Bridal showers date back to the 1860’s in Europe and began as dowry parties when the family of the bride did not have enough money to provide a dowry for their daughter. By the 1890’s the upper class of America were holding bridal showers for the bride to be and by 1903 bridal showers were popular throughout all of the American populations.  

Today, the wedding or bridal shower is an accepted part of the wedding traditions. Why call it a shower?  Research on Wikipedia tells us that it "may derive from the custom in Victorian times for the presents to be put inside a parasol, which when opened would "shower" the bride-to-be with gifts."

Today the wedding shower can be held for the bride alone or sometimes the couple. Either way the shower is a great way for friends to extend congratulations and well wishes for the bride and her fiancé.  The wedding shower is usually held 2 months to 1 week before the wedding. Even though it is thought that the bridesmaids are responsible to host the wedding shower that is not necessarily true. The shower can be hosted by friends of the bride or couple or friends of the family.  If the bridesmaids do decide to host the shower, it is important that they divide the duties and the financial responsibility evenly.  

Wedding showers can be casual or elegant. They may have a theme or be held at an exciting venue. Day spas are increasingly becoming great venues to have a bridal shower along with a nice relaxing day of beauty treatments.  Some spas will have a designated space for a light luncheon where the gifts can be opened.  Another great venue is a winery where the guests enjoy wine tasting or pairings.  Wedding showers can definitely have themes and the gifts can fit around the theme. It is always helpful if the couple has a bridal registry with a wide variance of pricing to help the guest fit something the couple really needs in the buyer’s budget. Another thing to remember is that usually if a guest is invited to the shower, they will also be expecting an invitation to the wedding. No matter if the shower is in a home or a favorite restaurant, the general rules of event planning applies here. Decide on a date, a location and a budget!

So what about those rowdy bachelor parties we hear about?  

It sometimes seems that guys are having a bit more fun! Bachelor parties have a long history. Believe it or not they have been the custom since the 5th century B.C. It is believed that the ancient Spartans were the first to make a celebration out of the groom's last night as a single man. Spartan soldiers held a dinner in their friend's honor and made toasts on his behalf according to a Time Magazine article written in June of 2009, right after the release of the movie, The Hangover which focused on a weekend long bachelor party in Las Vegas.

But in reality most bachelor parties a little more low-key. They are usually hosted by the best man and the groomsmen with all the guys contributing to the expenses. The guests should be close friends of the groom and the fathers of the couple could be invited also. Again, whoever is invited to the bachelor party is invited to the wedding. Bachelor parties are designed to give the groom one last night as a single person, true, but the party doesn’t have to include wild entertainment. If there is a form of entertainment, it should not be embarrassing, hurtful or humiliating to the guest of honor. It is good idea to ask the groom what he might like to get some ideas on what should and should not be part of the party. And if alcohol is involved it might not be a good idea to hold it the night before the wedding.  The groom will want to be focused on his wedding day, not sporting a huge headache!

Some ideas for the bachelor party could be a great golf outing or maybe a day at a sporting event. A simple night of poker at someone’s home may be the ticket. Another idea is to have an all-male get away weekend at a ski resort or on a fishing boat.  Also contact your favorite sports bar or an interactive venue such as a bowling alley or a game place like Dave & Buster’s, you will be able o order a simple menu and reserve a space for the guys to enjoy themselves. And maybe a trip to Las Vegas is the answer, just make sure everyone gets home!