Are you excited to plan a memorable bridal shower for your friend? This occasion is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the bride-to-be and create lasting memories with friends and family.
If you’re working with a tight budget, worry not! This guide will provide you with practical tips and creative ideas to ensure that a bridal shower is a cherishable event for the lady of the hour and everyone involved.
Set goals
Before you even draw a budget, you need to know the bride’s wishes regarding the bridal shower so you spend your time and money accordingly. Consult the bride or a friend/family member of the bride if you’re surprising the bride, to set goals and create a budget that helps you achieve them.
Prioritize and splurge more on what matters most to the bride, and cut back on other costs so that you can plan a memorable bridal shower for the bride without breaking the bank. For example, if the bride wants to have the bridal shower at her favorite high-end restaurant, you can bring your own cake or get minimal decor pieces.
Co-host with a friend
You don’t have to bear all the expenses yourself. Consider co-hosting the shower with other members of the bridal party or one of the bride’s family members. Then you can delegate some of your tasks to them or assign them smaller purchases like drinks, games, decor, or party favors. This will make the overall cost of the event much more manageable for you. For instance, if you ask six people to get items worth $30 each, you’ll save $180.
The more that host the shower with you, the merrier! Not only will this make the expenses more bearable for you, but it will also make the bride feel extra loved that more than one person wanted to plan her special event for her.
Keep the guest list small
The more people that come to the bridal shower, the more food and party favors you would have to arrange, driving up the cost of planning the shower. Therefore, make sure that the guest list doesn’t get too big and out of control.
Try to only invite the people who are close to the bride, and refrain from inviting those who are just acquaintances. Sit down with the bride and have her make a list of those most important to her who should be at the shower.
Decide on the location and food
The location will help to decide the theme, food, and decor for the event. Hosting it in someone’s backyard or house can be tempting, especially if it is beautiful and spacious. However, keep in mind that you might have to pay for catering and the rental products required for organizing the shower.
Alternatively, you can divide up the menu between the hosts and have each of them bring something for the shower. You can also create cute menus for the bridal shower by customizing the menu design templates available at PosterMyWall to give a more formal and elegant touch to your home-organized event.
You might want to consider renting out a restaurant. This way you get the venue and catering in one place. Bring cute balloons as decor and add flowers as centerpieces. Plus, restaurants also have an existing sound system that you can plug into to play your own playlist.
Use DIY decor
It may be more convenient to buy ready-made decor, but doing it yourself saves a lot of money. So, get crafty and make as much of the decor yourself as possible. You can even have a get-together with the co-hosts for a fun night of crafting for the bride!
What you can’t make yourself, you can find for a good price at a dollar store or Five Below. Whatever the color palette of the bridal shower, these budget-friendly stores usually have all of the basics that you might need — from paper plates, cups, napkins, and utensils, to balloons, candles, dried flowers, etc!
Send invites online
Instead of purchasing invites from a stationary store, you can design the bridal shower invites yourself thanks to online graphic design tools such as PosterMyWall. Browse through the professionally designed bridal shower invitation templates, select the one that closely matches the theme of the event, and customize it to add the details of your event. Then save, download, and send your invitation design to the guests via social media apps or email.
Not only are these invitations very easy to make and pocket-friendly, but they also enable you to track RSVPs.
Conclusion
Planning a bridal shower for your friend is a once-in-a-lifetime type of opportunity to show your love and gratitude for her. But it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to make her feel special. By focusing on what’s important to her, and cutting costs in other areas by delegating and DIY strategies, you can host a great event while staying within your budget.
Remember, it’s the thought and effort that counts the most, so enjoy the process of planning and celebrating together. With these tips and ideas, you’re well-equipped to host a bridal shower that will be cherished by the bride and all attendees for years to come.
