Traditionally, a Bridal Kitchen Tea is just that – an afternoon tea in which guests bring a gift for the bride suitable for the kitchen only. A Bridal Shower, on the other hand, sees guests bring a gift of any description to “shower” the bride with.
What is the best food for a bridal shower?
Cheap Food Ideas for a Bridal Shower
- Bridal Brunch. Instead of planning a bridal shower to take place during the evening, save on food costs and go with a brunch theme.
- Dips Only. When a bridal shower is populated by a bunch of ladies, they often want to sample just about everything on the food table.
- “Family Recipes” Pot Luck. ...
- Dessert Bar. ...
- Tea Party. ...
How to plan the best bridal shower?
Steps to Planning a Bridal Shower
- Create a shower budget. The very first step to plan a bridal shower is to create a budget for the entire process. ...
- Pick a date. ...
- Create the guest list. ...
- Select a theme. ...
- Choose a location. ...
- Send invitations. ...
- Set the menu. ...
- Find shower decor. ...
- Plan the games and activities. ...
- Create a shower playlist. ...
What should I do at a bridal shower?
What Your Bridal Party Should and Shouldn't Pay For
- Bridesmaids’ Attire. Being a bridesmaid is pay-to-play, and ponying up for a bridesmaid's dress is expense number one. ...
- Bridal Shower. The cost of the shower is covered by the hosts. ...
- Bachelorette Party. This one is a little more tricky. ...
- Hair and Makeup. This wedding day cost also has some fuzzy lines. ...
- Wedding Travel and Hotel Rooms. ...
- Gifts. ...
What to bring/expect at a bridal shower?
20 Gorgeous Gifts to Bring to a Bridal Shower
- Dress Hanger. The bride-to-be will appreciate this heavy-duty hanger for her wedding dress, complete with a laser-cutout of her married name.
- The Newlywed Cookbook. ...
- Wedding Keepsake Library. ...
- Rose Gold Candle. ...
- Kate Spade Toasting Flutes. ...
- Bridal Jean Jacket. ...
- Mr. ...
- Happily Ever After Cake Server. ...
- Monogram Coasters. ...
- Card Keeper. ...
Do you take a gift to a bridal tea?
Ask guests to bring a small gift for the "wishing well" that fits with the tea theme. Items might include loose teas, tea strainer, tea bags, teaspoons, tea cookies. Plan to organize a few bridal shower games for fun and to help break the ice when guests first arrive.
What is the difference in a tea and a shower?
The main difference between them is the origin. Bridal Showers are more common in Belgium, Netherlands, US, UK and other parts of Europe. Whereas Kitchen Teas are local to Australia and New Zealand. Geography aside, Bridal Showers are a time to “shower” the bride in gifts in order to spoil her.
Who is invited to a bridal tea?
Any bridal shower, regardless of the theme, is centered around the bride, so it's customary to invite her closest friends and relatives. In many cases, the groom's closest female family members are also invited.
What is bridal tea party?
Ideally suited to a small gathering of friends or family, this pre-wedding party is easy to prepare in advance and gives guests the chance to celebrate the bride and socialize together over cocktails, tea, and snacks.
What happens at a bridal tea?
Traditionally, a Bridal Kitchen Tea is just that – an afternoon tea in which guests bring a gift for the bride suitable for the kitchen only. A Bridal Shower, on the other hand, sees guests bring a gift of any description to “shower” the bride with.
Who pays for the bridal kitchen tea?
Bridal Showers/Kitchen Teas: Yup, that's right – the guests don't pay for themselves. The shower might be hosted by the bridal party or a friend of the bride or her family, often at their home, and the host provides food and refreshments, as well as décor.
How long do you stay at a bridal tea?
Keep It Short Weichelt says bridal showers should ideally last between two and four hours. Anything shorter and guests will feel like they didn't have a chance to spend time with the bride; anything longer and they'll be itching to head home.
Does the mother of the bride pay for the bridal shower?
Often, the maid of honor and her fellow bridesmaids throw the bridal shower and pay for it, and the mother of the bride contributes. With this model, the bridal party pays for the bridal shower for the most part and split the price, but the parents of the bride may contribute some part of the expenses.
What do you serve at a bridal shower tea?
15 Creative Ideas For A Classy AF Bridal Shower Tea Party of 15. Raspberry Almond Scones. ... of 15. BLT Crostini. ... of 15. Black Forest Cupcakes. ... of 15. Avocado and Goat Cheese Mini Grilled Cheese. ... of 15. Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites. ... of 15. Melon, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella Skewers. ... of 15. Vanilla Eclairs. ... of 15.More items...•
What is the proper attire for a tea party?
Tea Attire The customary attire for men and women attending a tea is semi-formal. Often ladies sport hats, gloves and brightly colored suits and dresses. Black is never appropriate for a tea party. It is OK for a lady to wear her hat at the table; however gloves should be removed before the tea service begins.
What is bridal shower?
The bridal shower is a party hosted for the bachelorette. Her guests’ shower’ her with gifts of any kind, that can be for her personal use or her and her future spouse’s home. Brides-to-be may create a gift registry for their guests to help with ideas.
What is the bridesmaid's kitchen tea?
It is a celebration of love and friendship.
What is the game show where you put the bride and groom in the hot seat?
Just like the game show, put the bride – and/or groom – in the hot seat to answer questions about their fiancée and see how the answers compare. A similar game is wedding jeopardy where guests can answer questions about the couple – or weddings in general – instead.
What are some good questions to ask bridesmaids?
On each wrapped layer is written a question and everyone has to decide who it suits. The winner gets the prize from the next layer. The questions might be: who has the best-painted toenails? Who is the tallest? Who has the longest hair? Who is wearing the most jewellery? Who has the highest heels? And the list goes on with many more questions that Bridesmaids will have fun writing. The game brings out competitiveness in a fun way, and some of the comments from the older guests, especially are usually priceless!
What is the most popular pre-wedding celebration?
One of the most popular pre-wedding celebrations is the bridal shower. Or is it the kitchen tea? They are similar, but there are a few differences.
Why do bridesmaids shower?
The bridal shower (sometimes called kitchen tea) is put on by the bridesmaids to prepare the bride for her impending marriage. Tradition has it that a bride would be preparing to set up her own home for the first time and so her bridesmaids, friends, mothers and relatives would ‘shower’ her with home-ware type gifts.
When to have a high tea before a wedding?
Many ladies opt for a high tea or luncheon, but you can keep it casual with a bring and share or barbecue in the backyard. This is often held in the week before the wedding when friends and family are in town, but some choose to hold it a couple of months earlier to keep the week a bit less busy.
What is the most similar shower?
Out of the three, Kitchen Tea & Bridal Shower are probably the most similar. They are both generally done during the day, and would involve family, friends of the bride as well as family members from the groom’s side.
What is the purpose of a wedding cake?
The purpose of it all is for close family and friends to celebrate with the bride to be and have a bit of fun before the big day.
Hosts
The first step of planning any shower is choosing the host or hosts. These loved ones will not only plan, but pay for, the majority of the shower. Here's who typically hosts each type of event.
Guests
While the guest lists may differ somewhat between a wedding shower and a bridal shower, one shower etiquette rule remains: Those invited to any shower must be invited to the actual wedding. However, not all wedding guests need to be invited to the shower.
Timing
Wedding showers and bridal showers typically take place within the same timeframe—two weeks to three months before the wedding day, often on a Saturday or Sunday and lasting between two and four hours. However, the time of day when these events take place tends to differ.
Venue
Once you have an idea of the guest count and a general timeframe when the shower will occur, it's time to choose a venue.
Gifts
Gift giving is one of the most important activities that takes place during a shower, whether it's a bridal shower or a wedding shower. However, the gifts tend to differ between the two types of pre-wedding parties.
Activities
Mingling, eating and drinking are mainstays of most bridal and wedding showers, but there are other activities that usually take place, from games to gift opening, and more.
Can you have both a wedding shower and a bridal shower?
A couple can have both a wedding shower and a bridal shower, but there are a few caveats. The events should have different hosts, different guest lists, and be held in different locations.
What is the difference between a bridal shower and a wedding shower?
Although both have aspects to them that make them special pre-wedding parties in their own manner, a bridal shower is meant for the bride while a wedding shower is organized for both the bride and ...
Who hosts a bridal shower?
Bridal showers, on the other hand, are a bit different. These parties are generally hosted by the maid of honor (or the person closest to you, the bride). They can take the place of traditional bachelorette parties. With that being said, it is important to notate the guest lists for bridal showers.
What is a couples shower?
Wedding showers are parties held prior to the wedding day and include a guest list that is comprised of people from the groom and the bride’s side of the family and friends.
What You're Celebrating
"A bridal shower is for family and friends—it's a day to celebrate becoming a bride," says Ashley Paul, a wedding planner and floral designer with C & A Event Planning. "Oftentimes, a bridal shower is a Pinterest-inspired event. Enjoy a low-key afternoon of delicious food, baked goods and wine with your close friends and family."
Who's Invited
The bridal shower guest list includes the bridal party, family members on both the bride's side and her partner's side, and close friends who are on the wedding guest list. There can be several bridal showers over the course of an engagement, some of which have larger guests lists and others that are more intimate.
Who Hosts the Event
As the bride, you're relieved of all hosting duties for pre-wedding parties. After all, you're doing enough for the wedding day. Traditionally, the bridal shower is hosted either by the maid of honor and some members of the wedding party, or a group of the bride's close family members, such as her mother, sister, aunt, grandmother or mother-in-law.
When It's Held
Timing depends on schedules (especially if travel is involved) and venue availability, but there are some general guidelines to follow regarding timing.
What to Wear
While bridal showers aren't always the same, they're typically dressier events. (If there was ever a time for that Lilly Pulitzer dress, this is it.) The bride often wears a white dress, but you should wear whatever you feel most comfortable in, whether that's a bright blue dress or a floral jumpsuit.
What to Bring
Bridal showers are centered around gift giving. Bridal shower gifts are typically registry items that will help the couple set up their new life (and home) together. However, it's not unusual for people to go off-registry and gift the bride something sentimental.
