More and more these days we are hearing about equality between the sexes, and that is never clearer than in the case of a wedding. What was once the domain of women only, with the men being required to do nothing more than put on a tux, show up and repeat the right words, has now become more of an equal opportunity event.
The bride and groom will usually foot the bill equally for the wedding, instead of leaving the cost solely on the bride and her family. The guys are now out choosing linens and colors and flowers, right along with the ladies. This is great for the frazzled bride who doesn't really want to make all the decisions, or doesn't know what her groom would like, but it also allows the groom some of the perks as well. One of those perks is the groom's shower. It's only right that if they guys share in the work, that they should get to share in the fun too.
For those of you who have never planned a groom's shower, fear not. It is basically the same as planning a bridal shower, only with a more masculine feel. Guy parties don't need to be just beer and pretzels, although it is great fun, it is possible to plan a guy party with class. If the groom is a beer and pretzels kind of guy then go with that, but if he is more the wine and fine dining type of guy, then whoever is planning the party needs to step up their game. Now since the person planning the groom's shower may or may not have planned a shower before, we'll walk you thru some ideas to help you out.
One of the first things that the planner, whomever that many be, needs to decide is if there will be a theme. Just as bridal showers have started to become unique "outside the box" affairs, so too are the groom's showers. So think of the groom's personality, hobbies, favorite sports team and you'll have a variety of possibilities for shower themes. Here are just a couple of the most common party themes, but don't feel limited to them. You can choose anything that the groom would love.
Sports: This theme is kind of a no brainer when thinking about a party idea for a man. Why? Well because many men love sports. It's a bonding experience to cheer over a touchdown. However the type of sports that men like can vary widely. What if the groom likes a sport that maybe isn't as popular as another, like wrestling or softball? There are always party possibilities, thanks to the internet. If you can't find the theme supplies you need in a local store, chances are you can find them online.
Another option is to include several sports if the groom is a total fanatic. Supplies for a total sports themed party are easy to find and there are so many directions to go that you can't go wrong.
One way that you can further enhance the sports theme at the groom's shower is to ask those who are attending to bring a sports related gift. An engraved photo frame with his favorite team's logo or a signed photograph of his favorite player would be excellent ideas. You could also go as far as to have a putter custom engraved for the golf fan, or order a customized Louisville slugger from the company directly.
One could never overlook the food at a sports themed party. Great options here would include big party subs, chips and dip, and cold beer. If you are feeling ambitious, you could even tailgate in the drive way and barbeque burgers, dogs, ribs, tri-tip or whatever you'd like.
Executive Theme: Is the groom a high power executive, or does he have some other sort of professional such as a lawyer, doctor or banker then an executive theme might be just the thing. Try to honor his achievements with this theme, after all he's worked hard and should be recognized for it.
Gifts for the executive themed party could include desk gifts, such as a nice blotter or a new mouse made of leather. A great fountain pen for his desk or a special little trinket would also be good. One of the best gifts recently is the electronic picture frames that allow you to load a bunch of pictures in at once. This allows the groom to keep pictures of his beautiful new bride and their wedding day close at hand.
When considering food, things like cheese and fruit trays are good, as are mini sandwiches or you could even do something like tapas or dim sum. Any sort of finger foods will work well, just make sure you have a wide assortment, and of course don't forget the drinks. Good wine, champagne and liqueurs to add to coffee or sparkling water.
One of the things you can do to entertain the groom and his guests is to create a power point presentation with photos of the happy couple. Remember that the point of the groom's shower is to honor him and his betrothed, but you don't want to let him off too easily. So be sure to include some embarrassing photos from his younger years as well.
Poker Night Theme: Poker Night has to be one of the all time classic guy party themes. It is the guy's poker night that is portrayed in all the TV shows and movies as the quintessential male bonding experience. So why not turn your groom's shower into a poker night?
Now we aren't talking about the folding table in the garage with the single light bulb kind of poker night. You can often rent gaming tables and other Vegas-themed poker night items from your local party supply rental company.
What would go better with gambling than cigars? Almost nothing! So you could give the groom cigar related gifts such as a humidor or cigar case, or an engraved lighter. Another thing that goes hand in hand with Vegas poker night is booze! So you might thing about getting the groom an engraved flask, tankard or bar set.
When it comes to food for poker night finger foods win out again, after all men are simple creatures. Things like cocktail sausages in barbeque sauce, barbeque ribs, fried chicken fingers, butterfly shrimp, loaded potato skins, stuffed mushroom caps and the list goes on. Don't forget the dipping sauces either. Remember to keep the booze flowing all night long, and if the budget and size of the party calls for it, you could even hire a bartender for the night just to take the Vegas theme as far as possible. You could even hire some showgirls; just make sure that everyone is cool with it in advance.
These are just a few of the possibilities for a groom's shower. The important thing to remember is that the shower is meant to honor the groom as he takes the next step in his life. While the idea of a groom's shower might be a relatively new idea, men everywhere will want one of their own once they find out how much fun can be had at one. So be bold and do something that is outside the box, after all you only live once!
