| Bridal showerTraditionally, the bridal shower was a female-only fun party for the bride. The shower is organised by a close friend or member of the bridal party. It gives the bride the opportunity of catching up with her female friends and relatives before the wedding. The bridal shower is usually held fairly close to the wedding and can be formal or very casual. It can even be a champagne breakfast, high tea, a barbeque lunch or sit-down evening meal. Guests traditionally present the bride-to-be with small house-oriented gifts such as cookbooks, soap holders and salad servers. The bride in turn presents her bridesmaids and other attendants with a thank-you gift, often a piece of jewellery to wear to the wedding. These days, the bridal shower is often called a ‘wedding shower’ and the boys can attend. It’s a fun occasion, often with a special party theme, for both bride and groom as they don’t have to organise or host it so can just relax and enjoy.
Kitchen teaA specialised type of wedding shower is the kitchen tea. This has predominately remained a female-only occasion and involves guests giving gifts for the kitchen, as it still remains, even today to a large extent, as the woman’s domain.
There are, however, many things that are changing, and remember there really are no hard and fast rules, so make your own decision on what suits you best. You may even choose, as many already are, to have a bathroom or bedroom shower where gifts are given specifically relating to these rooms.
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