Although the title may suggest the weather, showers and sprinkles have another meaning here in the US; we’re talking parties! And almost as if Americans lack the patience to wait to celebrate an event, many of the parties take place before the event.

If you’re still confused, let me clarify: we’re talking about bridal showers, wedding rehearsal dinners and baby showers. At first I thought a bridal shower might be another name for a hen party but no, a bridal shower is a pre-wedding event held for the bride by her girlfriends before or after the bachelorette (hen) party. The shower is usually hosted at one of the friends’ homes and all the bride-to-be has to do is show up. The friends issue invites on behalf of the bride-to-be and they provide a somewhat lavish buffet for the party. A gift registry is established for wedding gifts and the bride-to-be opens all the gifts at the party.

After that, you would imagine the wedding itself to be the next ensemble but no, wedding rehearsal dinners are usually held the night before the wedding. To me this seems like overkill because all the wedding guests are invited to a dinner which takes place after a rehearsal of the ceremony so nothing is left to chance. I can understand the consideration given to people coming in from out of town; it gives them a chance to recharge their batteries after a long journey in preparation for the big day, but personally, I think it takes the edge off the actual event.

The last wedding I attended was an extravagant affair in the Hamptons of Long Island and the wedding rehearsal was such a big event that half the guests were in no fit state to attend the wedding the next day! The ceremony itself was outdoors in the mid-summer sun and was followed by a hog roast with live music that continued into the early hours of the next morning and it was obvious many guests were wishing they’d stuck to soft drinks the night before!

Baby showers are run along the same lines as bridal showers and they take place some time in the month before the baby is due. Like bridal showers, baby showers are hosted by friends of the mum-to-be so that the expectant mother doesn’t have to worry about tidying the house, cooking or cleaning up afterwards. Food is once again provided by the friends and gift registries are extensive; all the essential items required for the new baby from baby bottles to cots and strollers are listed.

I personally prefer the showers for second babies because the mothers already have all the basics so the parties are more creative. Last year I went to a “diaper shower” where we joined the mum-to-be at a beauty salon for a bit of pampering and all we had to bring were supplies of nappies! Just last week, I went to a “baby sprinkle” where we were asked to bring something recycled not new so I was able to offload some of our children’s books.

Although showers and pre-event parties took some getting used to, I think I am finally converted.

Carole