Bridal shower invitations are one of the first steps in planning a wedding. As the best woman, it’s your job to help create a memorable celebration for your bride-to-be. You can do this by choosing a fun theme and sending out beautiful invitations that include all of the details guests need to know about this special event.
Who Is Invited to a Bridal Shower?
The bride is the focus of attention at a bridal shower, so it’s traditional for only women to be invited. If you have any close male friends who wish to attend, that’s fine! Many couples choose to include both men and women in their special day because they want those closest to them there.
If you’re unsure whether or not it’s appropriate for your male friends to attend, ask the bride. If she wants them there, then feel free to invite them along!
Here is a quick-reference list of who to invite to a bridal shower:
- The mother of the bride and the mother of the groom.
- Grandmothers from both sides.
- Sisters of the bride and the groom.
- The bride’s closest family members, including aunts and cousins.
- The maid-of-honor (if she’s not the host) and the bridesmaids.
- The bride’s closest girlfriends.
Wedding Shower Timeline and When to Send Bridal Shower Invitations
Wedding showers are often held between two weeks and two months before the wedding. A good rule of thumb is to plan your bridal shower as soon as possible, but at least four or five months before you want it to happen. This gives you plenty of time for all the details to be done without being too close to the big day itself.
One reason for this timing is that there’s lots of work involved in planning a party like this! Not only do you need invitations and decorations, but also food and drinks (and maybe even favors). If you wait until the last minute, it will be harder—or even impossible—to get everything done on time.
When is the proper time to send bridal shower invitations? This invitation should be sent eight weeks before the party. Send out your bridal shower invitations eight weeks before the wedding so people from out of town can plan their trip accordingly.
The following checklist will help you prepare and send stunning bridal shower invitations:
1. Confirm the nearest and dearest. Get your guest list started by asking the bride who she wants to invite to the shower. Next, ask the bride or wedding host for the master guest list, which contains names and addresses of the guests.
Tips: It is not appropriate to invite anyone to the shower who isn’t invited to the wedding in general. All rules have exceptions, however.
- Destination weddings: If the couple is planning a destination wedding, the bridal shower will probably be larger than ever with many guests who have never been to the destination.
- Office bridal shower: If a co-worker is throwing the bride-to-be an office bridal shower, it probably will be a surprise party. At this point, a host is perfectly fine inviting co-workers to the gathering who aren’t invited to the wedding.
2. Choose a date and time. After you have a date, work with the bride-to-be and wedding host to avoid double-booking or planning events too close to each other.
3. Celebrate the bride’s style. A wedding shower usually revolves around a certain theme, from classic brunches and tea parties to wine tastings and destination showers.
Which theme is best for a wedding? If you want to make the shower a theme, make sure that it is all about the bride. Whether they have a certain hobby or hobby, you can incorporate them into the shower.
The best way to support the bride-to-be is to incorporate her favorite things into the party, whether it’s a sport or the fact that she loves wine.
5. Select your bridal shower invitations. The fun part is here. Start by focusing on invitations that reflect your theme and the formality of your event. Wording for specific bridal shower invitations can help you understand what type of concept the bridal shower will have.
The invitations to your bridal shower are important, whether you’re planning a formal event at a country club, an afternoon dining trip with your bride-to-be or an intimate gathering at home. They will set the tone for the event.
5. Add appropriate event details. If you include the date, time, and location of the party, you will want to include bridal shower invitation wording that is unique to your party, such as if the guest needs to bring a gift that fits the theme.
What to Include in a Bridal Shower Invitation
When planning a bridal shower, there are several things you should include in your invitations. These can be as simple as who’s hosting the event and where it will be held, or they can include more specific details such as whether or not there is a theme or dress code. Here are some examples of what you might want to include.
| What to include | Simple how-to |
| The name of the host | While the maid-of-honor is usually the host of a bridal shower, it’s also common for the mother of the bride to host the shower with help from the bridesmaids. Other family members such as sisters, aunts and cousins can also give showers. |
| The name of the bride-to-be | This is, of course, the woman being showered with gifts. |
| The date of the party | Select a day that is at least two to three months before the wedding day. |
| The time of the shower | A brunch bridal shower is usually between 10am and 2pm; a lunch party can start from 11am and 3pm; and a dinner shower can begin anytime between 5pm and 7pm. |
| The venue and address | Unless you’re planning a destination shower, choose a venue or location that’s close to the bride. |
| The RSVP date and how to respond | Select an RSVP date that’s two to four weeks before the party. |
| The theme, if any | A bridal shower theme tells guests how formal the shower will be, and sometimes even dictates the type of gift they will have to bring. You can announce your theme with a quote or by picking an invitation in the same style. |
| Registry information | You can either add the registry information in the main invitation or insert a separate registry card that tells guests where the bride-to-be is registered. |
Bridal Shower Invitation Wording Examples
The words on your invitation—along with the design—will indicate how formal or casual, how traditional or modern, the shower will be. More traditional gatherings may want to open with bridal shower invitation wording like:
- “Please join us for a bridal shower honoring [bride].”
- “Help us shower [bride] with love.”
- “Come celebrate [bride] before she ties the knot.”
For alternative wording, try something more playful, such as:
- “A toast to the soon-to-be Mrs.”
- “Let’s help this Miss become a Mrs.”
- “Pop! Fizz! Clink! Twirl! Help us celebrate our favorite girl!”
Here are some other fun wording examples based on specific themes:
- “Let’s Pamper the Bride-to-Be”
- “Traveling from Miss to Mrs.”
- “Brunch & Bubbly”
- “Fall in Love”
- “I Do BBQ”
- “Love is Brewing”
Wording Examples By Theme
Once the shower details have been finalized, it’s time to prepare the invitations. Make sure to include the date, time, location, and street address of the shower as well as the name of the host and their email address as well. Once you have those important details covered, you can personalize your bridal shower invitation wording with playful puns or phrases. You can find creative and unique examples of some of the most popular themes below.
Formal Bridal Shower Invitation Wording
Please join us to honor
Joelle Lawrence
Sunday, March 10, 2017
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Atlantica Restaurant
44 Border Street, Cohasset, MA
Hosted by Jennifer Lawrence
RSVP by March 1st to 617-555-1212
Casual Bridal Shower Invitation Wording
Let’s Shower the Bride
Natalie White
Sunday, August 16 at 12 pm
3709 Cove Road, Seattle, Washington
Hosted by Susan Reynolds
RSVP to Susan at 555.0000 by August 10
Fun Bridal Shower Invitation Wording
Pop the Bubbly for the Bride to Be
Please join us for a bridal shower in honor of
Hailey
Saturday May 5th at 7:00 pm – Herons – 100 Ray Road, Cary, NC
Hosted by Kara Drake – RSVP 919-555-4136 by April 25th
Co-Ed Wedding Shower Invitation Wording
A Wedding Shower for
Emily & James
Sunday, May 27, 2016 at 11:00 am
275 Bronte Street, San Francisco
Hosted by Jennifer
RSVP Jen at 415-555-1212 by May 16th
Bridal Shower Invitation Wording With Registry Information
Join us for a Bridal Shower in honor of
Michelle Smith
Saturday, October 13, 2017
From 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Foreign Cinema
200 Mission Street, San Francisco
Hosted by Sarah Douglas
RSVP to Sarah at 542-555-0014 by October 1st
Michelle is registered at Bridal Boutique
Funny Wedding Shower Invitation Wording
Who doesn’t love a good pun? This funny bridal shower invitation wording reads “she found her main squeeze” alongside pretty illustrated lemons. Some other fun examples include “you donut want to miss this” (complete with a picture of a donut, of course) or a bee motif “bride to bee” invitation (or if it’s a couple’s shower: “meant to bee”). Not a fan of puns? These straightforward phrases are also great wording ideas:
- Pop the bubbly / [guest of honor]’s getting a hubby!
- Free beer (and a wedding shower!)
- Let’s prepare [guest of honor] for their happily ever after / With gifts, booze and plenty of laughter.
Tea Party Bridal Shower Invitation Wording
Hosting a formal afternoon tea party is one of the most popular bridal shower themes. Whether you’re looking for examples of wedding shower or couple’s shower invitation wording, “love is brewing” is a sweet thematic phrase that isn’t bride-specific (we’re also big fans of “let’s par-tea”). Some other cute and clever quotes for your tea party bridal shower invitations include:
- What better way to celebrate the bride-to-be / Than coming together over a cup of tea.
- Before the bride throws the bouquet / Let’s enjoy a cup of tea on this very special day.
- While the bride is still a Miss / Let’s sip some tea and share her bliss.
Country Wedding Shower Invitation Wording
Use this “boots and bubbly” sample bridal shower invitation as inspiration for a rustic affair. We also love these cheeky examples if you’re wording wedding shower invitations for a country-themed event:
- This honeysuckle has found their bee/ Let’s celebrate with a shower and a shot of whiskey!
- Strap on your boots and layer on the bling / Let’s have a shower to remember before the ring!
- She finally roped in Mr. Right / It’s time to shower her with gifts and a wild night!
Wine Bridal Shower Invitation Wording
Looking for bridal shower invitation examples for a wine-themed event? Stationery that reads “cheers to love” or “vino before vows” are both short and sweet options. If you had something a little longer in mind, consider these clever poems for your wedding shower invitation wording:
- In honor of the big day / Let’s chat and laugh over a bottle of Chardonnay!
- Let the good times roll / And the gifts and champagne flow!
- Let’s have a laugh and raise a glass / In honor of the bride-to-be!
Disney Wedding Shower Invitation Wording
The best bridal shower invitation wording for a Disney-themed bash has an element of whimsy—we love “bibbidi bobbidi bridal shower.” Or, check out this cute wedding shower invitation verbiage inspired by Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland and a classic fairytale ending:
- Be our guest at a couple’s shower in honor of [couple’s names].
- Don’t be late for this very important date.
- Once upon a time there was a bridal shower / to celebrate [guest of honor]’s happily ever after.
Brunch Bridal Shower Invitation Wording
A little alliteration goes a long way. This classy bridal shower brunch invitation reads: “brunch and bubbly.” A few other wording examples we like for brunch-themed wedding shower invitations include:
- All you need is love…and mimosas.
- First comes love…then comes brunch!
- Before this Miss becomes a Mrs. / Let’s gather for brunch and give her best wishes!
Beach Wedding Shower Invitation Wording
Planning a party inspired by the beach? “Tropic like it’s hot” shower invites will instantly put guests in vacation mode, waterfront location or not. This phrase will also work if you’re looking for fun bridal shower invitation wording that honors a destination wedding. Some other options for beach- or nautical-themed bridal shower invitations are:
- Sandy toes and salty kisses / Join us as we celebrate the future Mrs.
- Two less fish in the sea!
- Last sail before the veil! / Please join us for a bridal shower in honor of [guest of honor].
Virtual Bridal Shower Invitation Wording
It’s important to be clear when wording virtual bridal shower invitations so that guests don’t get confused about where the party is being held. Make sure to let people know whether there’ll be an actual online event, a drive-by celebration or if it’s just a shower by mail. If the event is taking place virtually, have the Zoom link ready to put on the invites before you send them out. It’s also a good idea to still include the guest of honor’s address in case attendees want to send a gift. Try these creative virtual bridal shower text ideas:
- [Guest of honor]’s getting married! / Join us as we enjoy remote rosé.
- Join us for a virtual wedding shower in honor of [couple’s names].
- Let’s get fancy over FaceTime!
Wedding Shower RSVPs Wording Ideas
RSVPs can be collected for wedding showers in a variety of ways. Everyone should be asked to respond, regardless of whether they can attend or not. This method is very useful for making sure everyone on the guest list receives an invite and confirms final numbers. Also, cut down on the number of calls, texts, or emails flooding your inbox by requesting only “regrets only” instead. That way, only those who can’t attend will get in touch.
In general, whoever organizes the shower usually includes their phone number or email address on the invitations for RSVPs. Formal responses are optional. The RSVP information is usually found below the venue and above registered services. Don’t know where to begin with wording? Use one of these bridal shower invitation formats:
- RSVP to [your name] at [your phone number] by May 12th.
- Reply by 12.05.2022 to [your name] at [your email address].
- Kindly RSVP to [your name] at [your phone number] or [your email address] by 12/05.
Bridal Shower Invitation Wording Ideas for Gifts
Let’s stop you here if you’re wondering how to word asking for money for wedding shower invitations. Generally, asking for cash gifts for a wedding shower invitation is not considered appropriate. Although it’s no longer taboo for couples to request monetary wedding gifts from loved ones, it’ll still be important to remain polite and go about it the right way. If the happy couple has a cash fund on the wedding registry, the best thing to do is provide their registry as normal and let guests decide whether or not to contribute to the fund or pick something else as a shower gift.
Invitations for bridal showers that request gift cards are almost the same. Use the couple’s wedding registry when possible. In the case of a couple who do not have a registry or do not allow cash funds/gift cards, word of mouth is the best way to communicate with their loved ones. Let the wedding party or close friends or family members know that cash gifts and gift cards are important to the couple. That way, if they’re approached by other guests for gift inspiration, they can pass on the hint.
In general, registration information is included at the bottom of the invitation. Here are a few simple registry invitation templates you can follow:
- [Guest of honor] is registered at Macy’s and Target.
- [Guest of honor #1] and [guest of honor #2] are registered at Amazon.
- Registry at Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel.
How to Decide Between Printed vs Email Invitations
Do you want printed or email bridal shower invitations? For some, it’s as simple as knowing the bride’s preferences. For others, not so much.
Check out our pros and cons list for both types of bridal shower invitations if you’re struggling to decide which option is best for you.
Printed Invitation Pros:
Printed Invitation Cons:
Email Invitation Pros:
Email Invitation Cons:
Conclusion
After reading this article, you should have a better idea of how to make the bridal shower invitation wording. Hopefully, the examples and tips we shared here will help you create an invitation that is truly personalized for your bride-to-be!
Take a look at our other articles on wedding invitations and wedding planning tools that are sure to inspire your big day.
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