Bridal Shower Estimate

What does the person you're throwing it for want? $1500 seems expensive to me, but I guess that would depend on the guest list size. It's perfectly fine to have people gather at someone's house and serve sandwiches and drinks.

View Quoted Comment Sorry I didn’t clarify. It’s for myself.

It’s seen as a faux pas to host your own shower. Because it is a gift giving occasion.


Agree with Jacks that $1500 is on the expensive side. Many showers are not full dinners as Pinterest would have you believe and they are often cake and coffee and appetizer platters in the hostess’s home.

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Ok. Thanks. I'm not a person that does a lot of planning so I don't know how this stuff typically goes. I'm having a small wedding so I don't have any bridesmaids or Maid of Honor that's helping me out.

My mother hosted mine. It was a small affair with appetizers, desserts, and drinks. We didn’t do any games, just simply chatted and then I opened gifts. It’s definitely possible for someone to throw you one well below $1500. Agree with the others that amount is quite high for the average shower.

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Oh ok, it's considered against etiquette to throw parties in your own honour, especially gift giving ones. When the time comes, maybe someone will offer to host one for you. For what it's worth, $1500 is a lot to expect anyone to pay for a shower.

I think it really depends where you are located and the size of the guest list. As a bridesmaid I have co-hosted several bridal showers if its done in someone's house its usually smaller and much cheaper but the ones in a restaurant have been pretty large affairs ranged from $800- 1300. It also depends if liquor is being served and the types and amount of food (buffets or plated meals).While the smaller ones in houses were lovely there was also a lot more prep and clean up involved in those. Good luck

My shower included 30 people with $30 per person at a local restaurant. ($900+)



The people throwing the shower for me thought this was expensive but overall worth the money since no one had a large home to host a home shower, it would be too tight for all the people we’d want there. . This person is also not the type to know how to host and get food drinks plates napkins etc for that many people and to clean up during and after. It would be too stressful for this particular person. Restaurant was the way to go for my fam.

While it’s true you shouldn’t host your own shower (or any gift giving event), you could host an engagement party or bridal luncheon instead, where gifts aren’t expected

My mom hosted mine, and rented a room at our community center ($40-60 per hour, depending on the room selected) and had lunch catered there ($15-25 per person). We had about 25 guests in attendance.

My FMIL is throwing mine at her house, I'm going to keep it small since it's in a home but I'd say a few hundred dollars for food, maybe $100 for decor? I wouldn't go too overboard personally, but if the bridal shower was at a restaurant then $1,500 sounds definitely possible. If you don't have anybody to throw you a shower, I'd throw your own even though it's considered faux pas.

Maybe ask your FMIL/Mom/MOH/Aunt etc to host it, but offer to pay for it if they're unwilling. That way you don't have to break etiquette but still get to have the shower you want!

View Quoted Comment Thanks. This was really helpful 🥰.

I agree with Bailey. You can totally plan your own, but ask someone to be the point of contact for RSVPs, announce any games, etc. You could still foot the bill, decorate, choose the games, venue, food, etc., but it will have the appearance that someone else hosted.

As far as pricing, you'd have to look around. If you can't host it at someone's home, a restaurant or local fire hall would be fine. Just have to weigh the options