It's no secret that the months leading up to a wedding are busy: The couple is attending everything from site visits to food tastings, wedding dress and suit fittings, and and pre-nuptial events like the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Another party on a bride-to-be's docket? The bridal shower. This pre-wedding party—during which female family members and friends gather to celebrate the bride-to-be, shower her with gifts, and share advice ahead of married life—is attended by a wider guest list, so nailing the timing is key if you want everyone to join in.
So, when should a bridal shower take place? Wedding tradition states that the bridal shower should take place anywhere from two months to two weeks before the wedding. With that being said, this rule has been modernized in recent years, so if this timing feels too close to the wedding itself, know that you can spread it out—the only real requirement for hosting a bridal shower is that the wedding is actually happening, so if you and your partner have sent out save-the-date cards, the person throwing this pre-wedding party in your honor can start planning.
Here, our top tips to consider when choosing a date for a bridal shower.
Photo by Victoria Van Linge Media
How to Pick the Right Date for a Bridal Shower
Now that you know you have a bit of flexibility when choosing a date for the bridal shower, you may be wondering how to choose the right one. Ultimately, there are a few things to consider.
Consult with the bride.
Before you do anything else, check in with the bride-to-be. Are there any dates that absolutely on't work? You'll want to plan around those. Then, consider any travel dates. If she lives far from home and will be in town five months before the big day for her first dress fitting, that could be a great time for the bridal shower to take place. If she's feeling especially stressed at work and would rather delay celebrations until she's on the other side of a big deadline, work around that. This is her party, so it's important to be sure she's happy.
Ask any key players—like her mom and the bridal party—for their input.
Anyone who is close to the bride can host the bridal shower, though it's typically been planned by her mom, sister, or bridesmaids. Whoever the host is, it's crucial that this person connect with VIP guests, like the mother of the bride and bridal party members, to make sure any dates under consideration work for them, too.
Choose a date that's not too close to other pre-wedding events (unless the bride requests otherwise).
Generally speaking, you'd want to steer clear of dates that fall around other pre-wedding events—give the bride and those participating in other parties a chance to unwind. The caveat? If they bride asks that her bridal shower take place around another event—the last day of the bachelorette party, for example, or the night before the wedding—do your best to accomodate that. It's likely what works best for her schedule or the schedules of others attending, and it's totally acceptable to link the events up.
