Bachelorette Party vs. Bridal Shower Differences You NEED to Know
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Bachelorette parties and bridal showers may seem like polar opposites, but they really are quite similar.
With etiquette differing significantly between these two parties, it’s critical that you know how to host both of them if you’re in the wedding party.
In this post, you’ll learn the critical bachelorette party vs. bridal shower differences.
What’s the difference between a bridal shower and a bachelorette party?
A bridal shower’s purpose is to literally “shower” the bride in gifts leading up to their wedding day. Bridal showers tend to be more formal and traditionally last a few hours.
Bachelorette parties can be described as the complete opposite of a bridal shower. While they seem to be polar opposites on the surface, they really do have a lot of similarities. Who should you invite to each?
Bachelorette Party – The guest list for a bachelorette party is traditionally the bride’s side of the wedding party, plus or minus any of their close friends who may not be in the wedding for one reason or another. The total guest number may range from 3-10, depending on the size of the wedding.
Bridal Shower – Traditionally, a bridal shower’s guest list begins with the female family members closest to both sides of the wedding couple and works out from there. In total, there can be anywhere from 10 to 30 people present, again depending on the size of the wedding.
What gifts are given at a bridal shower vs. bachelorette party?
Bachelorette parties are known to feature raunchy gag gifts given to the bride in anticipation of their newlywed life. While this is traditional, any category of gift, or no gifts, is also appropriate.
At bridal showers, gifts on the lower end of pricing in the wedding registry are given to the bride. This is why it’s critical that the wedding couple builds out their registry with gifts at many price points well before the bridal shower.
Bridal Shower Gift Ideas
Bachelorette Party Gift Ideas
When do you have a bachelorette party vs. bridal shower?
Both bachelorette parties and bridal showers are held around the same time – one to three months before the actual wedding day.
The wedding party decides which celebration to host first—just make sure you’re mindful of both parties while planning.
RELATED: 23 Outstanding Bridal Shower Game Prizes Your Guests Will Love
Who hosts the different parties?
Traditionally, the maid of honor is the person who hosts both parties. The bridal shower has many more guests than the bachelorette party, and depending on the intensity of the bachelorette party can be a lot more to host.
If the maid of honor isn’t able to host both events, the bride’s mother may host the bridal shower, or another person very close to the bride can host the bachelorette party.
What do you wear to the different parties?
The attire at each party differs considerably. Bridal showers are semi-formal events where people are dressed in cocktail attire. Bachelorette parties, on the other hand, range from casual to formal – it all depends on what the bride would like and where the bachelorette party is hosted.
Are there different activities at a bridal shower vs. bachelorette party?
A bridal shower timeline features food, gift opening, time for conversation, and maybe a few activities, depending on the bridal shower theme. A bachelorette party consists of whatever the bride would like to spend doing with their best friends. Depending on what the bride enjoys, there can be endless amounts of unique bachelorette party activities.
What are the expectations of a bride at the different parties?
At a bridal shower, the bride is expected to converse with all of the guests and show appreciation for their support. While the bride’s expectations at their bachelorette party are similar, they don’t need to be as proper as when at their bridal shower.
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