Today, events surrounding the wedding have achieved a place of more importance than they held several decades ago. And in the process, they’re becoming more sophisticated. With this sophistication comes more confusion. Several myths have arisen, for instance, regarding wedding showers and wedding shower party favors. How do you determine what’s truth and what’s myth? That’s the purpose of this article: to expose some of the myths you’ve probably heard and to tell you the truth of the matter. For instance, first, there’s a myth that there’s really no need for the maid of honor to hold a bridal shower. The truth is that correct wedding etiquette demands that you host one. There are a few exceptions when the shower may be hosted by someone else, a female family member or other close friend. But barring unforeseen circumstances, this is your responsibility.

Don’t try to impress people with super-extravagant, super-outlandish gifts as bridal shower party favors. The truth is this is an unnecessary expense. With wedding shower party favors, usually, the simpler,the better. The purpose of these gifts is to help the guests remember the wedding and the shower for years to come. Therefore, you’re just providing them a keepsake. The best favors will do two things successfully: They will be practical to ensure that the guests will want to keep them, and they will somehow remind the guests of the new couple, and especially the bride. There are lots of simple bridal shower party favors that can accomplish this. Popular items include candles, keyrings, boxes of chocolate, flowers in a keepsake vase, and so on. Small and memorable beats outlandish and flashy any day when it comes to wedding shower party favors.

Don’t feel like you’re bound to any kind of formula as to when and how to give out your wedding shower party favors. Some people prefer to save these gifts to use exclusively as prizes for the games you have during the evening. Others prefer to buy one type of favor and give one to each guest, either as they’re arriving or just before they leave. Even more common is a mix of these two approaches: using some small items as game prizes, while using a nice gift as the common item that all guests will get. But find what works for your situation and your guests and stick with it.

Don’t spend a fortune on wedding shower party gifts. Remember that if these are truly friends and loved ones, they won’t want you to go broke on these gifts. And in fact, you can accomplish the above-mentioned functions of bridal shower party favors without spending a fortune on them. Most of the better gift ideas can be bought online for 50 cents to a few dollars for each of your guests. At this price you’ll get something that’s both memorable yet affordable.

And our last myth to bust: Play it safe with your wedding shower party favors. Just find out what your friends had at their showers and copy the idea. This is far from true. The best shower favors are those that fit in with your particular shower theme and your particular group of guests. This might mean that they are part of the theme itself, or that they somehow say something unique about the bride you’re honoring. If you really want inspiration search Google or Yahoo for wedding shower party favors. There will be hundreds of ideas — and at least a few of them will probably spark an idea in your head for something to offer at your party.