment side of things and you can include just about anything you think is fun and the guests will enjoy.
You can also include party games, small speeches for the bride-to-be, and other fun-filled activities that will be the life of the party.
A Week Before The Bridal Shower
Buy The Supplies
Now that you’ve reached the week before the party, it’s go-time for the decorations and other supplies you need. You’ll need to make a trip to a supplies and craft store to get bridal shower-appropriate decorations, like balloons, ribbons, fairy lights, confetti, props for the pictures, cake toppers, and other things.
This is a good time to get your supplies because you’ll find amazing and in-trend décor pieces for the party and while you’re at it, make sure that everything goes with the theme. You can also resort to online shops for the perfect bridal decorations.
Layout For Decorations
You may not be decorating for the party at this very moment, but you still want to get a visual idea as to where certain decorations will go and how you want things to look, overall. This is a good time to plan out a layout for the decorations and the overall party.
The cake placement, the photography area, the guest seating arrangement, and other things can be decided right then and there. Having a layout is going to make decorations a breeze and you won’t have to make any last-minute changes.
Last-Minute Check-In
This is also a good time to get in touch with caterers, vendors for the decorations, update on the bridal shower cake, photography, and even the guests, who haven’t RSVP’d yet. You want everything to be confirmed and set for the fast-approaching party.
On The Day – Let’s Party!
Keep It Tidy
This tip is mostly left out, but you want the venue or the space, where you’re hosting the party, to be clean and tidy. So, before the decorations start, you want to get the place all clean and ready for the party. If there are specks of dust and grime, then clean them up and have the space looking spotless, because the last thing you want is a party where everything still looks dirty and unkempt.
Decorate
Decorations are usually left for the last minute because there are a lot of things like fresh flowers and perishable décor items that can’t be displayed until the day of the party. So, this is the perfect time to get started on the décor, and since you already have a visual layout in mind, this process is going to be super quick and you’ll be done in no time.
Have the tables ready with centerpieces, scatter balloons, and lights all over the place, and get ready for a fun time.
Have Everything Ready
Lastly, as the time for the commencement of the bridal shower is just near, you’ll also want to arrange everything in place. This includes the cake to be placed on a center table, the food all displayed in a buffet style, so that people can help themselves, the entertainment and music ready to blast and all of the other knick knacks. This is basically the last stop of the planning and you’re just mentally ticking everything off your master checklist.
Once everything is checked and ready to go, it’s time to enjoy it with your friends and make wonderful memories.
Conclusion
This checklist covers everything! From décor to entertainment to food and everything in between. You’ll become a pro at planning parties with this guide. Book the venue and party rentals Clarksburg early on to avoid setbacks.