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When your office bestie gets engaged, talks of weddings can take over all the water cooler conversations as she begins to plan her big day, and spending so much time together on the job means you’ll definitely want to celebrate her big news! But when you start thinking about throwing her a bridal shower in conference room three, office politics definitely get involved. Whether she’s inviting the whole office or just a select few coworkers, our experts have a few tips for planning an office bridal shower that won’t ruffle any feathers.
First off, the guest list. While any other bridal shower invitation would only go out to guests who will be invited to the wedding, when you’re throwing a shower in the office, you have two options: To invite all the women in the office, or to make it a co-ed shower and invite everyone. In a larger business you could narrow this down to your team, but if it’s someone you work with regularly or share cubicle walls with, they must be invited — no picking and choosing.
When it comes to planning, loop in a few other coworkers to help with the logistics. It’s up to you how involved or simple the planning is: You could have a full-blown shower with games, snacks, and drinks, or if you don’t have an afternoon to spare, streamline it with just a few treats. Pick up a few decorations to dress up your drab meeting room, and don’t forget to send out an office-wide meeting invite! Great games for office showers, should you be planning a longer event, include the Clothespin Game (Pick a word guests aren’t allowed to say, and grab their clothespin if you catch them slipping. Whoever has the most clothespins at the end wins!) or a wedding-themed Mad Libs. Skip games that focus on knowing the bride and groom, since there’s a good chance many coworkers haven’t met the groom-to-be!
Cost is also an important factor to keep in mind. If your workplace has room in the budget, ask your supervisor if the party could be subsidized. Otherwise, the organizers should split the cost amongst themselves.
Gifting at an office shower can also be tricky, especially if some employees are invited to the wedding while others aren’t. You could purchase gifts on your own, or opt to all chip in on a bigger ticket item. That $200 food processor is much more affordable split 12 ways! And of course, pass around a card for everyone to sign.
And remember: Even if the bride-to-be in question isn’t your closest friend, if the office has hosted a shower for brides in the past, be sure to plan a shower for the new bride, too!
See more: Bridal Shower 101: Who is in Charge of Planning It?