- Who Goes to the
Rehearsal Dinner? [q&a] - Bachelorette Party
Basics [article] - Interesting (and
Inexpensive) Shower... [q&a] - The Do's and Don'ts
of Bachelorette... [article] - How to Plan a
Bridal Luncheon [article]
What Do I Feed These People?
If your guests will be there between 8 and 10 A.M., you'd better serve breakfast. If they're there between noon and 1, plan to serve them lunch (a cold cuts buffet is fine). If they are there after work, and it's for more than drinks, plan on feeding them dinner. If it's after the "American dinner hour" (which means after 6:30 P.M.), they will likely all have already eaten and only expect cake and beverages. Any other time, snacks are totally appropriate, and cake is required.
Planning Your Menu
If you are hosting a shower for a friend who is kosher, vegetarian, vegan, or some other religious and/or dietetic discipline, it would be thoughtful of you to be considerate. Ask the bride, for instance, if she cares if you serve shrimp to the nonkosher guests, or red meat to the nonvegetarians. If a preponderance of your guests are of one dietetic persuasion or another, you would be wise to get some recipes from someone so you can cater it to everyone's liking.
Designing the Menu
Take your time designing the menu for the shower. If you are planning to serve something more than cake and cookies, you will need to plan out what you want so that your meal not only looks balanced but elegant, too. Your goal is to create the most wonderful dishes, probably with a minimum of expense. Planning ahead is what will make that happen.