Reply #37: Best I can do... [View All]

[IzaSparrow]

"Legend has it, the first bridal shower was held in Holland. The bride-to-be was rather well off, while her fiancé, a local miller, was not. Her father forbade the wedding and cut off her dowry. The couple married anyway and endured tough times financially. To help them out, many of the townspeople had a party for them and bestowed upon them many useful household items."

--http://weddings.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Bridal_Shower

So it seems that the tradition began as an informal gathering for support for the bride-to-be.

Who gets invited? The wedding industry says

"Start off by asking the bride for a guest list! (If it's a surprise, talk to her mother, or her fiancé). You'll want to make sure that you're not inviting anyone who won't be invited to the wedding, and the only way to know that is to ask directly. Remember to invite close female relatives of both the bride and groom, as well as all the women in the wedding party and the bride's close friends. While bridal showers are traditionally all women, today, many are co-ed affairs celebrating both the bride and groom."

--http://weddings.about.com/od/theweddingparty/a/showerbasics.htm


So I'll resign to being on the wrong side of the debate.

Cheers all,
Iza