A wedding shower, or bridal shower, is usually a party given in honor of the bride to celebrate her big day with her female friends and family. The maid-of-honor traditionally hosts the wedding shower, but sometimes a group of friends or members of the bride's family host it. One of the first items to take care of for a wedding shower is usually creating a guest list and choosing wedding shower invitations.
These invitations should reflect and focus on the overall theme of the wedding shower, and not necessarily the theme of the wedding. Invitations for a wedding shower are usually much more colorful and fun than custom wedding invitations are, but they don't have to be expensive. Inexpensive wedding invitations and shower invitations work just as well as their expensive counterparts if you keep the actual event in mind.
Many times, showers and their invitations are themed around the honeymoon destination. For example, a Hawaiian honeymoon may inspire a wedding shower of tropical drinks, Hawaiian leis, and exotic food. In this case, the invitations should project a fun, tropical Hawaiian theme.
Another popular theme for wedding showers is providing a spa experience to guests. While this theme has nothing to do with the actual wedding, female guests will enjoy this type of fun and relaxing wedding shower. For a spa experience wedding shower, invitations should reflect a spa theme and let the guests know what spa activities are planned for the shower, including any supplies, like towels, guests should bring.
Many people also include bridal registry information in shower invitations. This works especially well for friends and coworkers not invited to small weddings, but who are invited to the shower and may want to give a gift. Including wedding shower invitations and invitations to the wedding in one envelope can make for even more inexpensive wedding invitations by combining the costs of mailing.