Who plans the shower?: According to tradition, the maid of honor throws the bride a shower (it is appreciated when other bridal attendants pitch in, but you, as the bride, should stay out of the planning.)
When should the shower be held?: Showers are thrown three to six weeks before the wedding; Invitations for the shower should go out AFTER those for the wedding.
Who should be invited to the shower?: Generally, it's thoughtful to include only those guests who are also invited to the wedding, unless it's an offer shower hosted by co-workers who don't expect a wedding invitation but want to "shower" the bride.
Should the bride participate in the expenses for the shower?: No matter who plays host, the bride should never be asked to contribute to the shower expenses.
Are the shower gifts opened during the shower or after?: The gifts at a shower are always opened in the presence of everyone. To make thank-you writing easier, a guest should record the gifts and the givers.
Can I put where the bride is registered on the invitation?: This is one of the few times that it is acceptable for the invitation to include information on the registry.
How long is your carrot? Pick a long carrot and each person has to pass it to the person beside them...between their knees!! Every time someone drops it you have to cut off about an inch. And when the carrot is so small that you can't pass it anymore the person who has the carrot at the end without dropping it wins. It is hilarious!
What's My Word? This is a great icebreaker for wedding showers. (It can also be modified for a baby shower.) Before the shower, make a list of wedding-related words (gown, honeymoon, love, groom's name, etc.). Write these words on nametags, and as guests arrive at the shower, give each a nametag. The guest is not allowed to say the word on their nametag. If someone hears her say the word, that person takes the sticker. At the end of the shower, the person with the most stickers wins a prize.
Social Threads Pass out a spool of thread and tell each guest to break off as much thread as they think they will need. They will ask what it is for but just tell them not to take too much but to be sure to get enough. It is funny to see some break off a long piece and some just take a very short piece. When everyone has their thread each person must tell about themselves as they wrap the string around their finger not stopping until they reach the end of their thread. Some seem horrified as they look at their almost endless length of string. A good ice breaker.
Date game Starting with the person sitting to the left of the bride, go around the room until each guests has told their birthday or the date of their wedding anniversary. The person whose date is closes to the wedding wins a prize
Caught you! At the beginning of the shower give a gift to the second person arriving, and the fifth, and the eighth ( however many you decide). And instruct everyone who arrives" not to cross their legs." If she is caught with her legs crossed she has to forfeit her gift to the one who caught her. Everyone keeps an eye on everyone, it is fun to see who has the gifts at the end of the party, then the girls open their gifts. This also includes the gifts from the other games played. It is a great ice-breaker and lots of fun.
Recipe for a Good Marriage What you do is give everyone a piece of stationary and have them right down what they would consider a recipe for a good marriage would be. When everyone is done you have them fold their recipe in half and put it in a bowl or hat and you then draw the recipes out one by one and read them off and everyone has to guess who may have written the recipe. It is not only a good way to get to know each other and laugh but you can only imagine what kind of recipes you get.
What's hidden in the purse? A fun, quick shower game is to have everyone get their purses out. Give them the name of an item they may have in their purse and give a prize to the first person to pull the item out of their purse. You can start with common things like a nail file or a hairbrush, but it starts to get crazy when you start asking for things like buttons, bobby pins, toothpicks, sewing kits, you name it!!! It is fun to see who has the craziest stuff in their purses!!! And it is one time when it can pay off to have everything but the kitchen sink in your purse!!!
The Name Game You get a piece of paper and a pen and have everyone write the name of the bride and groom down the edge of the paper. You then give everyone 3 minutes to write down things that have to do with a wedding that start with the letters in the names. When the timer is done then have everyone compare answers, if someone has the same answer then it doesn't count. So after everyone has read their answers then who ever has the most wins!
Between the Sheets This is a game that requires fortune cookies. Each guest gets a cookie and reads their fortune. After each fortune the guest must say "Between the sheets." You get some responses like "you will find fame and fortune...Between the sheets."
What's in the Sock? Purchase 4-5 pairs of white athletic socks. Gather the same number (8 - 10) of items that the bride and groom will need on their honeymoon. Hotel key, sunblock, condoms, corkscrew, etc. If the bride & groom are going to an exotic location, some of the items can pertain to the location. Just be sure to tell the guest where they are going. Place one item in each sock, tie it closed and pin a number on it. Guests must feel each sock and try to determine what is in it, then write down their guess. Oh, one last thing - no one can use their hands to feel the socks - only their feet. After everyone is done, open the socks and reveal the items. The winner has the most correct items.
Honeymoon Night
Have a piece of paper and writing utensil. Put the paper on the floor. Instruct each guest that they are to bend over, without bending their legs, and trace their handprint on the paper. Have someone recording what each guest says while attempting to do this. Once completed, announce "This is what "bride's name" is going to say on her wedding night." Then read what each person said. Examples include:
There's no way I can do that!
OW! That hurts!
Am I doing this right?
I can't reach that far!
I think I might need some help with this.
I'm supposed to do what?!
This is a really funny activity and the bride can keep the sayings to remember!
That White Stuff Fill ziplock bags with the following items: flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, powdered sugar, cornstarch, cream of tartar, powdered milk, unflavored gelatin, Bisquick. Number each bag and keep a list. Guests are allowed to feel and look at the bag, but not open it. They guess what is in each bag. The person with the most answers gets the prize.
Candy Guessing Game Fill a jar with candies (almonds, mints, M&Ms etc.) and write down how many. Guests write down their guess and the one closest with out going over gets the jar.
Shopping Game Take 20-25 grocery items (or as many as you want) and make a list. Be very specific. List brand names and sizes and have your guests fill in prices next to each item. Then have them total their lists. The guest who's list is closest to the correct total wins!
Envelope Game A great way to help the Bride to be out, is to have a stack of envelopes on a table when everyone comes in. You tell each person to self address the envelope and place it in the bowl. You tell the guests that at the end of the party an envelope will be drawn and the winner will receive a prize. This gets everyone to address and envelope, which the Bride will take home to send thank you cards out in. It helps the Bride to make sure she has the correct address to send the thank you notes to and it also saves her the trouble of having to address all those envelopes.
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