Maid of Honor - Bridal Shower Guest List

The bridal shower is traditionally hosted by the Maid of Honor, though the mother of the Bride and mother of the Groom are typically integral parts of the planning and hosting of the Bridal Shower. This is an opportunity for the Bride to be showered with gifts, goodwill and love.

It is not uncommon for the Bride to be honored at multiple bridal showers – for example there can be her “main” bridal shower hosted by the Maid of Honor, as well as bridal showers by coworkers or perhaps a group or organization she belongs to.

As the Maid of Honor you will be able to decide the theme of the Bridal shower, the venue and the guest list, though it is always a smart idea to discuss this with the Bride’s family and the Groom’s family since you may not know all of the people that should be invited to the Bridal shower.

The guest list for the bridal shower can be sticky at times. It is important to keep the guest list manageable without trampling on anyone’s feelings. What you may consider doing when preparing the Bridal Shower guest list is first decide the venue and number of guests that can come based on the venue and budget.

Once you have the total number of guests in mind, divide that by 3. Let the mother of the Bride know that number and the mother of the Groom know that number as well. Tell them that the maximum number of people they can suggest for the guest list is that number. The remaining third will be for her friends.

As the Maid of Honor you may have to make tough decisions about the guest list, but remember it is important to make them. Let people know why there are limitations and then prepare your guest list accordingly.

Not all of the people being invited to the wedding need to be invited to the bridal shower. People understand that venue limitations limit the number of people that can be invited. So do your best to accommodate the most important people and do not be too afraid to say “no” when you need to.

If it becomes a problem you need to sit down with the family of the Bride and the Groom and prioritize the list together. The more communication there is the better off you will be. Ask everyone up front to work with you in trying to make everyone happy and to understand that limits mean some people cannot be invited.