Press: Can Guests Be Invited to My Bridal Shower but Not to the Wedding? - Amy Nichols Special Events (2024)

FAQs

Can I invite people to a bridal shower but not a wedding? ›

Don't Invite Anyone to the Bridal Shower If They're Not Also Invited to the Wedding. This may seem obvious, but inviting people to the bridal shower if they are not invited to the wedding is inappropriate. It will likely offend them, and it looks very much so like you're pandering for gifts.

A bridal shower is a more intimate gathering than a wedding and the guest list usually consists of the bride-to-be's closest female friends and relatives, including close relatives of the soon-to-be-bride's spouse.

This timeline is especially good for those guests that may be traveling to attend the shower. It also gives everyone else plenty of time to plan. You'll also want to make sure the bridal shower invitations go out after the wedding invitations are sent.

How Many People Do You Invite to a Bridal Shower? Inviting between 30 and 40 people to the bridal shower is the sweet spot, with the understanding that some people probably won't be able to attend.

"The decision to invite your partner's out-of-town guest depends on your relationship with the guest and what it means to you or your partner to have them present," advises Brown. "The logistics of the bridal shower should also play a role in your decision. Will they face challenges traveling for both events?

Yes! Just because you've decided against a traditional event doesn't mean you can't enjoy the pre-wedding parties.

Since showers are intended for the bride's nearest and dearest, every shower guest must already be on the wedding guest list. Because it's understood that guests should bring a present to a shower, it's not appropriate to invite people whom you don't plan to include in the wedding.

In short, the host is the one who pays for the bridal shower—or at least some of it. Most commonly, this is the maid of honor, but the couple's relatives, friends or even the to-be-weds themselves can all pitch in to cover the cost of the wedding shower.

Only the hosts should pay for the shower. No other guest should pay for it. The bride should not be hosting a shower in her own honor, so she should not be expected to pay either.

Wondering whose responsibility it is to host the shower? Gottsman says the bridal party. "Under optimum circ*mstances, the attendants in the bridal party would host the shower," said Gottsman. According to Gottsman, the mother of the bride (MOB) should be a guest, but should not participate.

What is the average size of a bridal shower? ›

Traditionally, a shower is an intimate affair with only the future spouse's (or spouses') closest friends and family in attendance. For some people, however, bigger is better, and the guest list becomes more extensive (and therefore more costly). In 2023, the average bridal shower size is 30 guests.

Traditional etiquette dictates that the maid of honor—not the mother of the bride—should host the shower. Nancy is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Some etiquette rules were meant to fade away into oblivion, like the one about family members of the bride not hosting her bridal shower.

Nope, it's not necessary to invite all the women on your wedding guest list. However, the opposite has to be true. It would be poor etiquette to invite someone to your shower and not to your wedding.

According to Opperman, bridal shower gifts tend to be less expensive than wedding gifts. "Many people spend around $50 to $75, whereas closer friends and family may spend upwards of $100," she says.

The bridal shower is designed for just you and the girls while the wedding shower is a co-ed party where the bride and groom both get showered with gifts and love. If you're a bride who loves to party and celebrate, then have both a wedding shower and bridal shower!

A general rule of thumb when organizing a bridal shower is to make sure the invitations are sent out at least six to eight weeks before the date of the event. If there are guests coming from out of town, you can give them extra time to make travel arrangements by sending your invitations a couple of weeks earlier.

The traditional rules of etiquette dictate that guests invited to the engagement party should also be invited to the wedding. However, the guest list will likely be shorter. Often the idea is to make this a more intimate event than the wedding itself.

"Don't invite anyone who has not received an invitation to your wedding," Harrison emphasizes. "That goes for your shower, too." Otherwise, invite away to your heart's content. Just keep in mind that this is your bachelorette party and not your actual wedding.