Want to throw an Instagram worthy bridal shower? Bridal showers are an important pre-wedding celebration for the bride-to-be, but they can also be a significant expense. The cost of a bridal shower can vary greatly depending on several factors such as the number of guests, location, bridal shower invitations, food and drinks, bridal shower decorations, and activities. Whether you’re the maid of honor or a close friend, understanding the cost of a bridal shower is crucial to ensure that the celebration is both memorable and within budget. In this article, we’ll break down the typical expenses associated with bridal showers, so you can have a better idea of how much you should expect to spend on a bridal shower. We’ll also provide ideas for inexpensive bridal shower invitations, inexpensive bridal shower favors and more to reduce the cost of a bridal shower.

How Much To Spend On A Bridal Shower?

The cost of a bridal shower can add up, so it’s important you set what you’re willing to spend ahead of time so that you don’t overspend. There is no set amount for how much to spend on a bridal shower. But, there is guidance on how to set the right budget for your bridal shower. First, understand who is paying for the bridal shower. Are the bridesmaids splitting the shower equally or is the maid of honor chipping in more? Is the family helping throw the bridal shower?

Once you identify who is responsible for paying for the bridal shower is, and how much those people are willing to spend, you now have your budget. With the list the bride has given of who should be invited you can calculate about how much you can spend per person. Right here, you should already be able to tell if certain locations are already too expensive.

How much does a bridal shower cost? For the first few bridal showers we planned we invited 75 people and expected 50 people to attend. We estimated the bridal shower cost to be $2,000 total for 50 people or $40/ person attending. For us, $40 per person attending seemed like a good estimate for how much to spend on a bridal shower. We’re not sure if this is the average cost to host a bridal shower but it gave us a good starting point. We ended up spending less money hosting bridal showers after the first using the tricks below. We learned a few tricks to and were able bring the cost per person down!

See Also: How to Save Money Throwing a Bachelorette

Buy Inexpensive Bridal Shower Invitations

Save money hosting a bridal shower by buying inexpensive bridal shower invitations. If you choose to go the traditional route of mailed invitations the average cost of bridal shower invitations is $1.50 to $2 per invite. Postage today ranges from $0.55 to $0.70 per letter depending on the shape of the envelope. You can design invites on Shutterfly, which cost about $1 / invite. Shutterfly does tend to have a lot of sales so check online first to see if they have a current discount code before purchasing. Sending invites the traditional way can cost about $200 for 75 people invited. If you absolutely want to send bridal shower invitations by mail, the most inexpensive bridal shower invitation is an invitation that is already designed. The second most inexpensive bridal shower invitation that you mail is one you design yourself on a site like Shutterfly.

When you’re hosting a bridal shower on a budget, the most inexpensive bridal shower invitations are to send invitations via email. This will save you money on design, postage and the invitations themselves. If you choose to email the invitations, you can use free designs on Evite, or elect to design your own invitation which can cost anywhere from $13 to $50 depending on the event size. Emailing bridal shower invitations that is a free design is the most affordable bridal shower invitation you’ll find.

Bridal Shower Location

Hosting the bridal shower at a home is usually cheapest. If you can accommodate everyone at a house, you won’t have to pay for a location. However, this isn’t always true. How many people are attending – can the house fit this? If you have to rent a tent, table and/or chairs this can add up quickly and it may be cheapest to go to a restaurant or other location. Location, food and beverage are the biggest ways to save money on a bridal shower.

Bridal Shower Food On A Budget

If you’re having it at a restaurant, know your budget and look for the venue that fits that.

If you’re having it at home, will you make the food yourself or will you hire a caterer? Create the menu, estimate how many people will attend and then calculate how much it will cost to make yourself. You may find hiring a caterer or picking up food from a restaurant ends up being cheaper.

One of the biggest costs of the food and beverage is actually the alcohol. Have a signature cocktail instead of an open bar to reduce costs or offer one mimosa per person if doing it at a restaurant. If you’re hosting the bridal shower at home, limiting the amount of drinks (ex sticking to just mimosas or offering only a few options) will reduce the amount of liquors and ingredients you have to buy. Some liquor stores allow you to return any alcohol that was unopened as well.

Bridal Shower Decorations On A Budget

I was in a sorority, and every year there are multiple bridal showers to attend. The con – it definitely gets expensive. The pro- you can use the bridal shower decorations over and over again! We used to assume we’d spend $200 on decorations but we’ve been able to reduce this cost by following the tricks below! Some of these decorations we’ve used for other wedding events as well.

For one bridal shower, we bought vases and trays from the dollar store. It was an upfront expense for the first, but since then we’ve been able to use them at multiple bridals (and now baby showers!) since. This is an easy inexpensive bridal shower decoration because vases can go with any theme. If you buy white trays, those trays can be used for multiple bridal shower themes and wedding events as well.

For the bridal shower centerpieces, we brought our vases to Whole Foods and they fill each vase with a pretty floral arrangement for $10. Limiting the number of tables will reduce this cost.

We also bought picture frames for the signs for the gift table and the favor table. Picture frames are relatively inexpensive at TJ Maxx and Homegoods. You can also buy wooden picture frames from A.C. Moore that you paint and they may even have some at the Dollar Store. The signs we designed ourselves and printed them and put them in these frames. Then, we reused both these picture frames and signs over and over again for other bridal showers and now baby showers.

Free Bridal Shower Games

A great way to throw a bridal shower on a budget is to use free bridal shower games instead of buying them. There are a ton of free bridal shower games that are available online for download. Your only cost is printing making these very inexpensive bridal shower games. For prizes, we picked up a few things at the dollar store or low cost items like nail polish, etc and wrapped it nicely.

We originally assumed we’d have to spend $150 on games, but by doing this we ended up spending less than $50!

Inexpensive Bridal Shower Favors

At many bridal showers I’ve been to, the bridal shower favor gift is cute but never used. There are many inexpensive bridal shower favors but depending on the size of the bridal shower party, this expense can add up quickly. Instead of a bridal shower favor you can do a donation to the brides favorite charity. I’ve also been to bridal showers which have used the desserts as the favor which is the most inexpensive bridal shower favor I’ve seen so far. They set up a cute dessert bar with different types of candy nicely displayed in different glass vases and you make yourself a candy bag to take home.

In the past, we’ve assumed $3.50 / person for bridal shower favors. For 50 people attending this adds up to $175! By having a candy bar act as favors you can save this cost entirely since you’re already paying for food.

Identify The Hidden Talents Of The Group- And Use Them To Throw A Bridal Shower On A Budget

It’s always easier to plan a bridal shower on a budget when a few of the planners are crafty and talented. One friend is amazing at making the pull apart cupcake cakes. Instead of spending a ton of money on desserts, she makes the cupcake cake and we pay her for all of the supplies and usually give her some money for her labor. We used to assume we’d have to spend $100 on the cake, but this has been a fraction of the cost!

A few friends are also very crafty. They are the people that are assigned to the DIY decor helping us reduce the amount of money spent on decorations.

In conclusion, the cost of a bridal shower can vary greatly, and the expenses can add up quickly. However, with proper planning and budgeting, you can still throw an unforgettable celebration for the bride-to-be without breaking the bank. Consider cutting back on non-essential expenses and opting for budget-friendly alternatives to help keep the costs down. The most important thing is to focus on creating a special and meaningful experience for the bride and her guests. Remember, the true purpose of a bridal shower is to celebrate the upcoming wedding and the love between the bride and groom, and not to break the bank.

See Also: How to Save Money As A Wedding Guest