Bridal shower traditions
It's interesting:"The bride and groom have asked me to make special mention of the bridesmaids who have done so much to help the day run so smoothly. They were charming and decorative and I know gave Linda all the support she needed. In fact you could say they added the finishing touch to a fairy tale wedding."
In 2008, more than 2 million weddings occurred in the United States, as CDC.gov reports. Therefore, many brides have bridal showers in the months or weeks prior to the wedding. Guests shower the bride with gifts and attention. For many showers, the maid of honor or hostess chooses a theme for the shower. Themes include a spa setting or an "around in the world" theme in which every guest brings a gift from a different country, according to the Unique Bridal Shower Ideas website.
History
Many theories exist about where and when the first bridal shower occurred. One of the most accepted theories says that it began with a Dutch bride and groom between the 16th and 17th centuries. A young wealthy Dutch girl wanted to marry a young man with a lower social status. Her father disapproved and denied giving her a dowry, a custom at the time. As a result, the couple did not have money to buy things they needed to live. The groom's friends bought the couple gifts to help them adjust to married life. The United States started to follow this tradition in the 1890s. It was most popular among upper-class citizens, usually with the couple's female family members. However, over the years, the party started to include both friends and family, according to Bridal Showeretc.com.
Bridal Shower Hostess
Traditionally, the maid of honor and bridesmaids plan the shower. The maid of honor or one of the bridesmaids hosts the shower. In some instances, a group of bridesmaids will host the shower together. It is frowned upon for a family member to host the shower because the purpose of the party is for guests to bring gifts, according to Bridal Showeretc.com. The hostess should greet guests and take all gifts and coats from them, as the Bridesmaid Aid website states.
Activities
Guests usually enjoy a luncheon, tea or brunch in addition to giving gifts and watching the bride open them. During the shower, guests play games which include prizes and trivia. Some games are played individually, such as bridal bingo, while other games are played in teams. One traditional game involves dividing into teams of two or three with one of the team members as the model. Each team must design a wedding dress out of toilet paper. The bride chooses the winner. Married guests will often offer the bride advice about marriage, according to the Unique Bridal Shower Ideas website.
Interesting Bridal Traditions
Someone at the shower, typically a bridesmaid or maid of honor, uses a paper plate, scissors and tape to make a bouquet of ribbons and bows gathered from the bride's gifts. The bride is then supposed to use this bouquet during the wedding rehearsal for good luck. As for another tradition, the first gift the bride opens is supposed to be used first in the bride's married home. Lastly, the number of ribbons the bride breaks while opening her gifts is supposed to equal the number of children she will have, according to Maid-of-Honor.net.
Location and Guests
Showers are usually held at the host's home. However, showers are becoming more contemporary and are being held at locations such as restaurants, hotels or resorts, as Bridal Showeretc.com states. Usually, the maid of honor or the hostess sets the limit on the number of guests because that person takes on the financial responsibility of planning the shower. It is poor etiquette to invite guests to the shower that are not also invited to the wedding. However, if the shower is out of town and the hostess or family member insists on inviting non-wedding guests, then the invitations should include a line that says no gifts are necessary, according to the Unique Bridal Shower Ideas website.
Source: www.ehow.com
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