Forecast: Showers Ahead
The wedding dress is chosen, bridesmaids' attire ordered, reception hall booked, guest list honed, and Save-the-Dates sent. Now, we're in high shower-planning season. The girls in the family are planning a "do" in August, and the church-lady-friends are asking about a good date to toss a little gift-giving orgy. (Church ladies? Orgy? Oh, well.) Kate's friends are looking ahead to shower her, as well.
Bride and I talked the other day about what kind of showers she should have. Back in the olden days (1970s) the obligatory showers were as follows:
Bride and I talked the other day about what kind of showers she should have. Back in the olden days (1970s) the obligatory showers were as follows:
- China/Crystal/Silver, usually given by yo' mama's friends and the, well, yeah, church ladies
- Kitchen (the gizmo shower)
- Linen (my personal favorite)
- Miscellaneous (the hodge-podge shower)
- Lingerie, usually given by your bridesmaids with the young folk in attendance
Sometimes you'd have two or three miscellaneous showers, depending on the number of family and not-quite-China/Crystal/Silver-friends owed yo' mama for past shower gifts. The shower season was intense but lucrative. Mmmm.
There don't seem to be as many showers these days, I think because the guest list has to be so pared down with $100/head receptions. Way back, you sent out as many invitations as you wanted and enclosed a reception card if the guest was invited to the party afterwards. And nobody got noses out of joint for just getting the wedding invite and not the reception invite, as well. Keep in mind that the reception consisted of mints, nuts, wedding cake (bride and groom's cakes), and some alcohol-free punch. I'm guessing the cost was about $2.95/head. My point is that there was a big pool of wedding guests to draw several showers from. Not so now.
Anyway, I told Bride: definitely linen and miscellaneous showers. No need anymore for the China/Crystal thing - whoever is going to splurge on that will do it for the wedding gift. Kitchen shower is nice, but they have tons of kitchen stuff already and anymore stuff is gravy. Her girls will give her a lingerie shower.
My problem is attending the showers, since I'm in New York and all the shower goings on in Atlanta. Folks are trying to group them so that I'm in town for most. Yeah!
Showers are great fun and, as I said, lucrative. The down-side? All those thank-you notes!
There don't seem to be as many showers these days, I think because the guest list has to be so pared down with $100/head receptions. Way back, you sent out as many invitations as you wanted and enclosed a reception card if the guest was invited to the party afterwards. And nobody got noses out of joint for just getting the wedding invite and not the reception invite, as well. Keep in mind that the reception consisted of mints, nuts, wedding cake (bride and groom's cakes), and some alcohol-free punch. I'm guessing the cost was about $2.95/head. My point is that there was a big pool of wedding guests to draw several showers from. Not so now.
Anyway, I told Bride: definitely linen and miscellaneous showers. No need anymore for the China/Crystal thing - whoever is going to splurge on that will do it for the wedding gift. Kitchen shower is nice, but they have tons of kitchen stuff already and anymore stuff is gravy. Her girls will give her a lingerie shower.
My problem is attending the showers, since I'm in New York and all the shower goings on in Atlanta. Folks are trying to group them so that I'm in town for most. Yeah!
Showers are great fun and, as I said, lucrative. The down-side? All those thank-you notes!
3 Comments:
Holy smokes, Mary. I only ever had one bridal shower. Had I known that I could have had several.... My mom always said that people really need showers after being married for 15 years because then everything you own is getting all worn out. Hmmm. I'm celebrating 15 in June. Maybe I'll have to remind her of that.
I hope that Bride enjoys all of the showers thrown in her honor and that you are able to attend.
And I'd bet that Kate's a cracker jack at the thank-you note, having you for a mom!
It won't be long now, will it? I'm getting excited for you both.
By
Elsie, At
May 21, 2008 at 12:58 PM
I have to agree with Elsie. It would be great to do a "rain-check" shower for say, oh, 15 years from now to replace everything that out of date, broken, etc. I've been honing in on my thank-you writing skills so those should be prefected by wedding day.
K
By
Anonymous, At
May 21, 2008 at 3:52 PM
elsie - It must be a Southern thing. Lots of showers. It gives your mother's friends something to do for a while. ;-)
Kate - If you want to throw a shower for me, go right ahead. Oh, wait - that's Christmas, isn't it?
Bro - you know you're invited. I'm guessing the mule train hasn't made it up the side of the mountain yet.
By
MaryB, At
June 13, 2008 at 5:58 AM
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