1. to meet the groom
   to celebrate and congratulate the bride
2. to tell embarrasing stories about the bride

Friends and family "shower" the bride with gifts for her new home.

1. e-mail
   snail mail
2. text or phone call

Shower invitations can be plain or fancy, but they should be sent by the postal service with a proper stamp.

1. all the women who're invited to the wedding
   close friends and family from the guest list
2. anyone you think would appreciate the invite

While you could invite everyone on your guest list, this might make it a very large shower. A better approach would be limiting it to close friends and family who're going to your wedding.

1. Bring flowers, candy or other small gift.
   Send a handwritten note.
2. Ask her to chaperone your bachelorette party.

A simple gesture to show your appreciation is enough. No need to ask her to chaperone the bachelorette party too.

1. only one
   less than five
2. The sky's the limit!

There are no real limits, especially if the bride has a diverse group of friends and family, but don't let endless invitations become a burden to your pals.

1. Yes. It is tacky to invite people to a shower and not to the wedding.
   No. If you can’t afford to have everyone at the wedding, they'll appreciate at least coming to the shower.
2. It depends.

Traditionally, you should invite all shower guests to share the big day, but sometimes intimate weddings can preclude that. If the wedding is very small, explain to your guests why you can’t invite them to the wedding but that you'd still like them to be included.

1. Yes. It saves the guests time and effort.
   No; guests should shop where they want.
2. It depends on how well you know the guests.

It used to be considered poor taste to include registry cards with the invites, but including them or listing the bride's registry is now acceptable for practical reasons. Who wants calls from 100 guests asking, "Where are you registered?"

1. mother of the bride
   maid of honor
2. the future monster-in-law

In addition to helping plan the shower, the maid of honor can help the bride most by making a list of who gave what.

1. maid of honor
   bridesmaid
2. wedding planner

Throwing a party is practically in the job description of the maid of honor.

1. No, it's like asking for gifts.
   Yes, especially if she has time and energy to spare.
2. Maybe; it depends on the bride's age.

While Emily Post may have frowned on it decades ago, it's considered perfectly acceptable today.

1. before food is served
   while guests are eating
2. after food is served

If it's a potluck dinner and everyone's starved, you might want to open gifts after everyone eats; during an afternoon tea, before refreshments is fine.

1. on her honeymoon
   at the wedding rehearsal
2. at the reception

Carrying this at the wedding rehearsal is a symbol of good luck and well wishes from her friends.

1. gifts for her new home
   something new, something blue
2. depends on the theme

Bridal showers traditionally "shower" brides with gifts for her new home, but now they can have themes (kitchen, lingerie, honeymoon, etc) that determine the kinds of gifts bought.

1. 2-3 months before the wedding
   2-3 weeks before the wedding
2. 6 months before the wedding

Too early seems uncomfortable; too close to the wedding too stressful; two to three months gives you plenty of time to anticipate and enjoy the shower itself.

1. Yes, what a sweet touch!
   No, it's a day for the girls.
2. Only if it's a coed shower.

Arriving with flowers makes a great impression on friends who haven't met your other half!

1. the hostess
   the bride
2. mother of the bride

Whoever hosts the shower should pay; it can be budget-friendly or more elaborate.