If you're coming from out of town, be sure to arrive several days before the wedding. If you live in the same area, try to leave your schedule free the day before the wedding, so you can smooth over any last-minute hitches.

Everyone invited to the shower should receive a wedding invitation!

2torial #0635: Learn2 Serve as a Maid (or Matron) of Honor Throw a bridal shower Showers used to be the ultimate in prewedding bridal entertainment, a time when women giggled and hugged more than on almost any other occasion. However, times (and women) are changing, and so you should not strive necessarily for a Stepford Wives-type affair. At today's showers, you're just as likely to serve beer and nachos as tea and watercress sandwiches. In any case, this is the bride's party, not yours (though you ARE doing all the work), so be sure to cater it to her liking. Who: Be sure to invite all the bride's female family members as well as her close friends, in particular the bridesmaids. While the bride shouldn't take an active part in party planning, she MUST be consulted about the guest list and timing of the event. What: The gathering does not need to be formal. Light snacks and beverages are sufficient, and once everyone has arrived and had a drink and a bite to eat, the bride can begin opening presents. Party games are suggested in order to break the ice, but are not required. Where: The shower is usually held in the MOH's home, or in the home of a family member or friend of the bride. However, it is tradition not to hold it in the bride's home. When: Showers are traditionally held in the afternoon and a month or two before the wedding date in order to keep everyone as free as possible during the final week before the actual ceremony. If there is no way to get enough people together before then, make sure times do not conflict with other wedding-week events.   Step 2