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Love is in the air which means you are in the right place: We are here with top tips and ideas for planning the best bridal shower EVER. Bridal showers are wonderful events full of joy, laughter and (hopefully) plenty of awesome gifts. Not that it’s all about the gifts, but hey, no bride-to-be has ever turned up her nose up at a 4-in-1 air fryer!
But we digress. In order to help you plan a fun and memorable bridal shower, we’ve put together this guide full of etiquette tips, game ideas, food suggestions and decor finds to make sure the bride-to-be in your life feels thoroughly celebrated.
Once you’re ready to start planning, browse our selection of bridal shower invitations and print out our downloadable bridal shower planning checklist to help guide your pre-party process.
Bridal shower FAQ
When should you host a bridal shower?
Traditionally, bridal showers are held a few weeks to a couple of months before the wedding day. This gives the bride time to fully embrace the excitement of her upcoming wedding while still leaving enough time to handle any last-minute preparations for the big day. Ultimately, it’s important to consult with the bride-to-be to help determine the perfect timing for her bridal shower.
Who should host a bridal shower?
While the maid of honor traditionally hosts the bridal shower, other common hosts include close friends or family members of the bride-to-be, such as a childhood BFF or a cool aunt. Often, all of the bridesmaids will also help out with the event, regardless of who the official host may be. Immediate family members usually don’t serve as bridal shower hosts, though it is not uncommon for an immediate family member to host depending on the bride-to-be’s preferences and specific situation.
Who should you invite to a bridal shower?
The bridal shower guest list will usually include individuals who are significant to the bride-to-be and will contribute to the celebratory atmosphere! This will typically include close friends, family members and female relatives of the bride, including her mother, sisters, aunts and cousins.
It's customary to invite the entire bridal party, including the maid of honor, bridesmaids and flower girls, as well as the mothers of each of the betrothed! Depending on the bride-to-be’s preferences and the size of the event, coworkers, neighbors and other close acquaintances may also be invited.
Ultimately, the goal is to create a warm and supportive environment where the bride-to-be feels surrounded by love and well wishes as she prepares for her wedding day.
When should you send out bridal shower invitations?
When sending out bridal shower invitations, you’ll want to consider the bride-to-be’s schedule, how many out-of-town guests you’re inviting and the date of the wedding day. Often, hosts will send out bridal shower invitations between six and eight weeks before the wedding day, erring on the earlier side if more guests will be coming from out of town.
Bridal shower activities
Guests will typically play a variety of fun, wedding-themed games at bridal showers to bring out plenty of laughter. In fact, we put together this list of top bridal shower games to try for yourself!
But, in addition to playing games like bridal shower bingo and bridal scattergories, it’s also fun to offer interactive activities at any bridal shower. This is a great way to get everyone’s creative juices flowing and often doubles as a party favor!
Build-your-own bouquet
Purchase an assortment of fresh or dried flowers and arrange on a table. Set out ribbons and twine and invite guests to create their own bouquet and secure with a ribbon of their choice.
Cake-decorating station
Bake or order mini cakes or cupcakes and set up a decorating station complete with frosting, fruit, flowers, candies and other decorations. Bring out guests’ competitive spirit by holding a vote for everyone’s favorite!
Make-your-own infused olive oil
Order small glass jars like these ones from Amazon and set up a table with various spices and flavorings like peppercorns, lemon, thyme, rosemary and more. Have guests fill their jars with flavors of their choosing, then top off with quality olive oil and close the bottle.
Date night idea jar
Purchase a large mason jar and set up a station with pens and note cards. Invite guests to come up with their favorite, most creative date night ideas to place in the jar. This is a great way to give the spouses-to-be a fun, functional and personal keepsake to enjoy together as newlyweds.
Recipe cards
Cooking for two can get real boring real fast, so help the soon-to-be spouses out by having the bridal shower guests jot down their favorite dishes. Bonus points for full-on recipes, though meal ideas sans instructions can still be helpful!
Candle-making station
Candle-making has become a super popular activity at bridal showers, birthday parties and more. The easiest way to offer this activity is by ordering a DIY candle-making kit like this one from Amazon. Another great activity that doubles as a party favor!
Photo station
You’ll be making plenty of memories at your event, so why not set up a station for capturing said memories? Plus, everyone is usually lookin’ super cute at bridal showers anyway! Capture the moment by setting up a colorful backdrop and ordering cute, patterned disposable cameras.
Bridal shower decor
When it comes to the decor, you’re going to want to consider the bride-to-be’s taste, your venue and budget. If you are having a themed bridal shower, make sure your decor aligns with the vibe you’re going for. To create a stunning atmosphere, plan a combination of sweet floral arrangements, balloon displays and photo-worthy tablescapes. Having a variety of shapes and textures, from burlap table runners to sleek signage, can help give your event a complete look.
Floral centerpieces
Arrange beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers in elegant vases or mason jars to create stunning centerpieces for the tables. Choose blooms that complement the bride-to-be’s color scheme or wedding theme for a cohesive look.
Balloon garland
Wow-worthy balloon displays are becoming more and more common at bridal showers. They help guests enter celebration mode and they double as backdrops for photos! Choose balloons in the bride's favorite colors or order a bridal shower balloon garland kit like this one from Amazon.
Personalized signage
Personalized anything has been a huge theme on the party circuit in recent months and bridal showers are no exception. Welcome guests with custom signage featuring the bride's name, wedding date and a sweet message. We love this one from Etsy! Scatter additional personalized signage throughout the event at the food station, gift table and more.
Enchanted lighting
Depending on the time of day you’ll be hosting your bridal shower, add a touch of magic to the venue with twinkling fairy lights draped across the ceiling or wrapped around pillars and beams. The soft glow of the lights will create a romantic ambiance perfect for celebrating the bride-to-be.
Themed tablescapes
Elevate the table settings with themed decor elements that tie into the bridal shower theme. Whether it's rustic chic with burlap table runners and mason jar centerpieces or glamorous with gold charger plates and sequin tablecloths, coordinating table decor will enhance the overall aesthetic of the event.
Bridal shower food
Make sure to keep your guests fueled throughout all the game-playing and gift-opening! Typically, hosts will arrange a variety of fun appetizers and hors d’oeuvres for a bridal shower, including cute finger foods and tasty cheese platters.
Mini caprese skewers
These elegant and delicious appetizers feature cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella balls and basil leaves skewered onto toothpicks. Drizzle them with balsamic glaze for an extra burst of flavor.
Deviled eggs
Deviled eggs are a classic finger food and always a crowd-pleaser. This deviled egg recipe walks you through how to make this classic appetizer in under an hour! Can be prepped the day before and refrigerated overnight.
Fruit kabobs
Create colorful fruit kabobs by threading a variety of fresh fruit onto skewers. Think strawberries, pineapple chunks, grapes and melon balls. Serve with a creamy yogurt dip for a refreshing and healthy snack.
Finger sandwiches
Delight guests with an assortment of dainty tea sandwiches. These three finger sandwich recipes are easy to make and fun to eat. Flavors include cucumber, egg salad and BLT—talk about YUM!
Dessert and charcuterie boards
No party is complete without at least one tastefully arranged snack platter. Up your grazing board ante with this 2-in-1 recipe for a savory charcuterie board and a sweet snack platter. And yes, there is a surprise 21+ drink recipe at the bottom, too!
Mini dessert shooters
Satisfy everyone's sweet tooth with a variety of mini dessert shooters. Layer individual servings of cheesecake, mousse or tiramisu in shot glasses for a decadent treat that's as cute as it is delicious.
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What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from SignUpGenius?
Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than SignUpGenius:
- 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
- Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
- No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
- Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
- Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
- User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
- Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.
Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!
What is a signup sheet?
Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.
Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer!
Long story short, signup sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.
How do I create a signup sheet?
Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:
- Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:some text
- Signup sheets for standalone events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
- Signup sheets for recurring or multi-day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
- Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers and parent-teacher conferences.
- After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
- Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
- After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
- Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!
What information should be included on a signup sheet?
When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:
- A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
- When and where the event is taking place.
- The organizer’s name and phone number.
- Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete.
When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!
Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!
What are the benefits of using a signup sheet template?
Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:
- A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
- Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
- No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
- The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
- Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
- An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
- Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.
With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.
