When Should You Have Your Bridal Shower?

A bridal shower is meant to honor a bride-to-be and celebrate her upcoming wedding. Family and friends gather at the pre-nuptial bash to eat, drink, play games, and exchange gifts. Someone close to the bride, whether it's the maid of honor or a close relative, is usually tasked with the preparation—including picking the date and time. If you're planning a bridal shower, follow these guidelines to figure out when you should throw this important party.

Timing Is Everything

Most bridal showers are usually held three weeks to three months before the wedding. The trick is not to plan it too far in advance or too close to the wedding date. If it's too far out, those involved may lose some of that wedding-season excitement, but if it's too close to the big day, the bride will be too busy with last-minute ceremony prep to really enjoy herself at the shower. And whether you're the maid of honor or a close relative, wedding stresses will probably be running through your mind as well, causing you to be a less-than-stellar host.

Ultimately, there is no golden rule for choosing a time, and the final date will depend on the bride's preferences, venue availability, and scheduling issues. Try to choose a date that best accommodates the bride, the bridal party, and as many guests as possible. The key is planning early—especially when dealing with long-distance guests who need to make travel arrangements.

Consider a Combo Bash

For the sake of convenience, consider throwing the bridal shower on the same day as the bachelorette party. That way, guests can carve out one full day for festivities, and out-of-towners won't need to make two separate trips (which can be a costly and tedious endeavor).

Spread Out Split Showers

Some brides have two bridal showers with separate groups of people. If you're picking the date for one shower, make sure it's a few weeks apart from the other. Spreading out the dates will give the bride time to relax and unwind between events.