Before laying out those precious wordings for bridal shower invitations, let us take a look on the bridal shower history, origin and its true meaning.

A gift giving party being thrown at the bride before the wedding date is called bridal shower. Bridal shower, according to the history, originated in the United States. Some people says that the very first practice of this party have been originated at Brussels, Belgium around 1860.

As of now, it is still practiced at U.S. and Canada. Bridal showers are usually coordinated by the bridesmaids. At the party, guests and visitors offer gifts for the home of the bride and groom.

A little bit of history regarding bridal showers.

The custom of the bridal shower is said to have grown out of earlier dowry practices when a poor woman's family might not have the money to provide a dowry for her, or when a father refused to give his daughter her dowry because he did not approve of the marriage.

In such situations, friends of the woman would gather together and bring gifts that would compensate for the dowry and allow her to marry the man of her choice. A frequently quoted legend traces the origin of this practice to sixteenth or seventeenth century the Netherlands. However there are also parallels with many dowry practices and the U.S. Colonial or hope chest (trousseau) custom.

In the United States, bridal showers started in urban areas in the 1890s, mainly among the upper middle classes. By the 1930s bridal showers had spread to rural America.

The earliest use of this sense of the word in print may be in the Grand Rapids Michigan Evening Press 22 June 4, 1904: "The ‘shower parties’ that through mistaken hospitality the wedded couple are forced to attend..." And may derive from the custom in Victorian times for the presents to be put inside a parasol, which when opened would "shower" the bride-to-be with gifts.

There we have it. Bridal shower origins and little history. Want to contribute about the subject? Feel free to leave it at the comment section.