Planning a Double Bridal Shower: Tips for Hosting Two Brides at Once

[lisaterwilliger]

I am having a shower at the end of the month for 2 girls that I used to work with. They are getting married about 2 weeks apart and we are going to have a double bridal shower for them. We all worked at a bar together and are inviting all the "regular" women and also any of their friends that they wanted. Anyway, I am trying to figure out how I'm going to do this...there are so many issues that I'm trying to figure out...what do I do if a guest orders something for each bride, and themselves and gets the free ice cream sandwich maker..how the heck do I split this thing up so that each bride gets her own party?

Any help would be VERY appreciated!!

Thanks!

 

[Paige Dixon]

I always stipulate the rules at the beginning of the show. I don't prefer to do a regular bridal this way, but it may be perfect for you. Put each bride's name in as a guest (you pay the shipping for each bride), any gifts are put on her order (then she has her own receipt for warranty issues), and each guest is also encouraged to purchase for themselves or other gifts they may need. These are each put in as a guest order. A guest would have to spend $60 on her own guest order (not including the bridal shower gifts) to receive the ice cream sandwich maker. Then put one bride as the host and one as the co-host, and they share the benefits. They will end up getting more credit and a higher unlimited discount because the totals are combined. They'll have to split the booking benefit, the host special, and the half-priced items.

 

[speedychef]

I think that they should get the free gift if they order for themselves, the brides, or whatever. If they spend the $60, they deserve it. The only thing that I can think is that you must keep meticulous records and have the show shipped to you and you can sort it. You also might want to put it in as 2 different shows so they don't have to split the benefits. Mostly the host special, because I think money wise it would work out just fine. Let us know how it goes!

 

[lisaterwilliger]

Well I had the show today and it went really well! We only had about 12 people come but it was the perfect size! I didn't have to do anything cooking wise..the girls did it all! I baked a brownie on the pizza stone and then they made a Banana Split Brownie Pizza. I also baked a few other goodies and that kinda thing last night for the food. I used to work w/ these girls so it was my gift to them. Anyway! Only 1 person ordered for herself and it was bride #2's mom. Everyone ordered only for the brides. The show was almost $600! Anyway, I split up the show so that it was bride 1 and bride 2 and then just put in what each one got. I split the orders into like 4 or 5 instead of 12 so that saved on shipping for the guests. Anyway, the girls are so excited and they each got free product and the woven selections they wanted and then with their discount they bought each other a gift! It was one of the best shows I have done! Also, I got a big huge cardboard "project board" from walmart last nite and just tacked up pictures of the products on their registries and that worked really well. I put the pictures on index cards w/ the name, number, and price of the product. Bride 2 wanted 3 of the striped squares and bowls so I just made 3 cards and put them in a group. It was VERY successful! I am also having all of the stuff shipped to me and we're going to go to the bar somenight (that was all worked at) and they are going to open their gifts..even though they already know what they are getting!

 

[Wildfire]

Dear Hostess, Thank you for reaching out and sharing your plans for the double bridal shower for your former coworkers. It sounds like it will be a fun and memorable event for everyone involved. As for your question about splitting up the free ice cream sandwich maker, I have a few suggestions that may help.First, you could ask your guests to specify which bride they are purchasing a gift for when they place their orders. This way, you can keep track of who is getting gifts for each bride and make sure they are evenly distributed. Another option would be to have a raffle or game during the shower where guests can win the free ice cream sandwich maker. This way, it is not directly tied to gift purchases and both brides have a chance to win it.Lastly, you could also consider purchasing a separate gift for each bride to ensure that they both receive something special from you. This could be a smaller kitchen tool or accessory that compliments the ice cream sandwich maker.I hope these suggestions help and I wish you all the best for the double bridal shower. Happy cooking!Sincerely,

Pampered Chef Consultant