A couple weeks ago, I had the chance to be a guest, or should I say guest of honor, at my own bridal shower. Now, obviously I’m a planner and I’m usually the one who plans the showers and events. However, for the first time, maybe even the first time in my life, I had to sit back and let my bridesmaid plan the entire shower with no help from me.

Sure I made the guest list and she asked me what type of shower I wanted, but given I was trying not to be a bridezilla, I told her anything was fine.So her and her mother planned the whole thing from start to finish and it turned out wonderful. It was very simple, but exactly what I needed for my first bridal shower.

The hardest part though, was letting go. I probably called her almost every day just to “check-in” and see who was coming or what plans she had made. (Sorry if I drove you crazy Elizabeth!) But that is just who I am, so that is why I am writing these five tips in which I learned in my own experience.

1. Show up on time. Not early. Not late. If your too early, it may look like you are eager and want to check up on everything before everyone else gets there. If you are late, it may look like you are unappreciative. It is always best to be right on time. 

2. Greet everyone that is there. Greet your hostess or hostesses first and thank them immediately for throwing the shower for you. Compliment how great everything looks. Then make sure you make your rounds and say hello to everyone attending. After all, they are there for you.

3. Sit back and relax. Go by the schedule they have planned. Don’t keep asking “what’s next?” Let them worry about the schedule, just enjoy your time with your friends. When they say its time to open gifts, open gifts. When it’s time to play a game, go with it!

4. Be excited about everything they have planned. Even if you hate it. Some games are silly, we know. But even if you hate the game, but your best smile on and play it like it’s the best game in the world. Your hostess has gone through a lot of work putting this together for you. We played a game at my shower and I ended up having a blast. I almost wish we would have played more games! (But I didn’t say so, of course, I went with the schedule.)

5. Say thank you. Make sure you say thank you to each and every person that came. Not just for the gift, but for taking time out of their day to come support you. You can do this while everyone is leaving and it is okay to be that last person to leave, that way you get a chance to thank everyone.

Bonus Send the host a thank you letter right away. I know thank you letters can take a while and who has time to do them? However, they are a must. But if you are as busy as I am, make sure you write your thank you letter to the hostess first and get that in the mail right away. After all, they put a lot of time, effort, and probably even money into the shower. Then you can go from there and start filling out the rest.

Enjoy the tips and remember, I’m experiencing it with you.

Until next time,

Kacie

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