We've all been there: You're at a bridal shower and solidly into hour two of watching the bride unwrap gifts. No one wants to "ooh" and "ahh" over the third blender she's unwrapped that day. If you're a bride interested in avoiding this very situation and doing something a bit less traditional, perhaps it's time to consider a display shower.
What Is a Display Shower?
At a display shower, guests bring unwrapped gifts and put them on display with name tags labeling who gave what. This cuts down on the time spent unwrapping gifts and can also be eco-friendly.
Jennifer Spector, Zola newlywed-at-large, explains how it works. "During a traditional bridal shower, the majority of the time is spent watching the bride as she unwraps her gifts," Spector says. "[Display showers] are really designed for brides who don't want to stop the party. But you can't go wrong with either one."
We tapped Spector, Ashley Douglass of Ashley Douglass Events, and Tracey Goldstein, founder and design coordinator of Polka Dot Events, to elaborate on what a display shower is, how it works, and advice on how to throw one.
Jennifer Spector is the director of brand marketing for Zola, a leading online wedding registry, planner, and retailer.
Ashley Douglass is the founder of Ashley Douglass Events, a wedding and event planning company based in Connecticut and NYC.
Tracey Goldstein is the design coordinator of Polka Dot Events, a full-service wedding planning, coordinating, and design company serving NYC, Philadephia, Seattle, and beyond.
Read ahead for how to pull off this type of bash.
How to Explain It
Are you a maid of honor who is stumped over how to explain this choice to guests? "A long explanation isn't necessary—usually you can just tell your guests to bring their gifts unwrapped, then designate one person at the shower to place name tags on all of the gifts," Spector says. "It limits confusion, cleanup is minimal, and the bride will for sure know who gave her what. Guests shouldn't feel uncomfortable with a bride's decision to do a display shower. It's a day to celebrate her, plus she's saved them the hassle of wrapping their gifts, too!"
If you're hosting the bash, Douglass suggests keeping it lighthearted on the invite with something like: "In efforts to save time unwrapping and more time conversing, please save your wrapping paper for the next birthday party you attend," or saying it's a "green" shower.
Thanking Your Guests
If you're a bride going the nontraditional route, it doesn't mean you should skip acknowledging gifts altogether, says Goldstein. She recommends that the bride stand up and acknowledge each gift individually. It doesn't have to be much longer than "Thank you so much, Aunt Brenda, for this amazing spa gift certificate; I can't wait to use it!"
"I think it's the right thing to do," Goldstein says. "It's a nice time to appreciate your guests; I still think that's important."
Potential for Awkwardness
A display shower may not be the choice for everyone, though. It can create a sticky situation for guests who are giving an extremely personal (or racy!) gift. "It can be sensitive, and also there may be some gifts guests give that are highly personal and they prefer to hand you a wrapped gift to be opened in private," Douglass says.
"What if a gift is a real surprise and not something you necessarily put on any registry? It may be more fun to be able to unwrap the item, at home or in front of everyone," she adds. "People often give brides undergarments and it may look silly to walk into a shower with a table filled with gag gifts like edible underwear."
What's more, a display bridal shower can set up an expectation that guests absolutely must bring gifts to a shower. "You don't want your bridal shower to turn into a gift-giving showdown," Spector says. "So it's important to mention that gifts, while appreciated, are not necessary."
One Last Thing to Remember
It may have completely slipped your mind, but if you're hosting a display shower, consider how the bride will get those gifts home. Often, brides and the bridal party repurpose gift bags to help carry presents home—if everything's unwrapped, then there are no gift bags lying around. If you're hosting the bridal shower, make sure to have a few reusable bags on hand for the end of the festivities.
What Is a Bridal Shower? All the Planning and Etiquette Advice You Need to Know
The main difference between a display shower and a typical bridal shower is in how the gifts from guests are presented. "Instead of wrapping the gifts, they are displayed for everyone to see, making the presentation part of the event's aesthetics or decor," says Kukoyi.
What Is a Display Shower? At a display shower, guests bring unwrapped gifts and put them on display with name tags labeling who gave what. This cuts down on the time spent unwrapping gifts and can also be eco-friendly.
“Your thoughtful gift will be put on display,So there's no need to wrap it in any way. A ribbon or bow will do just fine, And give us more time to visit and dine!”
But generally, etiquette says you should limit the number of bridal showers to two or three. If you do have more than one bridal shower, be sure to invite each guest to only one of them. Otherwise, it may look like the bride-to-be is trying to obtain multiple bridal shower gifts from each guest!
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. Some etiquette rules were meant to fade away into oblivion, like the one about family members of the bride not hosting her bridal shower.
If no one specifies otherwise, bring your shower gift wrapped and ready to open. If the bride wants to follow tradition, use a ribbon to complete your gift wrap. It's customary for the maid of honor to collect the ribbons from each gift to create a bouquet for the bride to use during the ceremony rehearsal.
Order 4×4 or 4×6 Prints of photos with each guest's face and display on mini easels or place card holders. Customize one of our Photo Mugs with images of the couple and use them in place of vases to hold your flowers. Our Love Blocks, Colorblock Love and Watercolor Love designs are all great choices for bridal showers.
Setting up a gift card display on your wedding gift table can literally be as simple as putting a basket on the table and tossing the first few gift cards into it. Subsequent guests will follow your lead and drop their cards into the basket as well. By “basket,” I do mean all sorts of crates and barrels.
If you're going all out with an elaborate bridal shower, you could be talking $40 to $150 or more (gasp!) per person. Even a small, elaborate bridal shower (think 15 guests) could cost between $600 and $2,250—and that's before invitations, decorations and cake.
Key Takeaway: The host is the one who usually pays for the bridal shower. However, if needed, others can help, too. The planning process can be a beautiful collaboration between the maid of honor, the bridesmaids, the bride's mother, and the groom's mother. And yes, even the bride can join in if she wants!
Bridal showers are a joyful pre-wedding tradition—and with up to 72% of soon-to-be-married couples celebrating their upcoming nuptials with a wedding or bridal shower, chances are you'll attend or host one at some point.
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 Grandfather of the Bride and/or Groom may also be considered.
The Mother of the Groom Can Co-Host the Bridal Shower
Tombs says this event is generally hosted by the mother of the bride or the bride's closest friends. If the mother of the groom is very close with the bride, then she may feel as though it's her duty to pitch in, too.
Traditionally, the guest list includes the bride's close female friends and family members, like her bridesmaids, mother, sisters, and future in-laws," she shares. "However, in 2024, bridal showers can also include close male friends or relatives if the bride wishes.
Not only do these enclosures offer sleek, modern design but they also provide superior safety and security, as well as easy cleaning and maintenance. Additionally, glass shower enclosures make bathrooms look bigger and brighter due to the transparency of the material used in their construction.
An outdoor shower is great for rinsing off muddy kids after soccer practice. It's also an easy way to rinse dirt and mud off of bikes and other sports equipment before storing it. Keeping sand, dirt and mud out of your bathtub drains also helps prevent plumbing clogs. Bathing dogs indoors can be a challenge.
The most immediate benefit of a table shower massage is profound relaxation; the warm water helps to soothe nerves and reduce stress, making it an excellent choice for those looking to unwind.
For fixed shower heads, the rubber washer is usually pre-installed inside of the shower head threads - often with an embedded screen to filter out debris.
Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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