Budget For Bridal Shower
The person or persons who have chosen to undertake the task of bridal shower planning definitely have their work cut out for them. They have to develop pretty good managerial skills in a very short amount of time so as to oversee everything from the location choice down to the games played at the shower and array of food and drink available for the guests pleasure. To the normal woman or man, this job may seem pretty intimidating but don't fret, there is a way to master it.
The trick is laying out a framework for the event. And mainly two things- the budget for bridal shower and the expected crowd turnover, kick off this framework. This page deals with the first of those two options- THE BRIDAL SHOWER BUDGET!!
The bridal shower budget can come down to the tastes of the bride, maid of honor and other organizers as well as the number of guests expected to turn up for the shower.
It is imperative that you have a proper discussion with the bride and your fellow shower organizers on the theme and tone you are aiming for the bridal shower. If you decide on something low-key, you may not have to spend as much, if it is something a little extravagant and slightly theme based then you would have to start reaching into your pockets deeper than previously anticipated.
The budget of the shower and the guest list is connected to each other in such a way that if you have already decided on one then it determines the choice of the other. For example, if the bride and the shower organizers have decided that they have to include a certain large number of people on their guest list then the budget cannot veer too much to the economical side. If the guest list is relatively short, only then can you look at inexpensive alternatives to go about the bridal shower.
However, it is also perfectly understandable if you would prefer planning out the budget first and then depending on the budget, plan out your guest list. Here though, one would have to take the bride's feelings and preferences into consideration i.e. if she wants an 'n' number of guests for the shower then you may have to invite an 'n' number of guests to the shower despite the budget constraints. So, deciding the budget before the guest list is not really a recommended method of bridal shower planning.
Splitting cost of bridal shower
Is it okay to share the budget for bridal shower with the other bridesmaids? Of course it is! If you have ever held, a party you will well be aware that not even a mere printed-paper napkin set comes cheaper than two to three dollars, unless the quality is really unimpressive. Bridal showers are costly affairs and if you want to truly pull all the stops to make the bride feel special and appreciated, it is perfectly all right to ask your colleagues and fellow organizers to contribute significantly to the bridal shower fund. Only one person- cannot finance the entire event unless that person is Oprah!
Bridal Shower Budget Breakdown
The easiest way to set up your budget is to break it down into different subsections. Allot smaller amounts to each aspect of the shower. Some of the elements most common to almost every bridal shower has been given below in the order they will play a role while planning the shower. Recognizing the factors involved in these components will help you a ton while cutting down the bridal shower budget.
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Invitations - After listing down the guests, note down the amount of stationary needed for the invitations, whether they are customized (in which case, more the cost) or standard, whether there are Save the Date! Postcards involved before the actual invites are sent out, cost of stamps and postage, in case of e-invites, whether a graphic designer is needed to design the e-cards, if yes, his or her fees.
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Location - Does the bride have a preference when it comes to choosing any location for the shower in particular? If yes, does this location need to be rented out? How much is the rent? Can you afford the price?
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Food - Food is a major component of every bridal shower or in fact, any party. It is also the element which eats a lot out of the budget (no pun intended!). So you should be clear about what kind of eateries and refreshments will be served- reasonably priced finger foods and simple snacks or full blown lunch or dinner menu? For the latter, you may have to decide on catering based on the amount they charge to serve in showers. Different dishes cost differently, so you may need to discuss these matters with the catering service to strike a good bargain.
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Other food-related expenditures - Do you need servers? If so, who is providing them, the caterer or the shower location (if it is a hotel)? What are the extra charges for the servers? What about the cutlery? Would you prefer disposable paper plates or rent out china wares? Will the guests need tables and chairs to dine at? Enquire with the management at the location whether they provide all needed furniture for the shower. If you are holding the shower at a residence, you may have to ask local furniture rentals about the cost of extra rented tables and chairs. How much do your preferred napkins and patterned tablecloths cost?
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Theme (if any) - Will the bridal shower be following any theme as such? If yes, how much will it cost for decorations, flowers, printed tablecloth, and bride/host costumes related to the theme? Same goes for theme-based invitations, theme game-based props and goodie bags. Do you need to hire local painters to decorate the bridal shower venue with colorful and fancy murals? How much will they charge?
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Music - Will music be played at the shower? What will be the source of music- personally owned music systems or do you need to hire systems and an operator to go along with it? What is his or her fee? Going for a DJ?
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Game prizes and goodie bags - How much will you be able to put aside to buy prizes for bridal shower games? How about the items making up the goodie bags for guests to take home as memories?
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Simple decorations - If the shower is not theme based, you can go for comparatively cheap balloons, streamers, candles and baubles to bring the festive spirit to the place. Optional.
- Video and photographs - Require a videographer and/or a photographer? What are their fees? Otherwise how much do disposable cameras cost?
It is AFTER adding up the costs of all these aspects that one will come up with a grand total for the shower budget. If you are bad at math, you may take the help of bridal shower budget estimate calculators available online.
Bridal showers can be sweet fantasies or embarrassing nightmares for the bride and the people behind them. It is for this very reason that the budget for bridal shower should be set in stone from the very beginning and be followed through fairly rigidly during the rest of the bridal shower planning. Otherwise, you may end up being humiliated when you couldn't afford what you ordered. Don't hedge on your bridal shower enjoyment, but also define the finances for that enjoyment in a sensible and practical manner.