SHOWERS

A bridal shower is a gift-giving party held for a bride-to-be in anticipation of her wedding.

The custom originated in the 1890s and is said to have grown out of earlier dowry practices, when a poor woman's family might not have the money to provide a dowry for her, or when a father refused to give his daughter her dowry because he did not approve of the marriage. In such situations, friends of the woman would gather together and bring gifts that would compensate for the dowry and allow her to marry the man of her choice.

There are different customs, but the basic format has been relatively unchanged for generations. Showers are often held during the afternoon or evening. They commonly take place about a month before the wedding.

Traditionally, the person who hosts the bridal shower is one of the close friends of the bride, often one or more of the bridesmaids. Sisters or other close family members sometimes can initiate or host this event as well.

The hostess will plan a party at her place or sometimes at a venue. She will also be the one to send out invitations, based on the bride's wishes. The invited guests are of course the bride's personal friends, family, and co-workers. Men are usually not invited to bridal showers.

As everyone comes to the party, they bring gifts, which will later be open by the bride. Food is always served at a shower. But it isn't necessarily lunch or dinner but more like a buffet of snacks and finger food and diffident drinks. A punch or a champagne-based drink is amongst the favorites for such parties. The hostess will usually choose a theme for the party (a color theme - like the bride's favorite color, or an event theme - like a garden party or a wine and cheese party) and then the decor and the food is chosen to match this theme.

After everyone gets something to eat and drink, there are usually games to entertain the guests. There are many different games to choose from. Here are a few examples: guessing game (guessing the right answer to questions about the bride and groom), trivia game about wedding ceremonies, a movie game (acting out scenes from romantic movies), etc.

After the food and games, the bride opens all the present in front of her guests. Someone is always appointed to keep track of what gift is given by whom, so that the bride can send a proper thank you card later.

Themes for a bridal shower:

• Around-the-Clock – A fun way to diversify the party, the hostess assigns each guest a time of day on the bridal shower invitation. Depending on the time, guests are to purchase a gift the bride-to-be would use at that hour.

• Around-the-House – Similar to an around-the-clock party, the hostess should assign each guest with a room in the house, and depending on the room, guests are to purchase a gift the couple would use in the suggested room.

• Basket Shower – Whether used to decorate or as party favors, a basket shower is a great way to help the bride-to-be start a collection of colorful baskets to be used in her new home.

• Bridal Tea – A bridal shower tea is great for soon-to-be-brides wishing to adhere to tradition. For a bridal shower tea with a modern flair, consider an Alice in Wonderland theme.

• Cooking Shower – As the name implies, host the bridal shower as a cooking class. On the bridal shower invite, ask guests to bring their favorite recipe or two to share – and then compile a personalized cookbook for the newlyweds.

• Home Show – With an abundance of home-based businesses – cooking products, candles, make-up, jewelry, eco-friendly products and more – that come to a guest's home to display their wares, find one geared toward outfitting a bride-to-be with her favorite products.

• Honeymoon Shower – Throw the bride-to-be a celebration centered on where she plans to spend her honeymoon. With a simple note on the bridal shower invitation, ask guests to stick to the theme and prepare the couple for a memorable honeymoon.

CULTURE CORNER

Read the story of a 32 year old girl who had been invited to a baby shower. Do you think she loves babies?

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