With all of the planning involved in a wedding-the catering, making the bridal invitation list, planning the flowers-a bride to be may well find that writing bridal shower invites and the shower itself are the most freedom and fun she will have in the days leading up to her wedding. For a fun shower, games that the bride and guest will enjoy are important, but they can be easy, too. For example, placing an envelope under one chair at random can be used to award prizes such as the table centerpiece.

One thing which frequently occurs at these events are bridal shower games. Among the possibilities are “Finish this Phrase.” A simple example would start with one person opening with the phrase “A fool and his money…” The guest who is first to reply “…are soon parted” would get the victory. Gather the most victories, and you win the game. The game is much more enjoyable if cliches are avoided, and replaced with comments about the host, bride or guests.

Enjoy putting the bride-to-be on the spot with a round of “Do You Really Know Your Future Hubby?” Before the shower, ask the groom 15-20 questions. They can be simple ones that concern his food or sports preferences, or they can be risque ones like “What do you sleep in?” For each one she gets wrong, the bride-to-be must start chewing on another piece of gum. If she doesn’t know her guy well enough, she could end up with quite a mouthful!

One of the most fun traditions at bridal showers is playing games. Bridal shower games are silly, and one of the most enduring, popular games is the clothespin game. Each person is given three to five clothespins. A word is selected as the game word. If you catch another person saying this word, you can steal one of her clothespins. The person with the most clothespins at the end of the shower is the winner.

A good game for bridal showers at which people are familiar with one another and ready to have some fun is “Rate the Advice.” Each guest anonymously writes down a piece of advice. It can be about the wedding, the wedding night, or life as a married woman. Then everyone ranks each piece of advice, using a 1 to 10 scales., and the totals are tallied The person whose advice receives the highest score gets a prize. For more fun, you can also give a prize to the lowest scorer.

What’s a bridal shower without the bridal shower games? All the fun games encourage people to talk, joke, and have a great time. If you choose to bridal shower games, your shower is sure to be a success. A great way to wrap up your bridal shower is to ask everyone for their advice and kind words about the future wedding recorded to DVD to present at the wedding.

The bridal shower invites should reflect the theme and tone of the party. If it will be formal, the bridal invitations should echo this. A more casual affair will require a more casual invitation. One of the most fun traditions at bridal showers is playing games. A frequently enjoyed variety of bridal shower games involve wordplay. A popular diversion is called “Finish the Phrase.” It uses well-known terms, phrases, and sayings, sometimes something particularly appropriate to a wedding or to the party guests. Such games are meant to enhance the fun atmosphere of the shower. There are also closing games, such as recording advice for the future bride and groom.

- Debbie L