How to Plan a Bridal Shower on a Budget: A Guide to Saving Money

Are you going to throw a bridal shower? Such a rewarding responsibility! Besides this excitement, we understand that it might be challenging to keep costs down, especially when it comes to throwing a budget-friendly bridal shower. From the venue to decor items, expenses can add up quickly. Whether you’re the maid of honor, one of the bridesmaids, or a close friend of the family, here are some tips on how to plan a bridal shower on a budget. By following advice from Viva Wedding Photography, you can enjoy the fun of bridal shower planning without worrying about breaking the bank.

1. Co-hosting

One of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of the bridal shower is to co-host it with other people close to the bride. Some standard options are hosting the event with other bridesmaids, friends, or the bride’s family members. This way, you can split the party’s cost and workload. It also makes throwing the shower more manageable and affordable for everyone involved. 

Also, co-hosting will allow you to bond with other bridesmaids while having someone to lean on. It can be a stressful experience to plan a party, especially if you are doing it all by yourself. Having someone assist you with hosting the event, making decisions, and bearing part of the expenditures will be a great weight off your shoulders.

To co-host a successful bridal shower on a budget, you’ll need to communicate and coordinate effectively with other co-hosts. Here are some tips to help you:

• Create a shared spreadsheet where you can list all the party details, such as the date, time, location, theme, guest list, budget, etc.
• Set deadlines for each task and assign responsibilities among the hosts. For example, one co-host can be in charge of booking the venue, and another send invitations, and so on.
• Divide the budget equally among the hosts or according to each co-host’s ability and preference. 

2. Keep an Intimate Guest List

Another way to plan a bridal shower on a budget is to keep an intimate guest list. The more people you invite, the more money you’ll have to spend on food, drinks, favors, and other expenses. Plus, having too many guests can make the bridal shower less intimate and cozy yet more stressful and chaotic. Keep in mind that it isn’t the wedding; not everyone on the wedding guest list needs to be invited to the bridal shower.

To trim down the guest list, apply the following tips:

• Consult with the bride-to-be and ask her who she wants to invite.
• Limit plus-ones and invite only close friends and family members of the bride.
• Limit the number of guests from 30 to 50 people.
• Consider having separate showers for different groups of guests, such as one for coworkers, one for relatives, and one for friends.

3. Choose a Low-Cost Venue

The location is one of the biggest costs associated with a bridal shower. If you want to save money on this aspect, you’ll need to choose a low-cost venue that still offers convenience, comfort, privacy, and ambiance. Some of the best venues for hosting a bridal shower on a budget are:

• Your home: Hosting at home is one of the most affordable and convenient options for a bridal shower on a budget. You can use your living room, backyard, or patio as your party space and decorate it according to your theme and style. You’ll also have more control over the food, drinks, music, and other activities.
• A friend’s or relative’s home: If your home is not suitable or available for hosting a bridal shower, you can ask a friend or relative who has enough space and amenities to lend you their place.

• A park: This is another great option for hosting a bridal shower on a budget, especially if you’re planning an outdoor or picnic-themed party. But you’ll need to check the weather forecast and reserve a spot in advance. Depending on the park’s regulations, a nominal fee or a permit may also be required.
• A community center:  A community center is a great location if you need a large or formal space for your bridal shower but are on a tighter budget. It typically offers a hall or room for use at no cost or a low rental rate. 

From our experience, these are some of the best options for cheap bridal shower venues. You can choose the one that suits your needs and preferences best. Just make sure you plan ahead and book your venue as soon as possible to avoid any last-minute problems.

4. Print Invitations on Your Own or Send Out E-vite

For a budget-friendly bridal shower, fancy invitations are unnecessary! Choosing a more straightforward path will help you save hundreds of dollars. There are numerous beautiful layouts for DIY wedding shower invitations accessible online. Pick your favorite, customize the details, and print it yourself.

Consider printing them on cardstock in order to give them a more professional appearance. You can further improve the overall appearance by choosing lovely envelopes with a design printed on the inside. For a personal touch, you can either ask a friend who has excellent penmanship to write addresses on each envelope, or you can make personalized address labels.

Want to cut down more costs? Definitely go for electronic invitations. Sending invitations via email is one of our favorite bridal shower ideas on a budget, as it allows you to save a significant amount of both time and money. Also, you won’t have to worry about invites getting lost in the mail or people forgetting to respond. Available free templates online make it easy to design and send out stunning, custom invites. It’s also much simpler for you to keep better tabs on those who have committed to attending, those who have not, and those who are still on the fence.

5. Keep a Simple Menu

Bridal showers can be anything from fancy events with prepared food to casual get-togethers with finger foods at home. For the purposes of a bridal shower on a budget, it’s clear that the second choice is the better one. There are a lot of fun, easy, and cheap snacks you can buy or make yourself that are sure to fill up hungry party guests.

A BBQ, a spread of finger foods, or even just a selection of sweets (for a late-afternoon celebration) are all excellent budget bridal shower meal options. Opting for a buffet meal can often result in significant cost savings, typically ranging from 30 to 50 percent less than a traditional meal. Also, skipping the caterer will save you big bucks, so don’t feel pressured to go that route.

6. Don’t need to spend too much on drinks

Another big expense of a bridal shower is the drinks. You want to serve something refreshing and festive for your guests, but spending multiple types of alcohol will just cause expenses to add up quickly. Here are some bridal shower ideas on a budget to help you save money on drinks:

• Skip the alcohol altogether. You can serve non-alcoholic drinks like lemonade, iced tea, sparkling water, or mocktails. You can also add fresh fruits, herbs, or edible flowers to make them more appealing and flavorful.
• Have a BYOB policy. Ask each guest to bring their own bottle of wine, champagne, beer, or liquor. This way, you may reduce the amount of alcohol you need to buy and cater to different preferences and tastes.

• Make batched drinks or a signature cocktail. Consider making large batches of drinks like sangria, punch, margaritas, or mojitos in advance and serving them in pitchers or dispensers. Another option is creating a signature cocktail that matches the theme or color scheme of the bridal shower.

7. Personalize the Decor

When it comes to how to plan a bridal shower on a budget, don’t feel the need to spend a huge sum of money on tablecloths, lighting, or other extravagant details. To spruce up the bridal shower, all you really need is just some basic decorations like balloons, bunting, and some old pictures of the bride-to-be. Adding some family photos is a great way to personalize the party. These decor items are also a great conversation starter for guests who may not have known the bride during her baton-twirling days or awkward teen years.

We recommend concentrating your efforts on a single place that will make the most significant impression. If the bridal shower is being held at a private residence, only decorate one room. In case the bridal shower will be held at an event location, such as a restaurant, focus on dressing up only one wall. This area, whether at home or at a venue, can act as the shower’s main point and provide the bride and guests with an ideal spot for taking photos.

Also, don’t forget to ask friends and family members if you can borrow their party decorations, such as cake stands, vases, and tablecloths. By utilizing this option, you can effortlessly enhance the ambiance of your event without straining your budget.

8. Go Easy on Games and Entertainment

The main point of a bridal shower is to bring everyone together to celebrate the bride. Games and entertainment are completely optional, so don’t feel obligated to prepare them when planning bridal showers on a budget. If you want to add some fun games, you may easily find free printable templates for bridal shower games online.

When it comes to music, there is no need to engage the services of a professional band or invest in a costly sound system. Simply create a playlist befitting a bridal shower on your phone and play it over some speakers. This is more than ample to keep things from getting too quiet and jazz the overall atmosphere up.

9. Avoid Fancy Favors

The bridal shower favors are an excellent method to express gratitude to the guests for attending; however, this does not imply that the favors have to be extravagant in any manner. You won’t have any trouble making edible favors that are not only delicious but also inexpensive. Cookies baked at home and freshly frosted cupcakes are two of our go-to sweet treats. Don’t worry if you’re not much of a cook; it’s okay! Potted plants and thank-you cards written by hand are both thoughtful favors that won’t cost you a fortune.

10. Keep Track of Your Expenses

When throwing a bridal shower on a budget, one important thing to do is to keep track of your spending while you prepare for and host the event. This will ensure that you do not go over your predetermined budgetary constraints.

Remember to get repaid if you split the expenditures with friends and other family members, preferably before the event, so that you don’t have to worry about tracking people down to talk about business while celebrating the shower.

11. Keep the Focus on the Bride

You may feel there’s a lot of burden on your shoulders when planning a bridal shower on a budget, but don’t freak out! Keep in mind that the bride’s favorite aspect of the shower is being surrounded by her friends and family to celebrate her upcoming wedding. Don’t allow minor details to bother you; if something is prohibitively pricey, pass it up! 

When doing anything on a budget, the greatest advice is to adhere to what’s essential to you and do it your way. Don’t follow the rules that others have set for you on how much you are supposed to spend. The attendees, the conversation, and the joy you have as a group celebrating the bride are what really make the occasion. After all, the maid of honor will remember who was there and how much she was loved.

>>> Read more:

• What Is A Bridal Shower? Important Etiquettes For 2024
• The Ultimate Bridal Shower Planning Checklist: 7 Easy Steps
• Who Pays For The Bridal Shower? 6 Simple Tips To Save Money

You don’t have to drain your bank account to throw a beautiful and memorable bridal shower for the bride-to-be. By following our tips on how to plan a bridal shower on a budget, you can be on a shoestring and still create a wonderful experience for the soon-to-be bride and her guests. Whether you choose to host the bridal shower at home or at a low-cost venue, whether you opt for DIY decorations or thrift store finds, you can make the bridal shower personal and unique. Viva Wedding Photography hopes that this article has inspired you to start planning your own.