What are some ideas for running a successful bridal shower with 20-30 guests?

[Deannasbiz]

I am doing my first bridal shower on the 11th and I am very excited about it, but alse a little nervous. I would love to hear the run down of what you all do at your showers. I would love some ideas on how you run them. I am feeling a little overwhelmed....I think there could be anywhere from 20 -30 people there. I haven't actually talked to the bride because she lives 6 hours away. Her best friend is giving the shower so she is the one I have been in contact with. Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[hollye44]

Sometimes guests are willing to give you money instead of finding a specific item in the catalog. That way the bride can pool the money and get some bigger items she wants, or basically just have the money to pick out all the things she wants. It keeps people from buying her a bunch of little stuff.

One way to handle this is to pass out small envelopes, and ask them to place their gift inside and give to you. The bride does not need to know how much money was given unless the guest asks you to tell them (I've had someone who gave a large amount make sure I tell the bride how much it was). Also take other orders from guests if they want anything and add it to the show.

All of the guests liked having this option. They said it was very easy (since they come with a pre-determined amount to spend anyway). I even had one grandma who thought it was tacky at first say that in the end she really liked it!!

Have the bride and groom make a wish list for you. Then you can get creative with how the money plays out to get them what they want. Put the groom down as a guest and use most of the money that way so the host rewards level is higher. Then use the remaining money to get host special, half-price items, etc.

I usually let the shower run however they want it to. They can play their traditional games, etc. I always take some PC food and let everyone know how it was made. I also use a table and display popular products and things a couple should have in their kitchen. I do a quick talk about our products, how the bridal shower works, etc. and then let them have their fun.

This is just another option and it has worked well for me. Good luck at your show!!

 

[Deannasbiz]

Thanks I will take all the ideas I can get....

 

[pamperedcheermom]

I also have my first Bridal Shower on the 11th so I'm right there with you. What I'm doing is using a Bridal Shower Wish List Basket. I got the idea off CS somewhere but can't remember exactly where. It's a white basket with a white bow on the front. I had the Bride make out her wish list and get it to me several weeks ago. I found on CS where someone had already copied and pasted the pictures of each item in the catalog and made labels. Each label has a picture of what she wants, the item # and the price. I used Avery 5263 labels and they worked well. I used pastel colored card stock paper and stuck the labels to the card stock, then cut around each label leaving a little of each color of the card stock showing. Then I glued the label cards onto green wooden floral sticks. I put a piece of white styrofoam in the bottom of the basket and arranged the sticks in the basket to look like a flower arrangement. At the shower I'll have the guest go through the basket and pick out what they want to purchase for the bride. This way the bride will only get one of each item instead of duplicates. If she wanted more than one of an item, I put more label cards in the basket.

You can find this idea somewhere on here but I can't remember where. I just hope the shower is big enough to justify all the money and work I put into the basket. But at least I can use it over and over for other showers in the future.

Hope this helps!

 

[quiltchef]

I'm on my 2nd bridal shower--for the first I gave the guests a list of the Bride's wishes.
Now I'm trying the basket idea--I have 4 smaller baskets with fall leaves --each leaf having the picture/item number/price/page# for items bride requests.
I'm looking for order forms and game idea.
I'm hoping to cook a one pot pasta and a microwave cake.
quiltchef

 

[tlag1986]

The bridal shower I threw for my DIL was done by my consultant at the time (this show is when I decided to start selling). She had a simple sweet hors d'oeurve made and had a demonstration with a potato, lime, and cucumber that DIL had to help with. I was to have any games available (we did the toilet paper wedding dress in 2 teams it was fun).

I decorate cakes so I had a cake prepared and punch. It was a great deal of fun, and they ended up with over $800 worth of product.

 

[Fluffy215]

My bridal shower is a surprise shower, the family is creating the wish list LOL They are getting married at Disney even rented Cinderellas pumpkin carriage to take the bride to the ceremony LOL Anyways, they decided we are going to have several frilly umbrellas with Mickey Mouse ears hanging from them and on the ears will be the items available to purchase for the bride/groom. It's not until April but since this is my first shower I am researching as much as I can LOL I am very excited about it. They are thinking of having it at a hall because they think as many as 40-50 people may attend. Yikes!! LOL

 

[PamperedCaniac]

I am having a major blonde moment!! Explain this to me below! LOL LOL So sorry!!!

Sometimes guests are willing to give you money instead of finding a specific item in the catalog. That way the bride can pool the money and get some bigger items she wants, or basically just have the money to pick out all the things she wants. It keeps people from buying her a bunch of little stuff.

One way to handle this is to pass out small envelopes, and ask them to place their gift inside and give to you. The bride does not need to know how much money was given unless the guest asks you to tell them (I've had someone who gave a large amount make sure I tell the bride how much it was). Also take other orders from guests if they want anything and add it to the show.

All of the guests liked having this option. They said it was very easy (since they come with a pre-determined amount to spend anyway). I even had one grandma who thought it was tacky at first say that in the end she really liked it!!

Have the bride and groom make a wish list for you. Then you can get creative with how the money plays out to get them what they want. Put the groom down as a guest and use most of the money that way so the host rewards level is higher. Then use the remaining money to get host special, half-price items, etc.

I usually let the shower run however they want it to. They can play their traditional games, etc. I always take some PC food and let everyone know how it was made. I also use a table and display popular products and things a couple should have in their kitchen. I do a quick talk about our products, how the bridal shower works, etc. and then let them have their fun.

This is just another option and it has worked well for me. Good luck at your show!!

 

[Impatient]

I am having a major blonde moment!! Explain this to me below! LOL LOL So sorry!!!

If the bride is close to going up a level in sales, place an order from the groom to bump her up and get her more bonuses.

Bride's Wishlist $500 (let's assume they'll get at least half of this stuff)

Guest Sales = $300
Bride gets $45 product, 1 half price item, 20% discount

Guest Sales = $300 + $200 from Groom as guest = $500 show!
Bride gets $95 free product, 2 half price items, 25% discount!

 

[smithcooking]

I have done several bridal showers and what I do is go thru an old catalog and cut out pictures of all of the items. I paste them on index cards and put the item # along with the page that they can be found on in the catalog. I type all of this up on label and then just stick them to the index cards. So when the new catalogs come out for the next season you can just put a new label over the old one if the information has changed and then just add new products to my stack of index cards.

I also type up a wish list and put that in my guest folders that I hand out at all of my shows. Then they can see ahead of time what they are wanting and then have some ideas. I have a table of most of the items set up that they are wanting with the index cards sat beside the item. This does get to be kind of alot of work, but have found out that I get more sells from the people that are buying for the bride and groom that they will buy for themselves if they can see the product. When they decide on what they would like to buy for the bride and groom they take the index card off of the item and then people can see that it is not available anymore.

Have something made ahead of time that the guest can eat and what I have done with this is have the bride or who ever is putting on the shower either come to the location if not at a house a head of time and we make it together. They like this and it gives them hands on with the tools and lets them see what they like. To get the wish list from the bride and groom send a catalog to them about a month and 1/2 ahead of the shower so that they can go thru the catalog and pick out what they would like to have people get them. Have them get it back to you and then I type it up and put it in my folders that I hand out to each guest when they come to the shower. They also get a catalog and an order form in the folder. If they are wanting to order for themselves also what I have them do is put a (B) for Bride by the stuff that they will be ordering for the bride and then don't put anything by the stuff that they will be ordering for themselves. This works out and you can keep things straight for when the order comes in and you have to seperate all of it.

Hope that this all makes sense.

 

[PamperedCaniac]

If the bride is close to going up a level in sales, place an order from the groom to bump her up and get her more bonuses.

Bride's Wishlist $500 (let's assume they'll get at least half of this stuff)

Guest Sales = $300
Bride gets $45 product, 1 half price item, 20% discount

Guest Sales = $300 + $200 from Groom as guest = $500 show!
Bride gets $95 free product, 2 half price items, 25% discount!

Wow.... now I understand, I am not sure what I was thinking before hand. LOL I think my sinus infection is taking over my brain! Thank you!