So she's getting married! And you are the dear friend who wants to throw her the perfect shower. You want a shower that is a tribute to the friendship you share, a shower that she—and all the other guests—will remember forever, with fond memories.
This nifty little book will show you how. It's got the right title—it will tell you Everything you need to know. Using the clever tricks and tips you will find here, you will be able to throw her a terrific shower. It will be one that suits your budget, your personality, and your schedule just about perfectly.
The goal of reading this book is for you to get the skills to throw the most wonderful shower with the minimum of expense and fuss. You'll find all sorts of great ideas, tips, secrets, helpful hints, and planning tools to help you pull it all off. Sound too good to be true? It's not. The things you will learn here will make this an occasion to remember—and perhaps rival the fun quotient of the wedding she's working so hard to plan!
Because that's what the shower is really all about, isn't it? Capturing the excitement and the fun of her beginning her new life with him. You want your bride especially to have fun, to take some time off from her hectic schedule, and to know how much you love her. You also want to provide a location where she can celebrate with her friends and give everybody a chance to bring her a gift she can enjoy.
Legend tells us that the very first bridal shower was in Holland. A pretty maid fell in love with a miller. Her father, however, didn't want her to marry this guy. Her dad decided to refuse to provide a dowry, hoping to discourage the young couple. But true love prevails! The miller's friends came to the rescue of young love and showered the bride and groom with gifts at the first wedding shower.
Times have changed. Traditionally, bridal showers were a much more meaningful ceremony than they are today. Our grandmothers and their grandmothers really counted on the gifts they would receive. Those gifts helped them set up their new household and embellished whatever dowry their family was prepared to provide. The shower filled out their trousseau. It was critical to a comfortable new life in poorer times that the bride have a shower. Now bridal showers are about giving memories and experiences of love and support, and less about a new bridle for the plough horse or a nice couple of young hens.
Today, the bride's friends, coworkers, or colleagues typically host a wedding shower for a group of the bride's friends to attend. The guests can include men or children or pets or just about anyone or anything you think will be special for the bride. The idea is you want to send her off to the rest of her life with warm memories of her dearest friends. It's major fun to host a shower, as you are about to discover. It can also be a lot of work. You might find yourself a little overwhelmed by the prospect of planning such an important party in your friend's life. Especially if you aren't accustomed to planning parties yourself. But you'll find everything you need to know here, and together we'll make it easy and fun. You will find handy checklists—whether it's how to track her gifts or a shopping list for the grocery store. You'll find tons of premade sample parties using lots of new, exciting themes. We'll talk about everything from a countdown for the arrangements, to how much food the average person eats at a party, to what colors to use in decorating the location. You will also be glad you found such a complete and thorough companion, and your friends will rave at your success.
By the time this is over, you'll be a pro! You might just find yourself being hired to throw showers in the future for friends of friends! So here's a toast to the bride-to-be, and one to you, for the kindness you're showing by deciding to host her wedding shower.