A Bridal Shower is All About Fun

Throwing a bridal shower to give gifts to the bride that will be useful when she and her new husband set up housekeeping has become a tradition around the world. One of the many reasons this tradition has caught on so well is that it is first and foremost a party where a group of women get together to have fun. Here are some fun games and activities that can be added to make this a memorable and fun event for all.

Take a vase or jar and place small candies, chocolates, wedding favors, or other interesting and varied items in it. Pass this container around to everyone present and have them guess how pieces are inside. After everybody has had a turn, reveal the actual count and award the jar and its contents to the winner. Of course, the person filling the jar must remember to count the pieces and is exempt from the game.

Divide the guests up into groups and provide each group with a package of toilet tissue or other material and have each group design a gown made from this material. One person from each group must act as the model to show off the designs. Award prizes to the group that creates the most unique wedding gown. Don't forget to include a veil and train, as well as a bouquet in the designs. You might want to have a camera on hand to take pictures of the models to remind them of the fun you had at your shower at a later time. Of course you will enjoy watching the models strut their stuff and will probably want pictures for yourself as well.

Set up a special gift exchange. Have the group sit in a large circle on the floor. You should have several gifts that you have the women wrap in boxes of different sizes and different wrapping papers. The gifts should be of different values and qualities ranging from a couple of really nice items down to some funny gag gifts that cost one dollar or less. After the women wrap all the gifts, have them placed in a pile in the center. There should be fewer gifts than there are women at the party to make this more interesting. Set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes. Now, beginning with the bride, each woman throws a pair of dice. If doubles are thrown, the woman picks a gift from the pile. Pass the dice to the left and continue taking turns throwing the dice. After the pile of gifts is all drawn, continue the game with each woman who throws doubles taking a gift from another player, or exchanging if she already has one. After time expires, each woman keeps the gift she has in her possession. Each woman unwraps her gift. It can be quite amusing to observe the gifts that were most sought during exchanges, especially if these turn out to be the gag gifts.

One game that can be a lot of fun is called "Finish the sentence." Write down the beginnings of several different sayings and proverbs. Have the women finish each sentence. The catch is that they may not use the correct completion of the sentence. For example, if you write, "A watched pot never _____." None of the women may answer with "boils." An appropriate response would be "moves from where you set it." Or, anything that fits the sentence without using the correct response, would work. After each woman finishes her list, have each one read her answers aloud. The winner is the one with the most unique responses on her list.