Bridal shower planning is no joke, ladies.
Maybe I’m bias because I’m helping to plan 4 this year, but I think they require the most amount of planning. First of all, you’re working with more party plannin’ gals than usual (all of the bridesmaids want to help!).
But you also want to make it so special for your bride. This should be her only bridal shower ever! That’s huge! It should be a reflection of your bride who deserves the most beautiful party ever, and should and will feel like a queen.
So how do you accomplish all that without breakin’ the bank? Oh girl, I’ve got you covered..
1: Don’t Rent
Host at your house or someone else’s home. Maybe you know someone who has a beautiful home that’s big enough to host? I bet they would let you host there for free or for a minimal price point.
Side note: this is also why having several people helping plan the shower is better. The more people, the more connections!
2: If you have it in a beautiful place, you don’t need many decorations to feel fancy.
It’s true, the nicer the place, the less decorations necessary. This is something to consider when scoping out possible venues. Know someone with a big, ancient house that’s recently been renovated? How about a fancy ball-room with big, cascading windows?
3: Make your invitation method cost-effective.
Deciding whether to send out paper invitations or just a Facebook invite is usually very hard for me. But the way I like to think of it is: if people are going to be bringing presents, go with paper.
If the guests are going to be spending their money on a party, you don’t want to seem cheap in any way. If it’s just a small little shindig though don’t have any shame in your game!
There are cheaper ways to do paper invitations, too. My favorite way is finding a cost-effective invite template on Etsy. Support small business and have cute invites? Win-win.
I always make sure that I buy ones with minimal color to save money on printing costs, whether you have that done professionally or you do it at home. Either way, the less color involved, the cheaper it’ll be!
4: Keep your invite list small.
No need to invite Grandma’s second cousin twice removed unless she’s your best bud. Obviously, you want to make sure that your bride-to-be is happy with the invite list. But hey, there’s no harm in keeping her in check!
The less people, the less mouths to feed, invitations to send, and chairs to provide.
5: Host at brunch time = you’re not buying a meal and spending a fortune on catering.
Catering a meal, whether you hire it out or DIY it yourself gets $$expensive$$. If that is a non-negotiable for you then there are definitely ways to make it cost-effective.
But the most cost-effective way to feed people an entire meal is to…well…don’t.
Feeding people finger foods at a brunch/late lunch time is 100% acceptable for a shower. Don’t do more than you have to, unless it’s a sacrifice you’re willing to make!
6: Wait, hired catering? Yeah, LOL. DIY it girl.
If you do decide to cater a meal, DIYing it is always the best option. There are always ways to make it as affordable as possible.
My favorite way is giving everyone helping plan one or two items to bring. This helps spread out the cost. Making sides and desserts at home is easily accomplished, and then you would all just split the cost of the main dish. Viola!
7: DIY your own games and prizes
There are so many cute ideas on Pinterest. Using Microsoft Word and Publisher, you can pretty much create the cutest games of all time. Always create yourself first!
And before you go to Walmart and buy some, check Etsy first. You can usually save money purchasing from small-business owners on Etsy and printing them yourself!
8: While you’re at it, DIY your decorations as well.
Decorating is my favorite part! Handmade decorations is kinda my jam.
Deciding on a theme is of utmost importance. You can go with something ultra-specific like a Friends TV Show (kinda my dream to throw this bridal shower) or something less specific, like a garden tea party.
Once the theme is decided by your bride, then be creative! Use Pinterest, find alternative methods, and have your best girls over for a craft night.
There you have it! Eight ways to make your next bridal shower cost-effective and absolutely lovely.
I’m thrilled that you stopped by here on my little corner of the interweb to learn all about this. If you found it helpful could you do one little thing? If you repinned this post on Pinterest it would absolutely make my day!
Until next time,
