Maximizing Rewards: Tips for Hosting a Successful Bridal Shower

[chefdianne]

I am really trying to figure out how to do this without driving myself nuts.
I have a bride that will be registering very soon on the registry. The way I understand the registry is that the registry will give her guests time to purchase items ahead of show scheduled for May, right? Bride builds up rewards up to $200 as gifts off registry are bought and can later spend rewards on leftover registry gifts not bought, correct?

However and here's my issue, the host who is holding the
bridal shower show wants to hold bridal shower show where guests come WITH already purchased items off the registry and naturally, the host wants her rewards herself as the host should get, not the bride.

How can I get the guests to come with gifts in hand for the bride and get the host to earn the rewards at her show when no one will be buying products AT the show? This probably has a very simple solution but I can't see it because of all the muckety muck in figuring each step out. Sorry can someone out here help?? I am nearing the point where I need to speak to the host about preparing for the shower but don't want to appear inexperienced in this as it is important to both the bride and the host that they both benefit from it all. I am totally open to any suggestions for hosting a successful bridal shower. Thanks!

 

[janetupnorth]

Don't have an answer, but I think that is VERY selfish of the host to use a friend's shower and people buying gifts to the benefit of herself and not the bride.

I gave showers for my friends to help THEM - paid for food, etc. Never had a PC shower but if I had would NEVER think of taking the host benefits for myself rather than the bride!!!!!

The only way I can think of would be to have a list - have her call ALL the people, collect orders before the show, submit it and get products then wrap them and show up with them. I'm sure their may be another solution, but IMHO it is wrong of the host!!!!

 

[Ginger428]

I was going to word it a little different, but you made your point A bridle shower/wedding hosted by someone other than the bride would be like someone hosting a fundraiser meaning you are doing it for someone else....

 

[janetupnorth]

I was going to word it a little different, but you made your point A bridle shower/wedding hosted by someone other than the bride would be like someone hosting a fundraiser meaning you are doing it for someone else....

Sorry if it seemed pointed - it just seemed so selfish to me.

 

[Jennie4PC]

Janet I was going to say the same thing.

 

[Ginger428]

Sorry if it seemed pointed - it just seemed so selfish to me.

LMAO....Me2

 

[chefdianne]

Did I mention that the Bride already planned and threw a regular (non PC) shower for herself this past weekend? Strange huh?
What if the invited guests were told in advance that all purchases they make at the show are to be bought for the bride? This way, the gifts are purchased with the intent to be given to the bride, the host can then use her rewards like a regular show and all are happy? Did anyone ever do a show like that?

 

[janetupnorth]

I think regular bridal shows are like that, but they usually make the bride the host and do it there, not in advance.

 

[janetupnorth]

Thinking......guess I live in a different world...

 

[janetupnorth]

I hope you figure it all out...and it works well for you...

 

[Ginger428]

Did I mention that the Bride already planned and threw a regular (non PC) shower for herself this past weekend? Strange huh?
What if the invited guests were told in advance that all purchases they make at the show are to be bought for the bride? This way, the gifts are purchased with the intent to be given to the bride, the host can then use her rewards like a regular show and all are happy? Did anyone ever do a show like that?

I guess the only way the host gets the rewards is for the bride to register, but in the hosts name & info...have the bride make up her wish list, then give the host her PW so when the wedding is over she can use the rewards....
Got 1 question though....she had a shower already & people bought her gifts, NOW shes gonna have ANOTHER one & people are gonna buy her MORE gifts?????

 

[janetupnorth]

Got 1 question though....she had a shower already & people bought her gifts, NOW shes gonna have ANOTHER one & people are gonna buy her MORE gifts?????

OK, can't complain on that one...I had numerous showers...one at church, one with my husband's side of the family, one with my side of the family, and one with friends (all different circles of people).

Of course I NEVER threw any...my family or bridesmaids did!

 

[janetupnorth]

Hey - how 'bout the bride as host and friend as co-host???? Does that make any sense?

 

[dianevill]

Hey - how 'bout the bride as host and friend as co-host???? Does that make any sense?

That sounds like a good plan!

 

[mommyhugz1978]

I couldn't have said it better myself!! LOL

Don't have an answer, but I think that is VERY selfish of the host to use a friend's shower and people buying gifts to the benefit of herself and not the bride.

I gave showers for my friends to help THEM - paid for food, etc. Never had a PC shower but if I had would NEVER think of taking the host benefits for myself rather than the bride!!!!!

The only way I can think of would be to have a list - have her call ALL the people, collect orders before the show, submit it and get products then wrap them and show up with them. I'm sure their may be another solution, but IMHO it is wrong of the host!!!!

 

[amy07]

Ok, sounds like we have some greedy ladies for that show!

 

[nikkijo]

How about if the bride gets all the credit for the gifts bought for her, for the items purchased not for the bride the other person gets credit for?

I personally think that all of the gifts bought for the bride she should get the free product for.

 

[Grandmarita]

Do you actually expect to pass out Catalogs at the Bridal Shower? I have wondered about this from the very beginning. Doesn't that seem kind of tacky?

When I started in 2005, my niece was getting married. I sent her a catalog, and asked her to select the gifts she might want for either her wedding or shower. I sent the list to all the family members with e-mails, and they placed an order with me for a "Show" which I had shipped directly to my sister. I traveled there a day before the Shower, opened all the shipment. sorted and my other niece wrapped all the gifts for the out-of-town guests who had made purchases. We then took them to the party which was small, and she had twice as many gifts to open. It let all of her friends see the Pampered Chef products, without my doing anything in the line of a demo.
One of her bridesmaids was being married a few months after my niece, and
she specifically asked for the Pizza Lovers Set that had been one of my niece's gifts. She phoned me, and placed an order for direct shipment since she couldn't get to the other girl's shower. My niece received the Host benefits for the party and had a huge box to open from "THE PAMPERED CHEF", with all of the little odds and ends she had on her list. My family selected many of the more expensive items from her list for her wedding, and that time, I allowed two of them to purchase her Cookware, and the Family Skillet using the 1/2 price bonuses. She was one happy bride.

She now is the Mother of twins, a boy and a girl, born a few days before their first wedding anniversary!

 

[raebates]

I don't think it's tacky at all. At least, not the way a regular shower is done. It's spelled out pretty well in the official PC Wedding Shower Invitations, so they know what to expect.This, however, I find a little tacky. How about having the "host" book a show from the shower. She can then get all of the benefits for herself.

 

[Ginger428]

I don't think it's tacky at all. At least, not the way a regular shower is done. It's spelled out pretty well in the official PC Wedding Shower Invitations, so they know what to expect.

This, however, I find a little tacky. How about having the "host" book a show from the shower. She can then get all of the benefits for herself.

Very Well Said...

 

[janetupnorth]

I don't think it's tacky at all. At least, not the way a regular shower is done. It's spelled out pretty well in the official PC Wedding Shower Invitations, so they know what to expect.

This, however, I find a little tacky. How about having the "host" book a show from the shower. She can then get all of the benefits for herself.

Booking off the shower - another good idea. That way she can get benefits AND the bride can get another host benefit.

 

[raebates]

Exactly! Everyone wins.

 

[chefdianne]

Okay, I feel like a real idiot for asking this question because now I have managed to confuse myself even more. Hopefully no one takes offense to that because I don't mean it to sound unappreciative, it's just this.
The person that wanted to hold this show for her niece booked the shower/show from a show already, therefore, hence the reason she wanted to host was so that her niece could get some goodies and she wanted to get something free in return for hosting the show for her niece. Now, from what I have read here, most of you have had plenty of experience with all sorts of types of options and some of you pull your experience from personal things you have done for your own family members, which is nice, but seems far much easier to figure out because of course you want to give everything to your own family member. I like the idea of the bride registering and continuing to earn her rewards outside of the show completely, as it should be and I also like the idea of not having to demo anything at the shower but which is tackier in all your opinions. To ask guests to come to a shower with prepurchased gifts already in hand off her registry and blow off the host of the shower completely or to ask guests to come and peruse the catalog and order at the show and be able to give the host at least something for holding the shower. I guess I am just really confused as to who the "host" really is of the show. You are mostly all so much more experienced than I at these but I must tell you I feel really stupid and wish I had never agreed to doing this as it shouldn't be this difficult, right?

 

[janetupnorth]

Okay, I feel like a real idiot for asking this question because now I have managed to confuse myself even more. Hopefully no one takes offense to that because I don't mean it to sound unappreciative, it's just this.
The person that wanted to hold this show for her niece booked the shower/show from a show already, therefore, hence the reason she wanted to host was so that her niece could get some goodies and she wanted to get something free in return for hosting the show for her niece. Now, from what I have read here, most of you have had plenty of experience with all sorts of types of options and some of you pull your experience from personal things you have done for your own family members, which is nice, but seems far much easier to figure out because of course you want to give everything to your own family member. I like the idea of the bride registering and continuing to earn her rewards outside of the show completely, as it should be and I also like the idea of not having to demo anything at the shower but which is tackier in all your opinions. To ask guests to come to a shower with prepurchased gifts already in hand off her registry and blow off the host of the shower completely or to ask guests to come and peruse the catalog and order at the show and be able to give the host at least something for holding the shower. I guess I am just really confused as to who the "host" really is of the show. You are mostly all so much more experienced than I at these but I must tell you I feel really stupid and wish I had never agreed to doing this as it shouldn't be this difficult, right?

Don't feel bad! I understand your confusion because wedding registries/showers for us can be confusing - especially like you said when booked off another. It is hard to tell "how they came about".

I would say now that you described the case further, I'd try a catalog walk-through with the guests, have some food served, be there to answer questions and take orders - bring some things that are on the bride's wishlist so the people can see them.

Hopefully that helps, if not, ignore me and read from the others! LOL!

 

[chefdianne]

Janet,

Thanks to you I am breathing a lot easier now and LMAO! I enjoy reading your posts in the threads here. In fact, I am curious as well as to what the answer will be to your P3 question pertaining to co-host vs. host getting the booking benefit once you get some responses. I have a co-host open house with multiple company consultants coming in 2 weeks and it looks promising for all (I am staying positive) but will need to know how to enter the info on p3 too. As a side note, last evening I read the chapter and verse to my husband outloud and he knew the book right away and ended up thanking me for it because he was able to apply it to his Sunday School teaching today. I thank you for having the inspirational verse here to reflect on each time you post. Blessings to you and your family. Thanks for the encouragement.
Less than 1 year? Me too. When did you officially start?

 

[janetupnorth]

Janet,

Thanks to you I am breathing a lot easier now and LMAO! I enjoy reading your posts in the threads here. In fact, I am curious as well as to what the answer will be to your P3 question pertaining to co-host vs. host getting the booking benefit once you get some responses. I have a co-host open house with multiple company consultants coming in 2 weeks and it looks promising for all (I am staying positive) but will need to know how to enter the info on p3 too. As a side note, last evening I read the chapter and verse to my husband outloud and he knew the book right away and ended up thanking me for it because he was able to apply it to his Sunday School teaching today. I thank you for having the inspirational verse here to reflect on each time you post. Blessings to you and your family. Thanks for the encouragement.
Less than 1 year? Me too. When did you officially start?

Thank you - those are quite the compliments and I appreciate them.

As far as I can tell on P3, there is actually no way to assign them to one or the other so I'm guessing either one can take them from either show in the future. I entered one person as the host, and then you can add another as co-host.

For the verse - thanks too - it's meant a lot to me over the years and the reference is engraved inside my DH's wedding ring. Many quote Jeremiah 29:11 as their favorite verse, but I think it is not as meaningful without going through verses 12 and 13. That part is as important as the initial promise.

I officially signed on 2/7/07 or was it 2/6/07 - one of the two days! Can't remember which one this late...too lazy to look it up.

I've owned PC items and been to shows and hosted shows for almost 13 years - hence why I have a lot to say - PC related!

As for the other items I put my two cents worth in - well, God has blessed me with quite a variety of interests, education, and work....and since I've moved up north, I've gotten to experience a whole new realm of things...firefighting, EMS, lifeguarding, Red Cross instruction...all outside my normal "background" of engineering, business and interest in sports and music.

Now, with two younger kids, moving into more of the "seasons" of life!

Have a great evening - time for me to go to bed so I don't fall asleep at work!

 

[speedychef]

Craziness! My sister is having 3 showers, and I think a lot of people do...one with each family, and maybe friends...but who throws a shower for HERSELF?! That is borderline rude, if you ask me...ANYHOW

Back to the original question...the registry and a show are two separate entities. If someone buys off the registry, it counts towards the bride and groom's registry rewards. If she wants to host a Pampered Wedding Shower, I suggest she do it where everyone orders for the bride (and themselves, thus upping the total) That way, people don't have to bring things, and the bride doesn't have to pack up all the junk and drag it home with her...and you should definitely do the co-host thing. Even if the shower host keeps all the free/half price things, the bride can still get that unlimited discount!

 

[raebates]

I feel much kindlier toward your host now that I know the whole story. http://www.thesmilies.com/smilies/happy0121.gif

As for your question, I agree with Kim. As a co-host, she can decide what part of the host benefits to keep and which to give to the bride.