Man-showers or bro-dal showers, events that celebrate a man's first step into marriage, are increasing in popularity. If the future bride can have a shower, why not the groom, too? But do not mistake these for bachelor parties.
You probably even have planned a couples shower which includes both the bride and the groom – a man shower is totally different. A man shower is a bridal shower on steroids, which typically features man gifts, grilling, drinks and good friends.
Like a traditional bridal shower, co-ed wedding showers still incorporate a meal and gift exchange, but they're more reminiscent of a friendly get-together or dinner party. The key to throwing a successful gender-neutral (or Jack and Jill) shower is choosing a theme that everyone will enjoy.
Traditionally, a bridal shower is a female-only event that involves the bride's loved ones. That doesn't always have to be the case though, with many modern brides ditching the barriers and inviting their nearest and dearest, both male and female.
Bridal showers aren't required, so if you're not interested, here's how to spread the word. Not every to-be-wed wants a bridal shower, and that's totally their call. While saying "no" to having a bridal shower should be simple in theory, declining a friend or family member's offer to throw you one can be tricky.
Do men come to Bridal Showers? It's all up to the bride and groom. Typically, the Groom, Father of the Bride and Father of the Groom are invited.
The Traditional Bridal Shower Host
The maid of honor traditionally takes on the role of chief shower planner. But she isn't a one-woman show: She relies on the bridesmaids to help her with planning logistics. On the day of, the girls run the party, making sure everything goes smoothly and that guests are taken care of.
While a typical bridal shower can be gender-specific or highly focused on the bride's side, a wedding shower includes all! It's usually a larger event that has more of a party atmosphere.
A bridegroom (usually shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married, or who has just been married. The female partner is known as the bride, who is typically attended by one or more bridesmaids and a maid or matron of honor.
As you are creating the guest list, keep in mind that men usually aren't invited to the bridal shower. However, it's ok to include male guests if you're hosting a co-ed wedding shower for the couple.
Traditional etiquette dictates that the maid of honor—not the mother of the bride—should host the shower. Nancy is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com.
Whether you find that planning a bridal shower is eating up too much of your time and money or that most of the people you'd like to invite live too far away, it's OK to skip having a bridal shower.
Marrier. If you're looking for a non-binary term for bride, marrier is the way to go. Like celebrant, this is a word you can use to describe a person engaged to be married.
Bridesmate (or indeed mate of honour) is a gender neutral for your non-binary friends and family members who are a part of your wedding. The terms are alternatives to 'bridesmaids' and 'groomsmen'.
A groomsmaid is simply a woman who attends a groom during his wedding ceremony as part of the wedding party.
Amy talks bridal shower guest list etiquette in this recent interview with BRIDES. The article says answers the question “Who to invite to the Bridal Shower”: The short answer is, you should not invite anyone to your shower who will not be invited to the wedding.
Most bridal showers are usually held three weeks to three months before the wedding. The trick is not to plan it too far in advance or too close to the wedding date.
If you have a large portion of guests and family from your hometown but you no longer live there, you may want to consider having a bridal shower there in addition to your current city. To follow bridal shower etiquette, plan to have a maximum of three bridal showers, and no more than two showers in the same city.
Traditionally, the bride's family pays for the wedding, but that custom is rapidly changing. Couples are increasingly choosing to handle at least half of the wedding expenses on their own. Early planning and a written budget can help avoid miscommunication when deciding who pays for what.
Traditionally, the bride's parents would pay for the entire engagement party. But like everything else related to weddings, times have changed! Nowadays, it's much more common for couples to cover their own expenses or split the cost with their families.
Remember, it doesn't break any etiquette rules to not attend a bridal shower or bachelorette party but still attend the wedding, provided that you RSVP separately for each.
A bridal shower should be an event for those closest to the bride, both in relationship and location. I'm often asked how many guests should be invited to a shower, and I usually recommend keeping it to around 25 guests if possible. Everyone wants to see their gift opened and the reaction on the bride's face.
Traditionally, he walks down the aisle solo but some grooms prefer walking down the aisle escorted by both parents. Other grooms prefer a more subtle approach by entering the ceremony from the side of the venue (following the officiant and followed by the groomsmen) to take his place at the altar.
Fairy Bride is a term used to describe the phenomenon when an otherworldly woman marries a mortal man, though eventually she will leave him behind and return to her otherworld. The Fairy Bride brings with her wealth and prosperity, but also the danger of losing it.