Showers & Parties Etiquette
- Question:
My friends and family are throwing a bridal shower for me in Michigan, where we live. I’m sure his family won’t come because they live in Maine. Should we invite them anyway? I don’t want to look greedy.
- Answer:
Absolutely invite them. It's a nice gesture that shows you're thinking of them and wish they could be there, even though it's unlikely that they'll attend. By the way, you don't have to invite every female on your fiancé's guest list. A shower is supposed to be a party for a bride's closest friends and family members, so send invites to his immediate kin (mother, grandmothers, sisters) and maybe a few of his closest friends. It's doubtful that they'll think you're being greedy—in fact, they're more likely to feel slighted if you leave them out.
- This content originally appeared in Brides magazine.
- Can I invite the same friends to more than one shower?
- Should my sisters plan my shower?
- Can the groom's dad attend the bachelor party?
- Should we invite out-of-town family to the shower?
- Can I invite male friends to my bridal shower?
- Can I ask the best man to organize a bachelor party for my fiancé?
- Do I have to open gifts at the shower?
- Can I ask my best friend to change the plans for my bachelorette party?
- Should all of the bridesmaids attend the bachelorette party?
- When should I host my bridesmaids' lunch?
- Should we have an engagement party?
- How formal is rehearsal dinner dress?
- Can a mother-in-law host a shower?
- Are rehearsal dinners mandatory?
Submit Your Own Etiquette Question
Have an etiquette question you'd like our editors to answer?
- Who pays for the shower?
- Do guests expect a morning-after brunch?
- Can I ask shower guests to write their names and addresses down to help me write the thank-you notes?
- Must grandparents be invited to the rehearsal dinner?
- Can I invite friends to a shower but not the wedding?
- Should my fiancé treat his groomsmen to a pre-wedding baseball game and dinner?
- How do I tell my fiancé that I'm unhappy with his bachelor party plans?
- Can I plan my own bachelorette party?
- Must my shower include the groom's sisters and mother?
- What's a bridal luncheon?
- Can I host my own shower?
- How can I convince my bridesmaids to pay for a bachelorette weekend?
- Must all female guests get shower invites?
- Is a bridesmaids' luncheon a must?
- Who pays for the bachelorette party?
- Do we have to invite my sister's boyfriend to the rehearsal dinner?
- Should I invite my bridesmaids to all of my showers?
