A bridal shower is a much-anticipated pre-wedding event for brides. She gathers with her bridal party and closest female friends and family members to celebrate her upcoming wedding. Tamer than a bachelorette party, many bridal showers take place during the day (some over a long weekend) and involve light drinking, eating, and sometimes a spa day or other fun event, like shopping.
The bridal shower that we know today originated in Holland in the 16th Century, an offset of the dowry system, where the bride’s family had to pay her husband to marry her. Friends and sometimes distant family members would chip in and pay for her dowry for poor brides, who couldn’t afford to marry.
Today, at least in Western society, bridal showers serve a broader purpose. Marriage usually changes the dynamics of friendships and familial relationships, so bridal showers are an excellent way for her friends and family to spend more time with the bride before her priorities shift towards her husband and their family. Proving that old traditions die hard, brides today are often showered with expensive gifts or cash that can enhance or contribute to their wedding day.
Unfortunately, the social landscape is looking a little different right now due to social distancing guidelines. Many brides aren’t comfortable throwing large, lavish gatherings while Covid-19 ravishes our world without a vaccine in sight. Thankfully, this doesn’t have to mean that they don’t get to have their bridal shower; they have to get creative and throw a virtual bridal shower or even a small backyard shower. Please keep reading for our comprehensive guide on how to have an online bridal shower.
Continue reading A Comprehensive Guide to Online Bridal Showers
