Whether you are a bride, a bridesmaid, or the mother of the bride, you will likely be attending a bridal shower in the near future. Before you get started on the planning, though, there are some important things that you should know. Getting familiar with the proper etiquette of bridal showers in advance will help you to have a lovely event that everyone will enjoy.

The first thing to know is that a bridal shower is definitely a party that is all about giving gifts to the bride. From an etiquette point of view, what this means is that it is not appropriate for a bridal shower to be hosted by a bride’s mother or sisters, because it can look like they are grabbing for gifts of her behalf. A better choice for the host is one of the bridesmaids who is not a close relative of the bride’s. This does not mean that the bride’s family cannot contribute to the shower at all. For instance, if the bridesmaids all live in tiny apartments, the shower could be held at the mother of the bride’s home, but with the bridesmaids’ names on the invitations as the hosts.

An important thing that the bride should remember is that you cannot ask a friend to have a shower on your behalf. Planning a bridal shower is time consuming and expensive, and although one is usually organized by one or more of the bridesmaids, it is not one of their obligations. Chances are that one of your close friends will step up and offer to host a party for you anyway; just make sure that she does it willingly, not under pressure.

The guest list of a bridal shower should consist only of guests who are actually invited to the wedding. It is the height of rudeness to ask guests to come to a party and give you a gift without including them in the main event. The only possible exception to this is if you work in the type of office that has a cake for every imaginable event. If your co-workers want to get together and toast you before your wedding, that it their prerogative.

Traditional etiquette about shower gifts is that they should be some little item that the bride can use in her new home, or something fun for the honeymoon. In general, a shower gift should be less expensive than the wedding gift, although the trend in recent years has been towards more lavish shower gifts as well. If you are uncertain, you can always ask some of the other guests what type of gifts they are bringing to help you find a price point that will not look too extravagant nor too chintzy.

After the wedding, there is one final piece of etiquette to be observed: writing the thank you notes! It is the bride’s duty to handwrite a thoughtful note for all of her wedding gifts, from the most stunning piece of jewelry down to the lowliest potholder. And don’t put it off – this is a task that is easiest when it is tackled in the week after the shower. A good tip is to have someone make a list of the gift and the donor’s name during the shower.

There are many styles of romantic wedding invitations and it primarily comes down to personal preference. This preference can dictate which romantic invitations are chosen for the ceremony. You can take the classic route or a modern one and still have wonderfully romantic and personalized invitations that you can cherish for the rest of your lives. The best way to personalize your wedding invitations and make them especially romantic is to really sit down and plan them out; and remember, there is no need to have anyone tell you what is or is not romantic.

The colors that you choose for your wedding invitations set the mood for the entire wedding celebration. By the time you have begun designing your wedding invitations, if you have not yet settled on a color scheme, it is now the perfect time. Romantic and personalized wedding invitations can coordinate with the overall theme of the wedding. If, for example, the bridesmaid dresses are lavender, you may opt for wedding invitations that complement that color scheme. Perhaps going with some deep purples with wisteria accents is the way to go.

The embellishments that you choose to personalize your wedding invitations are also very important in making them romantic. The most common embellishment for a traditionally romantic wedding invitation is the ribbon. The ribbon that you choose for your wedding invitations should coordinate with your wedding scheme but it should also be delicate as well as tasteful. Silk and organza ribbons work well for romantic wedding invitations. The color of your ribbon should complement the rest of the invitation and coordinate with your entire wedding color scheme.

Furthermore, you may choose to embellish your invitations with elements like buttons and stitching in place of the ribbon. Whimsical embellishments such as these give your wedding a personalized feel, romantic look, and can be an excellent first introduction of your wedding to each of your guests. Hand tying ribbons as well as hand-stitching threads and buttons to your invitations are also great representations of your devotion to each other and can be evident to each invited guest.

When designing your wedding invitations, the overall look and construction is vastly important to how personalized and romantic they are, but the wording is also essential. While traditional invitation wording is perfectly acceptable, it is not as romantic as some couples would like. In an effort to make your wedding invitations more personalized and romantic, you may want to think about including a poem or perhaps even song lyrics that are special to you and your soon-to-be spouse.

While many couples may find traditional wording much more appropriate, there are couples who enjoy taking a risk together. The poem chosen for the invitation does not need to be written by a famous poet, it can even be something that the two of you made up together. The wording of your wedding invitation should always suit your personal style and most importantly show everyone how in love you two are!