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Bridal Showers are a traditional way for a bride's wedding party, friends and family to celebrate the Bride prior to the Wedding Day. These pre-wedding celebrations create lasting memories before moving from single to married life. Bridal Showers are fun, but they can also be a lot of work for those hosting them. The Balmoral House is excited to be able to offer several options to host Showers at either The Cottage or The Balmoral House.
While a Bridal Shower is not a new idea, it is one that can be personalized to cater to the brides life or use a great theme! Bridal Showers and Bachelorette Parties are a chance to bid farewell to single life and celebrate and welcome the new beginning of married life.
How to Host A Bridal Shower
Traditionally, a Bridal Shower is hosted by the Maid or Matron of Honor. Often now, brides will have multiple showers with smaller circles of friends and family, so anyone can decide to host a bridal shower.
Here are some things to consider during your planning:
· Beginning and ending times: Make sure that when you write out the invitation, you’re specific about when people may arrive and when the party is over. Even if you’re hosting a casual open house style party, you need to be precise, or you might have a difficult time getting folks to leave. You can typically plan for bridal showers to last 2-3 hours. We recommend reserving a space for at least 4 hours to allow time to setup and teardown of catering, decorations, etc.
· Invitations: You can send out printed invitations, online invitations or email, to let people know about the event.
· Themes: You can have a bride focused theme, or there are lots of fun & festive themes you can choose to help decide decorations and activities for your party!
· Decorations: There are countless ways to decorate depending on if you want a traditional wedding themed shower or unique themed event. Be sure to check with your Venue Manager about what materials are allowed for decorating.
· Refreshments: Serve mostly finger foods and a couple of beverage options. Setting up food stations with the guest of honor’s favorites can be fun. Or you can serve a meal for a more formal event. Whether or not you choose to offer alcohol is up to you, but it does need to be provided by The Balmoral House. Many people enjoy celebrating such joyous events with champagne toast, mimosa bar, specialty drinks or full open bar.
· Games and entertainment: Click here for some free printable bridal shower games will make your bridal shower lots of fun with no chance of the guests getting bored. There are both classic and unique bridal shower games here so you should be able to find just what you're looking for. The Balmoral House can also provide some outdoor lawn games if you would like to enjoy the outdoors.
Deciding Between The Cottage and The Balmoral House
There are a few key differences between The Cottage and The Balmoral House. This was designed intentionally and allows hosts to select the venue that fits their style and budget.
A casual-chic atmosphere.
Accommodates up to 40 guests indoors.
Small outdoor wrap-around deck
Choice of Any Caterer
Self-Setup options for a budget-friendly event
Full Setup, Bar Service & Staffing available upon request
An elegant space with multiple rooms.
Accommodates up to 150 guests indoors or outdoors.
Access to 20+ acres of Grounds
Catering provided by choice of 7 Exclusive Caterers
The Balmoral House staff on site for event
Expectations for Guests
If you’ve been invited to a Bridal Shower, the hosts probably have very few expectations, other than the opportunity to share congratulations with their expectant bride.
This is a wonderful opportunity to bring a gift for the new couple.
· Many couples will already have a wedding registry completed before Bridal Shower to make choosing a household gift much simpler.
· Picture frames are always handy for all the wedding photos to come.
· A custom wall hanging with their new married last name, if they are changing their name.
· A gift basket of honeymoon essentials or a beauty box subscriptions are fun, more contemporary gift ideas.
· A gift card to a favorite restaurant, because wedding planning is a long process and a couple preplanned date nights are always welcome.
It’s Not When You Celebrate, It’s That You Celebrate
Our staff is working with all our event hosts to ensure that all events understand all safety procedures and any possible government restrictions. The Balmoral House looks forward to working with you to make a plan for the most joyous event for your friends and family.