It’s become an essential part of the wedding activities: Prior to any formal wedding, the maid of honor will customarily host a bridal shower party for the bride. In some rare occasions, some other person besides the maid of honor will host the event…Perhaps a close friend or her mother. Regardless of who hosts it, there are some other important people who will be attending the event besides the host and the bride herself. We’re talking, of course, about the guests. A wedding shower cannot be truly successful if the bride’s closest friends and family are not there. Therefore, to make these guests feel that they’re truly appreciated, proper etiquette demands that you provide them with memorable wedding shower party favors.

By wedding shower party favors, we’re talking about small gifts that normally have some functional purpose but which, in years to come, will always remind your guests of the new bride. And all sorts of items can fit this description quite well, without busting your budget. Some ideas that are old stand-bys include key rings, flowers, candles, chocolates, gift bags, etc. If it’s small, memorable and can be customized in a way to remind the guest of the wedding and the new couple, it can be turned into nice wedding shower party favors.

Let’s talk about who exactly the bridal shower party favors are for. Most commonly, they are for everyone. There are some shower hosts who will use the favors solely as prizes for the night’s games and contests. But more commonly, they will give a favor to each guest either as they’re arriving or getting ready to leave. Even more common are those who combine the approaches: They provide some small token to all guests, but hold out a few special prizes to give away during the evening’s games and entertainment.

And by the way, don’t feel like you have to spend a fortune on these favors. The bride understands that you’re not made of money. In most cases, for the average wedding shower, you shouldn’t expect to have to spend more than 50 cents to a few dollars per person. You’ll be surprised at how nice of a wedding favor you can get at that price. You can get something practical and memorable, yet without going broke in the process. Incidentally, some of the best prices are available at online wedding-related stores, so you might want to check there first before you blow your money at a real brick-and-mortar store.

This brings us to our final point. How do you decide what kinds of wedding shower party favors to offer at the event? For starters, you can always ask yoru married friends and family what they had at their shower. Even if you don’t want to copy these ideas, they will at least provide you with some inspiration. You can then take this idea and put your own unique twist on it. One of the best sources of ideas, though, is the Internet. Do a Google search on “bridal shower party favors”: and you’ll be inundated with hundreds and hundreds of ideas.

As to where to buy them, as we just mentioned, in the 21st century, you’re best resource will be the Internet. They have some of the widest and most affordable selections available. Just remember, as always, shop around and shop wisely.