Unwanted Bridal Shower - Help please

Maybe you can come to a happy medium! Let them know you appreciate what they are trying to do but you dont want a "traditional" bridal shower. This way they can still plan something and you wont feel like the center of attention. No cheesy games, no opening gifts in front of everyone. Maybe you can still have a party and have everyone get together for drinks and food and just a good time. If you truly dont want anyone to bring any gifts, maybe suggest to them that they can ask people who want to bring a gift to make it a donation to a charity or childs gift for a childrens hospital or something. Lets face it, showers are pretty boring , so maybe if you can switch it up a little and just make it a fun get together , everyone will be happy

Grin and bear it.

I understand why you wouldn't want one. Maybe you could suggest that instead of a shower you do something else. For my Aunt's second wedding we invited the family for champagne tea at a hotel in Boston. It was a great time for everyone and no gifts involved

My bridal shower/bachelorette is us going to the renaissance faire, that way, there isnt an awkward one hour of us sitting and people watching me open gifts. But if they do surprise you, make sure theres a constant flow of activities, like yes cheesy games and drawings, so that its not everyone expecting you to do so-and-so or staring at you. But I highly suggest doing it in a place where theres an activity going on greater than you, like kareoke or ice skating or something that puts peoples focus away from you. If they do pin you down, the best way to keep things moving is asking the ones present "what was your wedding like? what was your dress? what kind of cake?" If you keep turning the questions of them, theyll do all the talking.

I 100% went through the same thing when I was pregnant. I did not want a baby shower at all for every single reason you just posted and my mom was determined to throw one. We compromised on just having a nice dinner. It was in a public area so no ridiculous games and I wasn't the center of attention. We just had a cake.

My FMIL threw me one that I did not want to have at all.. full of people I didn't know and yucky food and uninterested people watching my every move.. I hated it.. but I went because she really wanted to throw me one and I couldn't take that away from her.

Have you had an engagement party? Maybe she'd be happy planning one for you instead of the shower. Or instead of a typical at-home shower suggest going to one of those painting/wine places (they seem to be popping up all over the play, they're BYOB)--google it. I think that could be a fun no-stress environment where a ton of women can get together but the attention wouldn't be on you.

Just the thought makes me cringe... My FILs live 7 hours away and my FMIL wants to throw one at her house. So, there would be no way any of my friends could come, and my family is also too far way. So it would really be a party for all of HER friends and FHs relatives, most of which I don't know. We will also be moving to Europe in less than a year, so unless the gifts are cash I don't want them, which many people seem to have a hard time understanding, insisting on getting us more traditional gifts.

I'm trying to suggest an alternative, but they are pretty traditional in his family...

I am having a mimosa brunch as a bridal shower (gift optional, not encouraged) with no games. Just me and my ladies having brunch enjoying each other's company. (I cheated it)

Have them do it at a restaurant, not a house - Mrs. King's brunch idea sounds great.

The problem is that they want to do this for you. They're going to go through the trouble, they want you to have presents, etc. I agree - grin and bear it. But see if you can compromise.