Jack and Jill Wedding Showers

July 19th, 2010

A co-ed Jack and Jill shower has many things in common with a standard all-female shower. You will need invitations, food, decorations, and of course, presents. However, all of these things should be planned with a much less feminine flair than they would for a shower without the guys. Start with invitations; instead of something pink and frilly, choose a more gender neutral party invitation (it need not be specifically a bridal shower invitation, as those are likely to be very girly), such as one in green or blue instead of pink or purple. You don’t want the invitation to scare off the men you invite, after all!

Next, think about the decorations for your Jack and Jill party. Opt for a more modern and streamlined design than you might for a traditional shower. Pick a theme which is equally appealing to men and women; instead of the Victorian tea party, go for the backyard barbeque or cocktail party. Skip the lace tablecloths and wedding bells in favor of linens in an elegant dupioni (for a more formal party) or a casual print (for a very relaxed party). Create chic floral arrangements in shades of green and cream, versus pink, pink, and more pink. Attending a wedding shower will be a first time event for many of the men present, and you want to make sure that they do not feel like they accidentally stumbled into a “hen party”.

Many traditional bridal showers have games, such as making a “bridal gown” out of toilet paper or doing word scrambles with the names of kitchen tools. These games are frankly not appealing to many women, and they are certainly out of the question for a co-ed shower. A wedding party does not actually need games at all, but if you really want to include them, limit yourself to just one or two, and make them fun for everyone. The best choice is a questionnaire with questions about the bride and groom; whoever gets the most right answers wins a small prize. This is a fun game because it can spark a lot of funny answers and bring up a lot of silly old memories.

One thing that is absolutely the same for any wedding shower is that the guest of honor must thank their host appropriately. A small gift and a heartfelt letter of thanks from the bride and groom would be lovely after the Jack and Jill shower. If the hosts are bridesmaids, remember that you should get them a separate thank you gift apart from the bridesmaid jewelry you give them to thank them for being in your wedding. While bridesmaid jewelry is a wonderfully personal gift from the bride to her attendants, the hostess gift which is a joint present from the bride and groom should be a little less personal, such as a fine bottle of wine with a personalized bottle opener or a pair of theater tickets. It is a very gracious way to show your appreciation for the Jack and Jill wedding shower.

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Bridal Showers

May 29th, 2008

Bridal showers are a very fun part of the celebrations surrounding a wedding. Traditionally, bridal showers were all-female affairs, which were held to help a young bride set up her household. It was popular to have themes for the shower, such as a kitchen theme where all of the gifts should help stock her kitchen.

Modern wedding showers tend to be co-ed affairs that are more like cocktail parties + presents. Barware is a common gift theme for this type of shower. To get the groom and male invitees to attend, avoid cutesy names like “Jack-and-Jill” showers!

And brides, please remember that being the center of all this attention does come with a few (minor) responsibilities beyond just showing up and looking gorgeous (your main job). Do be sure to send thank you notes for each gift received. Also, don’t neglect to send a little thank you gift to your hostess after the shower (this would be in addition to her bridesmaid gift if she is one of your attendants). Everyone loves a gracious bride.

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