Your wedding is one of the most important events in your life.
Naturally, you and your spouse will want to make it as special as it is and you will pay attention to all the details. However, you should consider other events that go along with your wedding. For example, the bridal shower and the bachelorette party.
Are these two parties, the same or are there any differences?
Should you have one or another or maybe you should have both? These are the types of questions we will address in this article. So, if you are about to get married, keep on reading!
Should You Have a Bridal Shower and a Bachelorette Party or Choose Just One of Them?
If you want to have all the experiences related to your wedding, we recommend you to have both a bridal shower and a bachelorette party.
We have to define these two parties from the very beginning. A bachelorette party is a reason for future brides to relax and forget about their wedding plans for one evening.
On the other hand, a bridal shower is another term for an engagement party where only girls are invited. And let’s look deeper into the details of these two events and how you can make the most out of them!
Do You Have a Bachelorette Party and a Bridal Shower?
In the happy case in which you decided to have both a bridal and a bachelorette party, you need to understand what each of these events is about.
The bridal shower can be held at any time before the wedding.
Since it is also known as an engagement party, you might want to schedule it around the time you start your engagement. This would be right after you get the ring and your future husband proposes to you.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, you will invite-only your girlfriends at this type of event. The bridal shower is the Asian version of the traditional engagement party.
The bachelorette party is a much more popular event that is enjoyed by brides to be from all over the world. You are free to do whatever you want and party just how you like one night.
This will help you forget about the wedding worries but is also a goodbye to your single life days. If you like to party, go to clubs and have fun with your friends, this is the alternative for you.
Who Throws The Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party?
Ok, so you got the difference between a bridal shower and a bachelorette party but who is in charge with these events? For the bachelorette party, things are quite simple: your bridesmaids should be responsible for that.
They should organize your last evening fun time as an unmarried woman. You might be surprised with what they come up with because typically, you shouldn’t know until the night in question.
The bridal shower also falls in the hands of the bridesmaids.
They should organize it and send invitations. This shower will take place during the day though, and as we mentioned, only by girls. Your bridesmaids will also choose the location and the decorations that go along with it.
As you can see, bridesmaids are quite important and in charge of a lot of things even before the big wedding event takes place. So, choose them wisely and make sure you trust them because they are responsible for many details!
What is Supposed to Happen at a Bridal Shower?
If you decided to have a bridal shower, you will definitely not regret it.
This is the type of party that all brides to be love. First of all, you will be showered with gifts. These gifts are things you will be able to use in your new home as you start your new life as a wife.
This event can take place at a friend’s home or even at your home.
If you want to get fancier, you can also go to a restaurant or a park. It all depends on your preferences and budget. As you will be very excited to receive the gifts, you should also have some type of menu to enjoy as well.
However, the food menu is typically kept light for these events. You can have some snacks on a table and some drinks. Background music will be more than welcome too so the atmosphere will be more enjoyable.
As the bride to be, you will open the gifts in front of your guests.
This should be the central moment of the bridal shower. It is also a very exciting time for everyone as you unwrap your presents and see what you received. These gifts are great memories that you will cherish as you use them in your new home.
In general, a bridal shower lasts a few hours.
It can go for two or three hours and even be a full-day event. You will get to share stories with your girlfriends and hear advice regarding married life. Overall, you should have a great time during this event!
Who Pays for What at a Bachelorette Party?
When it comes to the bachelorette party, things are a bit more on the fun side.
Bachelorette parties can happen in clubs, pubs, restaurants or any other fun locations where you and your girls can dance and have a great time.
There are no gifts that come with such a party but someone will have to cover the costs and organize it in great detail. We establish that the bridesmaids are going to organize the event but who is going to pay for it?
Well, one thing is for sure: the one person who is NOT going to pay for her bachelorette party is the bride to be. The bridesmaids will cover the part of the bride if you follow the traditional guidelines.
As a matter of fact, the bridesmaids should set up a budget for the event and implement it correctly by splitting the costs evenly between them. Other guests can chip into the final fill as well, but these are variations that depend from one situation to another.
Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party Together
How about having your bridal shower and bachelorette party together? For sure this crossed your mind at least once. But how can you do that? Actually, you have more options.
You could have your bridal shower during the day and get your girls to a great bachelorette party at night.
It would be a little exhausting but nevertheless, a time to remember! And your bridesmaids would have to invest some time to set it all together good so that you can go from one event to the next without too much hassle. if your girls organize this well, it could be a great option for you.
The other way would be to actually have your bridal shower and bachelorette party at the same time.
Combining the two events can be challenging but also a lot of fun. After all, all you need to do is open some gifts at your bachelorette party to give it a side of the bridal shower. And, you will have to hang out only with girls too for the event since at the bridal shower it would be just girls invited.
If you want to combine the two events into one, you can choose a local restaurant with a private area you and your girls can reserve. If the restaurant has a dance floor, even better! You can get the best of both worlds like this!
Bridal Shower or Bachelorette Party First?
The time for each event is different.
The bridal shower should take place between three months before your wedding and two weeks before the wedding. As for the bachelorette party, this should take place as close to your wedding day as possible.
You can even have a great bachelorette party a few days before the big event!
So, the bridal shower should definitely come before the bachelorette party if you want to have them both as separate events. On the other hand, if you host them together as one combined event, you can have it closer to your wedding day.
Bridal Shower vs Engagement Party
We mentioned that a bridal shower is a version of an engagement party. But there are also differences between these two events so you shouldn’t confuse them.
First of all, at your engagement party, everyone can participate, friends, family and whoever you want there. While at the bridal shower there should be only girls.
Second, even if some people decide to bring a gift to your engagement party, this is not the main thing of the event. While at the bridal shower, the gifts are part of the theme and definitely a good reason for the occasion.
Even if someone brings a gift at the engagement party, the couple will not open it right away. Also, at the engagement party, both you and your husband to be will be present while at the bridal shower you will be alone with your guests.
So, with so many differences between a bridal shower and an engagement party, you might want to have them both. The engagement party, however, should be organized by you and your partner while the bridal shower is a task for your bridesmaids.
Final Words
You only get married once.
There is no reason to skip all these fun events that come along with this occasion! Both the bridal shower and the bachelorette party bring their share of joy to this exciting phase of your life.
So, make the best out of both of them!