Planning a Bridal Shower

Why Have a Bridal Shower?

A bridal shower is a fun way for a woman's friends and family to celebrate her, prior to the wedding. As they "shower" her with gifts, they prepare her to start her own household. Historically, bridal showers started when women wanted to marry "unsuitable husbands" and thus their families refused to provide a dowry. Friends of the couple gathered to pitch in and make up for the lack of a dowry by helping them set up house. Today, they are a time to share stories, eat great food, and pay special attention to the bride.

Who Throws the Bridal Shower?

Typically, the maid of honor hosts the bridal shower, unless she is a member of the bride's immediate family. (Many etiquette guides frown on a family member hosting, because it looks like she's trying to get gifts for the bride. Often the mother of the bride and/or the bride's sister will still be involved, just not technically be the host. Others realize that in this modern world, a relative is sometimes the only appropriate host.)

For an informal or casual shower, the maid of honor or host picks up all the costs. For a more elaborate shower, she may talk to the other bridesmaids and get them to agree on chipping in or splitting costs at the beginning of the planning process. And of course she can, and should, ask the other bridesmaids to help with set up, planning, decorating, etc.

Where to Have the Bridal Shower

Frequently, it takes place at a bridesmaid's home, but you can choose any place where you like to throw a party, such as a favorite restaurant, a park, a beach, or the zoo. You can also choose to have theme showers at paint-your-own-pottery studios, beauty salons, galleries or other favorite party spots. It's okay to not pick up all costs, as long as you tell guests beforehand. For example, an invitation to a restaurant shower might say "We'll celebrate with a dutch lunch (entrees cost about $10) followed by cake and champagne in the garden" or a spa invitation might say "We've got the room reserved at XYZ spa. Call the spa directly to book your appointment. Instead of a present, bring $25 to pay for the bride's treatments and send her on her way with a deluxe spa gift certificate."

When to Have the Bridal Shower

The shower should take place anywhere from 6 months before to the week of the wedding. If many guests are traveling from out of town, it may make sense to have it close to the wedding, so they can attend. Otherwise, it can be nice to have it four months or more before the wedding, so that it will add to anticipation, without adding to a bride's last minute stress. (Some etiquette guides say to wait until after the wedding invitations have gone out, but I think it's fine to do it earlier, as long as all shower invitees will definitely be invited to the wedding itself.) As for time of day, the traditional time is Sunday afternoon, but really any time day or night is fine.

Do You Need to have a Bridal Shower?

It's up to you, and your bridal party! While it's often a very fun afternoon, some bride's feel uncomfortable with the attention. Others may not want to ask their friends for more gifts. Make sure the bride wants a shower before starting to plan one.

Who Should You Invite?

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.

What Happens During a Shower?

You'll find that most of the party will be spent eating, laughing, telling stories and opening presents. Food can be as simple as picnic staples and crudite to an elaborate spread with a theme related to the couple. As the bride open presents, have some nice music playing in the background. Make thank-you note writing easier by picking someone to write down the gifts and their giver. If you're having the party at home, you may want to have some bridal shower games to keep the party moving.

What Your Wedding Colors Say About You

      What Your Wedding Colors Say About You

The colors you choose for your big day reflect your personality and style. You can create a sophisticated environment or a whimsical escape. Colors can influence moods and exude sensuality, coziness, earthiness and youthfulness. With tasteful variations from vibrant to pastel and shimmery to matte, your wedding day colors speak volumes about you and what you hold dear. Whether you choose your favorite colors for your wedding or select hues to complement the current season, we have compiled a list of some wedding color choices and what they say about you.

Black: A conservative choice, black complements almost any color, especially lighter hues. Dignified and mysterious, black denotes sexiness and sophistication with a modern twist. Black is classic, never trendy, alluding to a modern bride. As an opulent choice, black is timelessly elegant. 

White: Symbolic of purity and innocence, white has strong connotations of youth and perfection. White aficionados seek excellence and enlightenment, as simplicity and recognition are constant ventures. White is a glorious hue (or lack thereof) that denotes a clean palette or fresh start for those who seek serenity and peace.

Red: A passionate, romantic choice, red is impulsive and outgoing. Depicted as zealous and ambitious, red symbolizes love and rage. Whether it denotes joy, celebration, happiness or prosperity, red elicits a dramatic response from both sides of the emotional spectrum. Red lovers tend to be restless and optimistic and go along with people with uncomplicated natures. A powerful selection, red is sure to represent a fiery hostess with 'look at me' flair.

Pink: A softer, girlish choice, pink is the sweeter side of red. A delicate hue, pink represents a sensitive heart that is affectionate and nurturing. The bride surrounded with pink has a maternal grace and compassion and a desire for protection or shelter. The rosy hue fan may also have a strong personality, but one that is willing to share.

Orange: Spontaneous and daring, brides who choose orange are bold. Because orange is a happy and trendy hue, orange enthusiasts tend to be popular, have excessive energy and are part of a large social circle. From a bright and happy backdrop to an exotic, spicy richness, brides who prefer orange tend to be fearless and curious, with a zest for life.

Yellow: The color of a sunny day, yellow denotes happiness and hope. Exuding warmth and vitality and usually possessing a great sense of humor, people who love yellow have cheerful spirits and optimistic values. You tend to look forward to the future and are intellectual, creative and idealistic. Yellow represents enlightenment and spirituality, lending itself as a great color on your day of matrimony.

Green: Green shades symbolize life, freshness, nature and fertility. A common choice for eco-friendly brides, green shows that you value your health and the environment. A harmonized and balanced color, green is a mixture of warm yellow and cool blue, just like its admirers. A calming and tranquil hue, brides who select green are affectionate, frank and responsible. You seek stability and balance, yet remain fiercely principled and refined.

Blue: Soothing, compassionate and cool, blue is the color of tranquility and royalty. Blue belles are deliberate, introspective, conservative and patient, tending to be sensitive and wise. Serene and cool, blue denotes cautious partners who are faithful but require a calm and harmonious existence. From watery aqua to a deep shade of midnight, blue can be soft and sweet or strong and bold.

Purple: Often associated with both royalty and luxury, purple is a passionate color. Choosing purple symbolizes dignity, tolerance and value. Violet lovers tend to be unconventional and observant, with a multifaceted personality. Tolerant and witty, purple devotees are likely to achieve authoritative positions. From light lavender and lilac buffs, who tend to be charming, witty and cultured, to deep eggplant lovers, who are creative and talented, purple can be provocative or sweet.

Brown: A natural, neutral color of the earth, brown represents wholesomeness and dependability. Symbolizing comfort and contentment, brown represents honesty. Just right for your wedding day, brown is substantial, steady and responsible. From rich chocolate and dark coffee to cream and soft beige, this earthy shade can be intense or pale, dramatic or modest. 

The aforementioned color synopses are not strict rules or character definitions, but rather are designed as an indicator of what is important to you. Whether you select a spicy orange to match the falling autumn leaves or a peony pink simply because it is your favorite color, choose what looks and feels good to you. Your natural selection is indicative of your true self and innate style.

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Wedding Hairstyle

The wedding hairstyle is one of the most important aspects of bridal beauty. Here we’ll show you some of the best bridal hair trends for 2013!

Achieving the best bridal hairdo can be simple and fun. You just need lots of inspiration and a really talented hair stylist! We have 2013 wedding hairstyle trends for all hair types and inspiration straight from the runway. From braids to bridal hairpieces, these ideas are so versatile you can mix and match them to create a bridal hair masterpiece of your own!

Hunger Games "Katniss" Braids. Photo by Courtney Clarke

Braids: On the red carpet, in movies (think Hunger Games) and on the runway – braids are everywhere and brides are taking note. There are many creative ways to wear this romantic and timeless wedding style for the bride and bridesmaids – as a headband, a fishtail braid, a wrap-around or rope braid. Braids can be tight or loose, in an updo or in a ponytail. Discover braids and more hair trends from Grand Wedding Expo 2013.

Boho Flower Crown. Photo by Priscila Valentina Photography

Floral Crown via gardensofwhimsy on Etsy

Floral Wreath on Shorter Hair. Photo by Simply Bloom Photography

Flower crowns: Brides are turning to the floral headpiece, flower wreath, crown or headband as an alternative to the traditional veil. This look can be vintage, whimsical or bohemian inspired. Find a bridal flower crown for any season wedding, indoor or outdoors. Long, soft curls under a hair crown creates an elegant and romantic look. Shorter hair with the right headpiece can achieve a sweet or edgy look. DIY brides take note and check out this beautiful flower garland headpiece wedding project.

Bouffant Hairstyle on Bride. Photo by Stephanie Allin

Bouffant Ponytail Hairstyle. Photo via Yusrablog

Bouffant ’dos: This elegant hairdo styled to puff-perfection was seen in the Christos Spring 2013 runway show during Bridal Fashion Week. Stylists teased the edgy updo, tamed fly-aways with extra hold hairspray and finished off the look with a simple and sweet headband. You can wear it sans headband or ponytail style. Either way, this style works for both the modern and vintage bride.

Accessorized hairstyles: It’s all about the accessories – oversized flowers, vintage hair pins and modern headbands! Big and bold, small and simple or colored and vibrant – there is an accessory for every bride and every hair type. Be inspired by these beautiful and unique hair accessories from the collection of Sarah Seven by Jade Rose.

Ombre hair trend: With the popularity of ombre in fashion and on the red carpet, it is no surprise it transfers seamlessly into weddings – from wedding attire to decor and now to bridal hair! Although it may look like outgrown roots, this dark-to-light hair trend has become a go-to style in salons everywhere. Read more about the ombre bridal hair trend.

Messy Bridal Look. Photo by Mary Melissa Johnson of First City Events

Messy Bun Bridal Look. Photo via Alexan Events

Messy bridal hair: Relaxed, slightly messy bridal hair is part boho, part whimsical and a totally romantic wedding hairstyle. When styled correctly for an effortlessly chic look and paired with flawless makeup, these not-too-perfect ‘dos are bridal perfection!

With the right inspiration and a trusted hair stylist by your side, you can be certain your wedding day hair will turn out beautiful. What hair trend will you rock on your wedding day?

by Mónica Martínez

Congratulations on your recent engagement!

Congratulations on your recent engagement! You're off to a good start planning the thousands of details necessary to make your Massachusetts and Rhode Island wedding dreams come true. But no wedding would be complete without attending one of our Bridal Showcase's the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Bridal Showcase, GWE Bridal Showcase.

From food to flowers to bridal gowns and formalwear, from rings and registries to limousines and honeymoons, you'll meet the best wedding vendors from all over in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and beyond.

Our Bridal Showcase's allow you and your entire bridal party to sample wedding cake, hears music, meet photographers, talk to wedding vendors face-to-face, sit in a limo, and gain hundreds of wedding ideas and tips. Plus, see the best luxury runway bridal fashion show in the region where top bridal salons in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, showcase the best wedding gowns from top couture designers. There is so much to see and do at our bridal shows; you could literally plan your entire wedding in one day.

You can also cover so much more ground and learn from the top wedding professionals when you attend one of our Bridal Shows and gain face-to-face contact with the leading wedding vendors that you’ll meet to make your Massachusetts and Rhode Island Dream Wedding. Planning your perfect wedding in every way and can be so much more enjoyable when you attend one of our bridal shows with vendors from Bed Bedford, River Falls, Middletown, East Providence, North Providence, West Warwick, Arlington, Ashland, Boston,  Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Falmouth, Fitchburg, and beyond. So order your bridal show tickets today and enjoy the best in wedding planning!

2013 Schedule

Grand Wedding Expo

Sunday, January 13, 2013  -  Venus de Milo

75 GAR Hwy. (Rte.6) Swansea, MA  12 PM - 4 PM. Fashion Show at 2 PM.  

Sunday, January 27, 2013  -  Rhodes on the Pawtuxet

60 Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI   12 PM - 4 PM. Fashion Show at 2 PM.