There are a lot of things you’ll need to consider during the wedding planning process, from deciding whether to have an engagement party to picking a destination for your bachelorette party, choosing the perfect wedding dress to finalizing all the details for your big day.

And another thing you’ll definitely have to consider when planning your wedding—and, more specifically, when planning your wedding-related events? When to have your wedding shower.

Whether you are directly involved in the planning or not, deciding when to host the perfect wedding shower warrants taking a few factors into consideration. While it’s a day for close family and friends to gather to enjoy food, drink, games, and gifts, it’s most importantly a day to celebrate the bride-to-be or groom-to-be.

So, let’s take a look at everything you need to know about how to plan a wedding shower and when to have it.

1. The Bride (or Groom) Is Everything

First and foremost, as the bride-to-be or groom-to-be, you are the guest of honor—and planning your wedding shower around dates that you’re available and can accommodate the event in your calendar is integral. Your preferences take precedence and must be communicated to your wedding shower planner as soon as possible. Couples’ showers have gained popularity over the years, so if that’s your plan, then ensure that your fiancé has been consulted and is also able to share their preferences on all of the following aspects so that it’s a celebration that you both can enjoy together.

Photo Credit // Shutterstock

2. Consult Your Wedding Party

The last thing you want is to be planning your wedding shower without anyone from your wedding party showing up. As a first step, check in with all of your bridal party members to ensure that they will be at the event, especially if it matters to you that they are all present.

3. Think in Timelines

When planning your wedding shower, the general rule of thumb for timing is from about a few weeks to a few months before the wedding date. Consider how much time you’d like between your shower and the wedding (and any other events in between), and then space out the event in advance.

4. Consider the Wedding Shower Venue

If you’re eyeing a specific spot to host the event, then keep that in mind when planning your perfect wedding shower. Some venues have waitlists that stretch out for years (or months), so, depending upon the popularity of the wedding shower venue, you might have to move your event around.

5. Decide Upon Your Shower Guests

You probably won't invite your entire wedding guest list to your shower, but this part still requires some thought. You do have to consider when family members, close friends, and members of your wedding party can make it, so consider asking around for their availability, or send out a quick e-poll to gauge which dates work best for maximum guest attendance. Also, if there are conflicts around dates and not everyone will be able to attend, you should consider choosing a date based on your most important attendees, like the maid of honor or mother of the bride or groom.

6. Avoid a Public Holiday

Check your calendar to ensure that the date that you chose for your wedding shower doesn’t coincide with any national holiday or, if yours is an interfaith or intercultural wedding, that there is no religious holiday or traditional festivity on the same date.

7. Ready the Gift Registry

Guests at your wedding shower are planning to shower you with gifts (whether you open gifts at the shower or afterwards), so having your wedding gift registry ready for them ahead of hosting your bridal shower is important. If you need time to set up your registry with your fiancé, then that might dictate when you host the shower.

8. Prepping a Wedding Shower Theme

Planning for your wedding shower with a theme in mind (whether that’s a tea party or a boozy brunch) may need some special elements in terms of bridal shower invitations, décor, food, party favors, bridal shower games, venue, or even outfits, so gauging the time that you’ll need to get everything together will help determine a date for the wedding party.

Photo Credit // Paradis Photography

9. Not Too Close to the Wedding

This might turn into a surprise shower if your wedding party and you are open to that option. In that case, planning your wedding shower will depend on your proposing a handful of date options of when you’d be available and what your preferences are in making your wish a reality.

10. It Could Be a Surprise

This might turn into a surprise shower if your wedding party and you are open to that option. In that case, planning your wedding shower will depend on your proposing a handful of date options of when you’d be available and what your preferences are in making your wish a reality.

11. Virtual Version

If you’ve decided to host a virtual wedding shower for any reason, there is a possibility that more guests will be able to attend, so plan on dates and times, considering all locations that guests will be calling in from. If you’re planning on creating some unique elements in the form of a virtual guest pack—such as a special wedding shower backdrop, party playlist, and suggested bites and cocktails—then ensuring that everyone received that information ahead of your virtual wedding shower will help determine when to host the event.

Choose The Best Time To Throw Your Wedding Shower

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when choosing the best time to host your bridal shower. You need to consider whether you want to host your event virtually or in-person; what date works best for you, your wedding party, and your guests; and what date would give you enough time to check off all the pre-shower tasks of your to-do list (like booking a venue, setting up your registry, and incorporating your theme into all your bridal shower ideas). But now that you know everything you need to consider, you have all the information you need to choose the perfect date for your wedding shower—and have the best bridal shower as a result.