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Bridal shower planning is a major item on the to-do list of events from saying “YES!” to saying “I DO!” If you’re a bride, this is where you’ll warm up your socializing and celebration skills in preparation for the big day. If you’re a bridesmaid, this is where you’ll strut your stuff, meet many of the wedding guests, and show the bride you can handle these huge responsibilities.

As you already know, there’s some serious pressure here to get things perfect. It all comes down the the bridal shower planning process, so we’ve built the ultimate guide below.

1. Gather Your Bride Squad

Organization is at the heart of any perfectly planned and executed event. When it comes to bridal shower planning, you’ll need the whole bride squad to chip in. If you don’t already have one, create a group chat and decide on dates you can meet to discuss and work on the event. Don’t worry, you can all sip mimosas while you’re at it!

At first, you can discuss themes, venues, dates, and big-picture items that will help narrow down what the bridal shower will look like. As things get settled, it’s time to start nailing down details. Use these meetings and the group chat to brainstorm, but don’t forget to stay organized by writing down what everyone agrees on. Then, start assigning roles to each person so that planning turns into execution.

2. Create a Collaborative Mood Board

One of the best ways to ensure your bridal shower is perfect is to put together a mood board that everyone can reference as they plan. Further, we highly recommend making a board that’s collaborative, meaning you should set up a board that you can add members to and allow them to make changes or add their own ideas. Pinterest or Google Drive are perfect for this!

3. Make a List of Activities You Love and Hate!

Everyone’s got their own personalities, so not everyone will be happy you chose to play a poopy-diaper game or force the whole room to participate in a silly activity. Brides will have their own preferences for what types of activities they would absolutely dread or be disappointed not including. Because of this, it’s so important to plan ahead of time with a list of games they’d both love AND hate.

4. Pick Out Your Bridal Shower Invitations and Thank You’s

During all this crazy planning, it’s easy to forget you need to actually invite the guests, but it’s the most important part! Nothing says a perfectly curated dream bridal shower than highly-customized bridal shower invitations and thank you cards that match the theme and vibe of the event. The invitations will be the first impression guests have, not only of the bridal shower, but of your entire wedding celebration extravaganza. Make sure you set the tone perfectly.

Remember, thank you cards for bridal showers are just as important. Make sure to grab them when you’re buying your invites so that they match perfectly and you don’t forget to do it later! Amazing invitation companies like Basic Invite offer over 180 colors, fully customizable elements, printed samples of your invitation, and an address capturing service for your convenience!

Feel free to use code 15FF51 for 15% off your invitation and thank you card purchase.

5. Start Gathering Decor and Florals

Now that you’ve set the venue, guest list, games, theme, and more, it’s time to start buying decor and setting up vendors. Specifically, you’ll need to go back to those roles you set in the bride squad and make sure each person knows exactly what they need to buy and what they have to do to make sure the entire event comes together. You’ll also have to appoint someone to set up vendors, such as a florist (that’s us!) to decorate with centerpieces, statement pieces, a photo area, and more. Make sure you bring that mood board with you to the florist so they can plan the perfect blooms!

Ask Us About Bridal Shower Planning, Bridal Shower Invitations, and Thank You Cards for Bridal Showers

At Garden in the Pines, we specialize in the most gorgeous, luxe weddings across New Jersey. But we also love starting out with our wedding couples early by helping them beautifully flower their bridal showers as well! Make sure to send us an inquiry if you’re looking for bridal shower planning assistance, including if you’re looking for a great recommendation for bridal shower invitations or thank you cards for bridal showers!